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˜ ˜ ͺͿ ˾ T H I S D AY
THURSDAYSPORTS
Oshonaike Plans Clinic for Junior T’ tennis Players Africa’s most successful female table tennis player, Olufunke Oshonaike, has concluded plans to host a clinic for junior ping-pong players in the country in Lagos. The event scheduled to hold between February 25 and March 5 at the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) Training Centre inside the National Stadium in Lagos is expected to attract over 20 players made up of 11 girls and nine boys. According to the Hamburg, Germany-based Oshonaike who remains the only female player to have won the All Africa Games women’s singles title back-to-back in 1999 and 2003, the gesture will surely give the players hope that with discipline and hardwork, they can reap from their efforts in the sport. “I believe when top players like us organise such programmes for the young players, they can be inspired and motivated to take a cue from us. I am hoping to arrive in Lagos, Nigeria on February 24 for the clinic that will begin on February 25 to March 5,” she noted with enthusiasm. Oshonaike is however not happy that the fortune of female players in the game Nigeria is going down.
According to her, the essence of the 10-day camping exercise is to inspire and motivate the players to passionately be committed to the sport. “I love table tennis and the sport has given me all what I need in life. Apart from the fame, I have made some fortune from the sport. All these were made possible because I was committed to the sport and this made it possible for me to achieve all what I needed. “Unfortunately these days, the Nigerian players are frustrated because of lack of exposure and this has discouraged most of them. “I am hopeful that the clinic will help to re-launch them back to the track and I want to use the opportunity to inspire and also help them with some equipment that will aid them in training. “I really want to focus on the female players because we have not been producing top female players like before and I hope that after telling them my story, they will be encouraged to aim high in the sport,” she observed further. In the history of the African Games, Oshonaike is the most successful female table tennis
player having won more medals than any other player. Apart from winning the 1999 and 2003 Games back to back, she was three-time finalist in the women’s singles. However, with the emergence of players like Dina Meshref, Nadeen El-Dawlatly and Edem Offiong, Oshonaike in her 40s has started playing second fiddle the younger generation. But she never gave up as she continued to show deep passion for the sport with her presence in virtually all the continental competitions. In most of the competitions, she ensured she made it to the last four but her efforts never fetch her expected laurels. Beyond bookmakers’ analysis, Oshonaike became the continent champion again and she did it in a surprising fashion in Morocco last October. As the only female Nigerian player competing at the 2016 ITTF African Championships amidst the array of players from Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria, Oshonaike in her 40s turned the clock back with an emphatic 4-2 win over defending champion, Dina Meshref of Egypt to emerge as the best female player in the competition.
Ugandan, Zimbabwean Players for IBB Ladies Open Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja Lady amateur golfers from Uganda, Zimbabwe and Ghana will add international flavour to the 19th IBB Ladies Open Championship which holds in Abuja this week. Captain of the IBB Club Lady Section, Mrs Lami Ahmed, told journalists yesterday that 150 players from Nigeria and the international visitors have registered for the tournament. Various prizes and trophies will be won in different categories at the three days event which begin on Friday through Sunday. Ahmed said that players from 22 golf clubs nationwide will identify with the host club in ensuring the success of the tournament considered as one
of the majors within the IBB International Golf and Country Club Abuja. A former Lady Captain of IBB club, Mrs Ngozi Osuhor, expressed delight with the club for consistently hosting of the tournament in the past 19 years and for putting the event together this year in spite of the economic recession. The different categories for the event include: Category 1 for lady players in Handicap 0-28 flight, Category 2 for those in Handicap 29-36 flight, and veteran ladies in all categories. However, the tournament is a gross competition where the player with the best aggregate score over 36-hole in the Handicap 0- 28 flight will be crowned as the champion.
The ladies will tee off on Saturday but only the 45 players that make the cut will be eligible for the final round on Sunday, February 12. The 45 finalists, according to the Competition Secretary, Nanfe Audu, will be presented with medals. The gentlemen will also play among themselves on Saturday as guests of the lady players. A former IBB Lady Captain, Dr Joyce Barber, said several NGOs, supporting charity causes, had made several appeals to the lady section to support different causes and give to the less privileged. Barber, however, said the ladies were considering holding a charity kitty before the end of tenure of the current committee.
Olufunke Oshonaike aiming to raise the bar for female table tennis players
Enyimba Fans to Protest Non-completion of Aba Stadium Fans of Enyimba Football Club under the aegis of Concerned Enyimba Supporters (CES) have concluded plans to march round the commercial city of Aba to protest the non-completion of Enyimba Stadium which has resulted in the People’s Elephants playing their home matches outside their home-base. Chairman of the group, Donatus Ajujungwa, in a release made available to reporters yesterday pointed out that the decision to protest was borne out of the fact that their darling team that brought laurels to the city, Abia State and the country has been neglected by the state
government. He noted that the fortune of Enyimba, a team that is a house-hold name in Africa has nose-dived to such an extent that if care is not taken it may be relegated from the elite Nigerian league. Ajujungwa further stated that the protest would have taken place earlier but for the fact that his group thought the state government would move to complete the Enyimba Stadium project before the commencement of the 2016/2017 NPFL season. He wondered why the stadium should be abandoned and the club forced to host her home matches
in far-away Calabar, Cross River State where it has since relocated to. According to the group, fans of Enyimba have been deprived of the opportunities of cheering their darling team, a situation that is most regrettable and unacceptable. “We have made out time to inspect the level of work done at the stadium and realised that what is holding the use of the stadium is only the re-grassing or laying of the artificial turf,” the group stated, adding: “Our further investigations also revealed that the contractor handling the project, Monimichelle Sports Facility Construction Limited is ready to finish the project if the funds were made available.”
Edo-Osagie Emerges 2017 DOAMF Charity Golf Champion Iwinosa Edo-Osagie emerged the overall winner of the 2017 Daniel Ogechi Memorial Foundation Golf Tournament concluded last weekend at the Golf Section of Ikoyi Club 1938 in Lagos. Edo-Osagie, an 18-handicapper, returned a 69 nett score at the oneday tournament to beat the rest of the field on a day of scintillating golfing experience. Tokunboh Adebesin finished two strokes behind him to pick the runner-up spot. Kunle Ball, who also finished two strokes behind, was the second runner-up on count-back. Edo-Osage, with his win, carted away not only the much coveted winner’s trophy but also, an ArikAir business class return ticket to any international destination of his choice flown by the airline. “It is a great honour to win the event, as one of the most
coveted titles at the Club, I am definitely glad to have achieved this. I give kudos to the team at DOAM Foundation for the quality of organisation and impact they are making with donations from this event.” In the ladies’ category, Funke Majekodunmi emerged the overall winner with a 68 nett score to beat Lynda Obieze, the runner–up, by four strokes. Meenakshi Kumar finished as the second runner-up. Majekodunmi, in addition to the ladies’ champion trophy, was rewarded with an Air France return ticket to any international destination of her choice flown by the airline. The event, which teed-off at 6:40 am on Saturday, February 4, 2017, featured a record 192 players in a strong show of
support for the tournament. Other winners at the event included, Tim Ayomike who shot 78 to pick the best gross prize, beating Lanre Tanimowo and Uwem Udoh who finished in second and third places respectively. Sunday Areola scored 69 nett to win the veteran category and to beat Sebastian Owuama, who was the runner-up in that category. Ayomike was also, rewarded with a KLM return ticket to any international destination of his choice flown by the airline. Candy Agu and Taddy Dance were the ladies’ best gross players at the event, with Agu’s 89 gross score winning ahead of Dance’s 91. All winners went home with an array of prizes in addition to the high quality trophies.
L-R: Board Chairman, DOAM Foundation, Prof Obinnaya Chukwu; Former Board Chairman, DOAM Foundation, Mr. Sam Ayininuola; Arik Air Ltd. Representative, Ms. Diana Ekpenyong; and the Winner of DOAMF 2017 Charity Golf Tournament, Mr. Iwinosa Edo Osagie at the prize presentation after the charity golf tournament…last weekend