CMYK
2nd Edo Boxing Tournament: Okoh Seeks Incentives For THE Chief initiator of the annual Edo Boxing Tournament, Hon. Wellington Okoh has renewed his appeal to individuals and corporate bodies to support the effort aimed at reviving boxing and adding glamour to the Yuletide in Edo State. Hon Okoh told Edo indigenes and some and OBSERVERSports in Benin City some major corporate bodies to yesterday that plans were on to help sponsor this year’s event make the 2nd edition of the and we are optimistic that their boxing fiesta billed for response would be positive,” December 26, 2014 at the Hon Okoh stated in a telephone Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium a that with OBSRVERSports. memorable event. He explained that the Edo He said the event will bring Boxing Tournament, apart from youths and sports enthusiasts adding glamour to the Yuletide from across Edo State and celebrations, is also aimed at beyond together in an providing a robust platform for atmosphere of friendship and the young boxers in Edo State to exciting sports entertainment. sharpen their skill in the roped “We are working round the square. clock to make this years event “This boxing tournament when which will be the second edition, sustained now and in the future, a boxing tournament to cherish. will become the tonic our boxers “We are reaching out to need to excel in both national and individuals, especially prominent
Antidoping Seminar Should Be Regular - Showunmi
A Lagos State Athletics Coach, Ibrahim Showunmi on Friday advised the authorities to ensure that regular anti-doping seminars were organised for existing and upcoming athletes in the country. Showunmi told newsmen in Lagos that the step would help to educate athletes on the dangers of getting involved in doping. He said that experts from world anti-doping agencies should be invited as resource persons to pilot the seminars as a way of cubing the menace of doping in athletes. “ We must adopt a realisable measure to ensure that our athletes do not embarrass the country by failing in dope test when they go for international competitions. “Another important thing is to use the medium to secure the future of these athletes so that they can achieve their objectives and bring glory to the nation. “ Such seminars will guide them, even when they need to take medication during illhealth, they will not go into selfmedications as they are already aware.’’ He also advised that such programmes were necessary and should be made part of federation’s activities in the year as a way of encouraging athletes to develop. According to him, Nigeria has capability and quality athletes who can make the nation proud, if given proper mentoring and training in every area. “We are blessed in this country, the talents are there but we must put things in order and make sure that athletes’ careers were thoroughly guided,’’ he said.
international competitions. “This is why we are appealing to the state government and some
must have a football stadium as part of conditions for registering for the 2015 season. A statement by Olushola Ogunnowo, the Executive Secretary of the NNWL in Abuja on Friday said the condition was part of the ongoing restructuring in the league. It said that the would-be sponsors of the NNWL also
Hon. Wellington Okoh
Eagles Beat Ghana 7-5
Nigeria’s Sand Eagles having the upper hand as they recorded their fourth goal through Tale, before Ghana’s Kwevi replied and made it 4-4. It became a nervous moment for the defending champions as they put all they had and recorded another goal through star player, Azeez. Ghana’s determination yielded for them as Sema scored and made it 5-5, reenacting the old rivalry between the two countries. However, with eight minutes left on the watch, Nigeria’s Tachi and Badmus scored and made it 7-5, after a spirited performance in their defence, to the delight of the fans. Tale told newsmen in the sidelines of the match that they
had the confidence they would carry the day. ‘’We were never nervous, even when Ghana did everything to come back each time we went ahead. ‘’We were confident we will win in the end and fought very hard to get a very good result. ‘’We will stop at nothing to win this title for the fourth time,’’ Tale said. Meanwhile, Ghana’s star player, Kwevi said that the team had done very poorly in the defence and it was a very painful loss ‘’We did what we could but lost the match because of our poor defence, We hope to correct this next time,’’ he said. Meanwhile in other first round matches played, the
Nigeria U-23 Plan Overseas Tour NIGERIA’S Olympic team headed by coach Samson Siasia
Coach Samson Siasia
work hard and excel in the future,” Hon Okoh further noted. He disclosed that trophies, cash prizes and souvenirs will be presented to the boxers as incentives to encourage and spur them to greater heights.
NNWL Urges Clubs To Build THE Nigeria Nationwide Stadium League (NNWL), said club
Beach Soccer: Sand THE Sand Eagles of Nigeria on Friday began the defence of their Copa Lagos Beach Soccer Championship title on a good note as they beat Ghana 7-5 in Lagos. The Eagles had begun the match by scoring three goals through Victor Tale, Abu Azeez and Babatunde Badmus, in the first period of the match. Shockingly, Ghana’s Frederick Kwevi brought his team back to contention by scoring two goals, while his team mate, Michael Selma, scored and made it 3-3 in the close of the second period. The final period was a tight encounter as both teams tried earnestly to convert more scoring chances. The third and final period saw
Boxers
local government councils as well as individuals and corporate organizations to support this initiative so that our young men and women who have taken to boxing can be encouraged to
are working on a training tour of Dubai and a European country
in January, officials disclosed. “The team are working very seriously on a training tour of Dubai and a country in Europe,” said a team official. “This is to ensure we have a formidable team in time for our first major test against Gabon at the end of February in an All Africa Games qualifier.” The Dream Team VI are due to take on newly promoted Wikki Tourists in Bauchi next week as part of their build-up for the 2015 All Africa Games and 2016 Rio Olympics qualifying matches in the New Year. The Nigeria U23 team have since last month been trying out thousands of hopefuls in Abuja and only last week the country’s foreign-based stars who are eligible to play for the team have begun trooping in to camp.
Beach Soccer team of FC Barcelona of Spain beat Pepsi Football Academy 7-3, while Cote d’Ivoire beat Senegal 62. Enyimba International of Aba defeated Stationery Stores of Lagos 1-0. Ex-international Peter Rufai, the President-General of Nigerian Football Supporters Club, Rafiu Ladipo, and the Pepsi Academy proprietor, Ian Nelson, were among notable individuals who watched the matches. Reports state that the fourth edition of the Copa Lagos is holding at the Eko Atlantic City in Victoria Island. The tournament ends on Sunday.
gave that as part of conditions to enable the league to enjoy sponsorship. “Only football stadium will be accepted as a match venue; the venue must have a dressing room for both teams and match officials. “The venue must have functional toilets to serve the teams and the spectators and must also have a functional score board. “The venue must have a sitting terrace for a minimum of 3,000 spectators with a covered team reserve bench. “The venue must have perimeter fence with a functional electricity system and at least six video camera stands,’’ the statement said. The statement added that clubs must comply with the directives as inspection of the stadia would hold between January 8 and January 11, while registration would begin on January 12 and end on January 30, 2015. It stated that registration would be concluded before the league’s Annual General Meeting and unveiling of its new sponsor scheduled to hold on January 23, 2015. The statement also said that arrangements had been concluded for the kick-off of the pre-season tournament on January 25 and the commencement of the Division One league on March 5.
2015 W/Cup: Nigeria Cricket
Fed Begins Training
THE Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) said on Friday that its contingent would in January start intensive training for the Division 4 Cricket World Cup holding in Hong Kong. The president, Emeka Onyeama, said in Abuja that a foreign training tour would follow the invitation of players to camp. “We are going to be calling the boys to camp early in January. We have a tour to undertake. “Dr John Abebe, the pillar behind Cricket, is also giving the under-19 players, mixed up with the national team, an opportunity to tour in the first week of January. “We are undertaking a tour of Dubai and we are going to be playing different club sides in Dubai in preparation for the
World Cup and also for the under-19 that is coming up in February. “We have the World Cup, under-19 championship which Nigeria will equally be playing in. This time around, we hope to advance our cause. “So, we are going to be forming a grade A team which will be brought back into camping in January both for the U-19 and the senior men,’’ Onyeama said. He noted that the just concluded National Cricket Men’s championship afforded the federation the opportunity to select some players to be invited for the January camping. Onyeama pointed out that a team of selectors discovered some quality bowlers and batsmen who would do the country proud at the World Cup.
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