Sports
Nigeria, Giant In Scrabble – NSF President
The National President of the Nigeria Scrabble Federation, Olobatoke Aka, has described the country as a giant in the game of scrabble.
Aka told newsmen at the weekend in Uyo shortly after the first round matches of the 5th Godswill Akpabio International Scrabble Classics, that youths in the country had relative advantage over other youths in the sport.
He urged youths to take to sport because there were lots of advantages in it.
“It is a game that the country needed to encourage the youths to play as it can go a long way in helping them to improve their written and spoken English,” he stressed.
He said that scrabble was never a dull man’s game, stressing: “It is an intellectual game because it has to do with the mind and physical well being.
“It also helps the players to exercise their hands through movement of the hands while playing the game.’’
On defending champions of the past edition of the competition, Moses Peter said he was optimistic that it was going to re-emerge as champion.
Aka, who said he had been champion in five previous editions, claimed that he defeated Pakorn Nemitramansuk of Malaysia. “I am currently the highest ranked player in the country.
“As regards scrabbles and general aspects of life, I believe everything is achievable. One just has to be focused and victory must come your way.
“Akpabio Classics stands out as one of the best around the globe.
“Akpabio Classics is the most prestigious tournament and we give kudos to Gov. Akpabio for providing us the opportunity to take part in what we could have gone outside the country to benefit from,’’ he added.
The event had been split into four categories, Masters, Intermediate, Opens and Veterans.
No fewer than 300 players are participating in the tournament being held at the Le’ Meridien Ibom Hotels and Golf Resort, Uyo.
The prize money are: N2 million for the overall winner, N900,000 for the second position and N600,000 each for the two junior categories.
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor