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TUESDAY, september 13, 2016 • T H I S D AY
TUESDAYSPORTS
Group Sports Editor Duro Ikhazuagbe Email duro.ikhazuagbe@thisdaylive.com
2 0 1 6 R I O PA R A LY M P I C S
Onye Wins Team Nigeria’s First Athletics Gold Nwosu, Omolayo add two more power-lifting gold Keno Edhowo Team Nigeria’s good run at the ongoing 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, Brazil continued yesterday with Lauritta Onye winning gold in Shot Put. It is Nigeria’s first gold medal from the track and field. Competing in the women’s shot put f40 event on the Day-four of the Rio Paralympics, Onye first heaved 7.83m that saw her break her world record of 7.72m set at the IPC World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar in 2015. Her second throw was 7.54m. She however went one centimeter further on her third attempt. Onye’s fourth attempt of 8.40m sent Team Nigeria camp into jubilation mood as it secured the fifth gold medal for the country. Onye’s medal is Nigeria’s seventh at the Rio Paralympic Games. Also yesterday, Ndidi Nwosu defeated the defending champion to win women’s -73kg Powerlifting
event gold medal Nwosu was set for the bronze medal before she stepped up in her very last attempt, lifting 140kg to equal the Paralympics Record (PR) and usurp France’s Souhad Ghazouani for the gold. Another Nigerian, Bose Omolayo broke her own World Record (WR) and set a new one of 138kg to win gold medal. Earlier, Team Nigeria’s captain, Lucy Ejike, broke the Paralympic and world record three successive times, to win the women’s -61kg event in power-lifting. Her successful attempt at 136.kg on Sunday set a new Paralympic record and world record. Ejike went on to set a bigger mark of 138kg, before lifting a massive 142kg. Another power-lifter, Paul Kehinde, had earlier at the weekend given Team Nigeria her second gold medal of the Games. Kehinde in the -65kg men’s category, lifted
218kg to beat his rivals to the gold medal. His gold came after Roland Ezuruike had on Friday won Nigeria’s first gold in Rio, also in
power-lifting. China’s Peng Hu (200kg) finished second, while Egypt’s Shaaban Ibrahim (193kg) won the bronze medal.
Latifat Tijani won silver in the women’s power-lifting -45kg on Friday, with Esther Oyema adding another silver in the women’s power-lifting -55kg
category on Saturday. As at press time last night, Nigeria was listed tenth on the medals table with six gold, two silver and one bronze.
NCC TENNIS LEAGUE
Emmanuel Beats Michael to Salvage One Point for Team Offikwu Team Tombim cruised past Kaduna-based Team Offikwu in their first round robin encounter winning two out of three matches of the ongoing NCC Tennis league on Sunday to wrap up the Tie 6-1. The Abuja-based Team Tombim had on Saturday taken an insurmountable 4-0 lead and went up 5-0 when Edwards Christopher beat Emmanuel Idoko in the first reverse singles 6-2, 6-3. However, Sylvester Emmanuel, ranked No.2, rescued some pride for the Offikwu team by upsetting national champion Moses Michael 6-3, 3-6, 10-5 ( tie break decider) in the second reverse singles. In the mixed doubles match which ended proceedings, the Tombim pair of Henry Atseye and Lovette Donatus overcame
the Offikwu pair of Albert Bicom and Aanu Aiyegbusi 6-3, 6-4. The NCC Tennis league continues at three centres next weekend. Team Anambra will be hosting Team Goshen of Ilorin in Onitsha, CBN Futures will take on Team Kalotari of Port Harcourt at the National Stadium in Lagos and Team FCT will face Team Hope of Asaba in Abuja. Ten teams are competing in two round robin groups with the top two finishers from each group qualifying for the semifinals. The NCC Tennis League, the first of its kind in Africa, is offering N7 million in prize money to the winners, N5 million to the runner-up, N3 million to third place and N2 million to the fourth place finishers.
Kanu Bereaved
Former Nigerian International Nwankwo Kanu has lost his mother with no details shedding light on the cause of her unfortunate demise Kanu’s mother, Mrs. Susan Kanu Iheme, was reported to have passed away on September 7. According to papilonews.com Kanu eulogised his mother, whom he described as a great pillar of strength to the entire family. “The loss of Mama is hard to bear. She is a rock that stood by me and all my siblings. She showed us equal love and affection, and always prayed for each and every one of us. “Her support and prayers for me right from the beginning of my playing career till the end were invaluable. Her guidance also went a very long way into
moulding me into the man I am today. She taught me to love, and to give. I will miss her, but God knows best. Mama Kanu had the rare privilege of raising three sons who played professional football. Aside Olympic Gold medal winning legend Nwankwo, her eldest son Godwin played for Bendel United and her last son Ogbonna played for Ajax Amsterdam amongst other clubs. The former Arsenal and Ajax star was a member, and later captain, of the Nigerian national football team for 16 years from 1994 until 2010. He has been married to wife, Amara Nwankwo for 12 years and the pair has three beautiful children. Burial arrangements are yet to be announced by the family.
Lauritta Onye celebrating his gold medal in the shot put event yesterday in Rio
Eagles will Qualify for World Cup in Russia, Pinnick Assures Nigerians Agha Ibiam in London President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, has assured Nigerians that the federation will be up and doing to ensure that Nigeria qualify for 2018 World Cup finals in Russia. However, he expressed displeasure on the exit of both the Flying Eagles and Golden Eaglets from international competitions, adding that coaches should isolate business from coaching for Nigeria football to go beyond where it is. Pinnick who was in London
at the weekend made the comment when speaking with the Association of Nigerian Journalists in the United Kingdom (ANJUK) at Marriot Hotel. He said he was on transit from Zurich after attending a meeting with other two African football managers. According to him, the most important project for his board now is how to qualify the country for Russia 2018 World Cup as all the junior teams has failed to make it to the global stage. The former Delta Sports
Commission chairman maintained that the future of Nigeria football will be robust as the Super Eagles is settled for the tournament. He said, “There is no form of politics surrounding the preparation and the country has the youngest and talented footballers in the continent.” Pinnick however stressed that one major problem faced by his federation was the issue of finance as the country is going through serious economic challenges. ‘’You are also aware that the country is facing financial
difficulties and it is affecting us, but we will try our best to see that the country’s flag is hoisted in Russia,’’ he promised. Nonetheless, Pinnick applauded Nigeria’s Europebased players especially those plying their trades in England for the superlative and unmatched performances most of them have been exhibiting recently. ‘’I am really happy for our players in Europe especially in those in England. They are adjudged the best and they are still young in their respective club sides,” concludes the NFF chief.
R I O 2 0 1 6 O LY M P I C S
Mikel Reveals How He Funded Dream Team VI to Bronze Medal Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi has revealed he had to foot the bill to help Nigeria win an Olympic bronze medal after the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports failed to take responsibility. The 29-year-old had to put up more than £30,000 to organise travel for the team, pay for food and book training pitches ahead of the trip to Brazil which ended in his country’s 3-2 win against Honduras – providing the only medal for Nigeria at Rio 2016. With lack of support for their training camp in Atlanta
– where the Dream Team led by Nwankwo Kanu won a gold medal in 1996 – Mikel took matters into his own hands to help the team realise their Olympic dream, with help from coach Samson Siasia. “I think if we talk about the money that I put into the team I think it was more than (£30,000), but we just had to do it” Mikel told Goal.com “I said to myself, ‘I won’t let this happen. If I can help, I’ll try to help’. Sometimes there was no food, sometimes there was no pitch to train on, and
there was no bus to go to the training ground. So all of this was what I and the coach had to figure out, and get money together. “I came to the camp. I sat down with the boys in Atlanta and I could see the frustration, the pain and the anger. Their aim was to play in the Olympics; their goal was to play in the Olympics. “And for me being there and seeing what they are going through, they are young boys, they want to start their career and someone in the ministry
is trying to crush that dream.” “There was just no flight provided by the Nigerian ministry,” he added. “We planned to leave three or four days before the tournament, but we ended up leaving the day of our first game. It was a difficult one. I don’t think I have ever seen something like that before, it was crazy.” Nigeria beat Sweden, Colombia, Japan and Denmark in Rio, before a 2-0 defeat to Germany saw them in the bronze medal play off against Honduras.