Sports
Brazil World Cup: Turkish Ambassador Rates Eagles High
Turkey’s Ambassador to
Nigeria, Mustafa Pulat, has in Abuja said Nigeria’s Super Eagles have “a good chance’’ of excelling at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil in June.
Pulat told newsmen that his submission was on the basis of Nigeria’s pedigree in football, as well as quality of players and the element of luck.
“Nigeria is a strong football nation, and with this it has a strong chance of doing well at Brazil 2014.
“Moreover, Nigeria has a rich football tradition, going by what the likes of Daniel Amokachi, Austin Okocha, Uche Okechukwu and Joseph Yobo have done.
“Nigeria also has a qualitative player in Emmanuel Emenike, and with luck coming into it, the Super Eagles can make it to the second round at least. From there, anything can happen,’’ he said.
The ambassador also said the Super Eagles would get it right by being motivated by the fact that they were playing at the highest level of the game.
“The World Cup is the highest level of all football competitions, and teams get motivated into doing better at that point.
“This can happen to Nigeria, and then the element of luck comes into play too,’’ he said.
Pulat, however, tipped Nigeria to join Argentina in picking the two second round tickets from Group F, with Bosnia-Herzegovina having an outside chance of dislodging Nigeria.
“Argentina is sure for a ticket, with Nigeria picking the second ticket. But Bosnia-Herzegovina can spring a surprise too to challenge Nigeria for the other ticket,’’ he said.
The Turkish diplomat said further that it was going to be difficult to predict the competition’s winners.
“It is difficult to tell who would lift the Cup after the final on July 13, but it is usually normal to expect it to be between Brazil and Spain. They are always one of those at the top.
“But it is hard to assess now, until the end of the first round. This is because most of the players expected there are still in their various leagues and it is difficult to assess them for now,’’ he said.
Pulat was, however, unsure of whether an African team would be able to win the trophy this time around.
He said it needed more than being competitive for an African side to win the World Cup.
“The draws, for one, always have a strong impact on what the African teams can do. But it is a fact that African teams are always good and competitive. However, football is always full of surprises.
Hon Dike who spoke with sports journalists shortly after the flag off the 2024 edition of Chairman’s Football Unity Tournament at Botem Tai in Tai LGA, said the tournament is an annual event to promote peace and unity in Tai as well identify budding talents in the area for global competition.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was more like a carnival was witnessed by huge crowd including prominent indigenes of Ogoni Kingdom, sports lovers and people from all works of life.
The LGA boss revealed that special sports committee will be setup in the area to work out modalities to strengthen sports development in Tai.
He advised the participants in the tournament from various wards in the LGA to play the game by the rules and conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and use the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Hon Dike further disclosed that his administration will also give priority attention to skills development among the youth to enhance their human capacity and promote enterprise development in the area.
Earlier in his address the Chairman of Tai LGA Football Council, Elder Wisdom Gorgor said the annual football competition has been a unifying factor in Tai LGA that need to be sustained to forge more unity and development in the area.
He urged the participants to see the competition as an opportunity to embrace football as a full career and earn sustainable livelihood.
Elder Gorgor who commended the Chairman of Tai LGA, Hon Dike for his visionary leadership and tremendous development achievements recorded in the LGA under his administration, appealled to the Chairman to build a Mini Sports Stadium in the area to promote sporting activities.
The training was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court in Kano last Saturday.
According to the Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, the event was part of the league’s commitment to growing broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country.
“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game,” Abudu said.
“Nigeria has a rich basketball history and abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game. We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people around the country,” she added.
The 2024 basketball initiative clinics of NBA Nigeria also included the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA elite camp for 150 boys and age-16 girls held at the American International School in Lagos in July.
Others include the NBA’s building of 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade, Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City held last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, held in November.
Central to this vision is the federation’s investment in capacity building, evident in the just-concluded one-week Level 1 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Coaching Course, which marked a significant milestone for Nigerian badminton.
Held in Abuja, the course brought together 13 young coaches from across Nigeria. The last time such a course was held in the country was in 2017, making this a historic and transformative step.
The training was facilitated by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and conducted by Dr. Ahmed Radah, the BCA Development Manager.
Radah, impressed by the talent he witnessed, praised Nigeria’s potential.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense talent and a strong badminton tradition. I believe this country has what it takes to dominate on the global stage,” he remarked.
-
Sports2 days ago
We’ll use Sports to Promote Peace, create Wealth in Tai…Chairman.
-
Business2 days ago
Onne OMT Port Acquires 2 Cranes For Container Haulage
-
Niger Delta2 days ago
Bayelsa Charges Environment Ministry To End Bush Burning
-
Business2 days ago
Minister Asures On Blue Economy Policy
-
Rivers2 days agoImmunization: Rivers Records Decrease In Women, Infant Mortality … As OPTS Donates Cold Chain Refrigerators To PHCMB
-
Business2 days ago
AWAEMP Seeks Transformative Policies To Boost Nigeria’s Exports
-
Business1 day ago
Monarch Tasks PHCCIMA On Strong Business Ties
-
Sports2 days ago
Delta Ethnic Cup Goes Beyond fostering unity, Peace