Sports
Algeria Hopes For Early Preparations
Algeria’s coach, Rabah Saadane is hoping for early preparations for his team ahead of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, Angola 2010.
The Desert Foxes have been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Angola, Mali and Malawi for the 27th edition of the continental showpiece soccer event and Saadane, believes early preparations will largely point to a positive outing at the January 10 – January 31, 2010 championship.
”Now that the draw has been made and we know our opponents in the competition, we can outline a programme for the competition. In this regard, I would say that our preparations will begin as early as possible,” the veteran trainer said on television channel, Al Jazeera Sport.
The 63-year old trainer, having his fifth stint with the national team cited the inadequate time frame from now till the championship as the raison d’etre for his choice of early preparations.
But with a greater percentage of the Desert Foxes players playing outside Algeria, it is very unlikely that Saadane may have the core of his team for the early preparations he is envisaging for.
However, the former Setif Entente and Raja Casablanca trainer remains optimistic about the chances of his side, which are making a return to the biennial championship after missing out on the 2006 and 2008 editions in Egypt and Ghana respectively.
“I am satisfied with the draw. It’s a good group compared to Cote d’Ivoire’s or Cameroon’s, which are both very difficult. I think we have a very good chance to advance to the quarter-finals.
“But we can’t afford to underestimate our opponents. We have great respect for the other teams in our group and will treat all games equally.”
Algeria are one of Africa’s representatives for next year’s World Cup in South Africa, and Saadane is convinced that the continental event will serve a major form of preparation for his team ahead of the Mundial.
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.