SPORTS
500 Golfers for Harmony Cup Tourney at IBB Golf Club
By Jude Opara, Abuja
No fewer than 500 golf players are expected to participate in Harmony Cup, which is also known as the Captains Inaugural Tournament of the IBB International Golf and Country Club in Abuja.
Addressing newsmen yesterday ahead of the tournament in Abuja, Chairman of the Captains Inaugural Tournament Committee, Andrew Yakubu, said the tournament would be held at the club’s a standard golf course with 18 holes covering over 100 hectares.
Yakubu, a former Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said the club, which was started in 1991, has over 5000 active members, making it “one of the largest golf clubs in the country and places us at the premier status of golf courses in Nigeria.
”“We have two major event days – Friday and Saturday. On Friday, we are going to have the higher handicap men and ladies; they will have their tournament. It will be followed immediately with a cocktail that will introduce the main tournament of the lower handicap people, who are the more experienced players coming on Saturday.
“Every activity will attract a range of prizes and trophies that will be presented to those who did well. It is always an exciting period. Golfers look forward to this tournament – to these trophies and prizes – and they will be presented on the last day when we will be having the end-of-tournament dinner,” he said.
While answering questions on the technicalities of the tournament, Yakubu said, “This course is a standard course and it is 18 holes. We are expecting about 500 players during this tournament”.
He also faulted the impression that golf is an elitist game, stating that, “The game of golf is not necessarily an elitist game and that is why anytime we have a programme, we look for sponsors both within and outside the club. The whole idea is to remove this major barrier.”
“So, these tournaments try to open up a level playing field for participants. We also encourage…you don’t have to be the richest person to play this game. We promote amateurs, we promote professionals. We have professionals that don’t have the means of sponsoring themselves. Once you identify a talent, you support them. We have quite a number that we have done, either as a club or as individuals.
“I know that quite a number of us here have the privilege – once a talent is identified – to support them. Quite a number of them have gone to South Africa, some are right now in Zimbabwe; they were training to become professional golfers and that is an opportunity they have to launch them into both the local and international scene. Once they are spotted, the sky will never limit their progress.
“For the children, in fact, in a week’s time, we will kick start what we call the Children’s Clinic. It normally comes every summer and in a week, the children will assemble and nobody takes record of who their parents are. We are sponsoring this one here. A few weeks ago, we did one in Kaduna…and all over the country to stimulate the interest of the younger ones in this game of golf and to remove that impression that it is an elitist game,” Yakubu noted.
The former NNPC boss also recalled that the club held its Annual General Meeting in April where it elected a new leadership led by the Captain 2022, Michael Onoja Ekoja, who is the 25th captain of the club.
The finals of Gov. Peter Mbah Secondary Schools Games, on Thursday began in Enugu with the arrival and accreditation of athletes at Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium Enugu.
Dan Onwuegbuna, Director, Information, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Enugu State, said in a statement on Thursday that the games would be held between Aug.
7 and Aug. 10 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium and the Enugu State Sports Council.“The games is designed to help the state discover talents to represent the state at the forthcoming U15 National Youth Games scheduled to take place in Asaba, Delta, from Aug. 26 to Sept. 6,” he stated.
Onwuegbuna said that apart from representing the state at the Youth Games in Asaba, talented athletes discovered would represent the state in other competitions.
He quoted the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Lloyd Ekweremadu as thanking Gov. Peter Mbah for approving the games.
Onwuegbuna said that the games was made possible following the collaboration between the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the state Post Primary Schools Management Board (PPSMB).
The games finals followed the outcome of the inter- Secondary Schools competitions held at the local government areas in the six Educational Zones in the State – Enugu, Agbani, Awgu, Udi, Nsukka and Udenu.
“The games will feature athletics, boxing, chess, basketball, volleyball, football, tennis and scrabble,” Onwuegbuna stated.
Super Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie has been nominated for the 2025 Women’s Yachine Trophy, the Ballon d’Or award for the best female goalkeeper.
The 24-year-old recently joined Brighton Women FC from Paris FC after helping the French side win their first major title in nearly two decades.
Nnadozie delivered a heroic performance in the final of the 2025 Coupe de France Féminine, where Paris FC edged Paris Saint-Germain 5-4 on penalties following a goalless draw at Stade de l’Épopée in Calais.She was also instrumental in Nigeria’s success at the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), where the Super Falcons secured a record-extending 10th continental crown against host nation, Morocco.
Her standout displays earned her the Best Goalkeeper award and a place in the Team of the Tournament.
Other nominees for the Yachine Trophy include Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC), Cata Coll (Barcelona Femeni), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea Women) and Daphne van Domselaar (Arsenal Women).
Nigeria’s Super Falcons maintained 36th position in the latest FIFA women’s world ranking.
The latest ranking was released on FIFA’s official website yesterday.
While the Super Falcons remain the number one team in Africa, WAFCON 2024 runners-up Morocco are third on the continent and dropped to 64th spot in the world.
Former WAFCON champions Banyana Banyana of South Africa maintained 54th place in the world and second in Africa.
Ghana’s Black Queens who claimed third place at the WAFCON dropped to 67th position in the global ranking.
The Super Falcons recently won their 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after coming from 2-0 down to beat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final.
Second half goals from Esther Okoronkwo, Folashade Ijamilusi and substitute Jennifer Echegini completed the turnaround.
Okoronkwo, scored a goal and provided two assists against the Moroccans was Named Player of the Match.
Chiamaka Nnadozie was named Goalkeeper of the Tournament while Captain Rasheedat Ajibade won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
Meanwhile, World champions Spain (1st, up 1) had an impressive run to the final of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 with five back-to-back wins, which was enough to see them reclaim top spot in the ranking, a position they previously held from December 2023 to June 2024.
The USA (2nd, down 1) have therefore been knocked off their perch, which they had occupied since August 2024.
However, three convincing home wins in friendlies during this period have kept the USA in contention, and they are now sitting less than two points behind Spain.
The top 10 has been shaken up completely since the June edition of the ranking, with France (6th, up 4) performing best among them.
France completed a flawless group stage at the European Championship before falling to Germany in the quarter-finals.
The next edition of the Women’s World Ranking will be published on 11 December 2025.
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