Sports
Squash W’Cup:Federation Selects Final 8 For Close Camping
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The Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF) has selected the final eight players for close camping ahead of the Men’s World Team Championship in the United States in December.
A total of 22 players, grouped into two, participated in a week long open trials and competed against each other in a round robin format at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
The trials was aimed at selecting the best for close camping in Ilorin next month ahead of the global showpiece, where Nigeria would be making a first appearance after 20 years.
According to the media officer of NSF, Uchenna Uba, the trials had exposed young talents who eventually made the final eight.
“ We had wanted to invite only the best and senior players we had in mind but we decided to make it open so that everyone will be given a chance.
“The idea paid off as we saw junior players like Onas Adegoke making it to the final.
“The players selected acquired the highest number of points after playing each other in round robin, with a win for three points and loss for zero point.
“We can say we have achieved the aim of the trials but can only hope that the players put in their best to ensure a good outing in the long run, in US,” Uba added.
The players selected in group one are Sadiq Taiwo with 30 points, Onas Adegoke on 27 points while Gabriel Olufunmilayo and Femi Shedara obtained 24 and 21 points respectively.
Group two boasts of Kehinde Samuel ranked in first position with 30 points, Idowu Enimakure with 27, Lanre Abdulrahman on 24 and Victor Daniel on 21 points.
Meanwhile Abubakar Adamu and Desmond Iguodala will join the team as reserves after finishing both on 18 points.
The World Championship is scheduled for December 14 to December 22.
Sports
Osimhen Rejects Napoli’s Salary Cut
Victor Osimhen has rejected a huge pay cut by Napoli and a new contract as his transfer saga remains unending with a week to the close of the window.
Despite the rumours, there has been no concrete offer for the Super Eagles striker with suggestions that he may end up staying put at Napoli.
Commentator Massimo Sparnelli revealed that Napoli proposed a pay cut, an extension of his contract until 2030, and make him the face of the Italian.
Osimhen is currently on over 10m Euros a year and his contract will run out in June 2026.
Napoli want him to agree to a lower salary of between 6m and 7m Euros a year.
“The player refused,” Sparnelli revealed to CalcioNapoli24.
“I can assure you that De Laurentiis made these proposals to him while promising to make the face of Napoli, but Osimhen refused.”
Sports
Administrator Blames Shoddy Preparation For Nigeria’s Poor Olympic Outing
An astute football administrator in the State Mr. Williams Mapuibi Inko has attributed the cause of Nigerian contingents’ dismal performance at the just concluded Paris 2024 Olympics Games to poor preparations from the authorities concerned.
Baring his mind to our reporter via telephone conversation recently, Mapuibi Inko maintained that there was no magic Nigeria athletes would have performed that would have guaranteed her a medal from the event, considering her poor level of preparation to the event competing against notable World Sports beaters on Parade.
“Honestly, the Nigerian athletes had hardly had enough and regular track and field event preparation before the championship, coupled with poor organization among the overbloated officials who were only interested in what they would gain as individuals from the two weeks outing”
On whether it will be ideal to sack the Sports Minister John Enoh, following the woeful out of the Nigerian athletes at the concluded Olympic games, the Outspoken Mapuibi Inko, who is the President of Diobu International All Stars Sports Club says he has some little reservation for now.
“Perhaps, I will subscribe that some professional and seasoned Sports administrator should be engaged to work with the Sports Minister so that different good ideas would be brought together to prosecute another major competitive event to guarantee better result of winning laurels at the end of the day”, he submitted.
In a different development, Mapuibi Inko has encouraged members of the Diobu All Stars International Sports Club to affirm faith and continue to imbibe the spirt of oneness with a view to strengthening the team for effective outings.
“Speaking to our reporter after taking a critical assessment of the club so far, Mapuibi Inko stated that it was a clear fact that Diobu International All Stars is on the right path of progress, having seen the vision of the Club towards ensuring that it’s dreams of hitting it big in the comity of other All-Stars Football Club in near future is actualized”
He further, posited that the Club which had been the cynosure of all eyes in Diobu axis is making frantic effort to acquire all necessary sporting facilities, ranging from Jersey, footballs etc. to enhance their routine football trainings at St Andrews School Field, Mile one Diobu, Port Harcourt.
“Besides, we are also training very assiduously to ensure that we are physically fit and capable to engage in any competitive matches within and outside the state”
“Again, we are equally looking forward to establishing a good working relationship with the Basic Senior Secondary School management Board as to intimate them more of our vision and readiness towards encouraging grassroots sport development in Post-Secondary Schools in Rivers State, aimed at catching them young”
The amiable Diobu International All Stars Sports Club boss, however, expressed happiness with the current improved numerical strength of the team, which according to him, is in line with the good ideal and vision of the Club right from its formation stage.
Sports
Rangers Qualify For C.C.L 2nd Preliminary Round
Reigning Nigeria league champions, Rangers International F.C has qualified for the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League 2024/2025 second preliminary round with a 2-1 aggregate win over Comoros Islands champions, U.S de Zilimadjou in the first preliminary round of the premier continental club competition.
In the second leg, first preliminary round game played inside Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Friday, August 23, 2024, the ‘Flying Antelopes’ were forced to a 1-1 draw by the tiny Island nation.
After both sides ended the first half on a goalless note, with begging chances fretted away by the home side, coach Fidelis Ilechukwu had to make quick substitutions that saw Kazeem Ogunleye and Chiedozie Okorie make way for Ekeson Okorie and Bashir Usman just ten minutes into the second stanza.
The substitution turned out to be an inspired one as Ekeson Okorie, in one of his dashing runs into the box was fouled and the referee wasted no time in pointing to the spot, and Kenechukwu Agu expertly converted for the opening goal of the encounter on the 79th minute to send the fans that thronged the stadium into a frenzy.
Youssouf Mohamed, however, drew the Comoros side level with just four minutes left on the clock as he nodded home an inviting cross that the Rangers backline found hard to defend just a few seconds after they missed a promising attacking move at the other end of the pitch.
Despite the draw, the Nigerian side progressed to the next round of the competition where they are scheduled to engage either St. Louis F.C of Seychelles or Sagrada Esperanca F.C of Angola with the Angolan side enjoying a 1-0 lead from the first leg played in Seychelles last week.
Coach Fidelis Ilechukwu in his post-match chat, said, “We are happy to have qualified for the next round of the competition even though when I believe that we did not up our game today against the Comoros champions. This goes a long way to show the mystery of the game of football. Sure, I am worried at our rate of converting chances but I am optimistic of getting over this challenge before the next window for new registration. I believe that the start of the new league season will go a long way in helping us stabilize with regards to cohesive play from my players.”
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