SPORTS
FIBA qualifier: Mali halts D’tigers progress
Mali’s National Men Basketball Team on Tuesday shocked basketball enthusiasts in Nigeria and beyond as they beat D’Tigers, 77-68 to pick their first win at the ongoing FIBA Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Lagos.
Nigeria, who lost to Senegal in their opening game, looked set to bounce back from the defeat but unfortunately could not deliver when it mattered most.D’tigers had dominated the game with some superlative displays to the delight of the fans that thronged in to support them at the Eko Hotels Convention Centre, Victoria’s Island.D’tigers ball play in the first three quarters looked most likely that they had learnt some lessons from their initial loss to Senegal.They took the first three quarters recording 17-15, 43-38 and 61-53 and had the entire hall rooting for them but went into oblivion at the fourth, final and most important quarter.A resolute Mali team came out stronger than expected and came from behind to change 61-53 deficit to outscore 24-7 in the final quarter of the game and coast home their victory.Head Coach of D’tigers, Ogoh Odauda blamed his tactics and regretted the loss to Mali, citing the loss as a fourth quarter curse and innabilty of his team to hold on to their lead.“It’s a sad loss, and we let everyone down, we are deeply sorry for the eventual result but this could largely be blamed on poor preparations.“We want to win for Nigeria but unfortunately we could not have a better result; these things happen in basketball, but I don’t blame anyone but myself.Uchenna Iroegbu who contributed immensely to the team, also expressed sadness and hope that things will improve in future competitions.“It is a sad loss, we could have done better but we regret the outcome of the scoreline which did not put us in good position.“We just have to come together and see what went wrong and see how we can improve for a better outing next time,” Iroegbu said.Meanwhile, Mali’s Head Coach, Kaba Kante, attributed his team’s victory against Nigeria as a very good one for them as it puts them in a comfortable position ahead of their final group match.“We are not afraid of any team, we are confident of ourselves and we know we can rise above any opposing team in the tournament,” Kante said.
Nasarawa United Football Club of Lafia on Saturday defeated Lobi Stars of Makurdi 1-0 in a pulsating North Central derby.
The matchday 16 fixture of the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premiere Football League (NPFL) was played at the Lafia Township Stadium, Nasarawa State capital.
The Makurdi side had adopted the Lafia Township Stadium as their home ground for the 2024/2025 NPFL season.
The only goal of the match was scored by Qamar Adegoke in the 12th minute of the match to give all three points to the Lafia side.
Adegoke’s goal, who joined the Lafia team recently, was his second in four matches.
The Nasarawa attacker capitalised on a defensive error by the opponent’s backline and hit the back of the net to give Nasarawa United the advantage.
In a post-match interview, Kabir Dogo, Technical Adviser of Nasarawa United, hailed his players for taking all three points.
He explained that his team had improved by scoring five goals in their last three matches and expressed optimism that they would do better in subsequent games.
“We had a problem in the area of goal scoring in the past, but this has changed in our last three games,” he said.
With the win, Nasarawa United climbed to 14th on the NPFL table, while Lobi Stars remain on 17th position. (NAN)
The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) is organising a two-day National Coaching Seminar, with the theme: “Leadership and Management Skills”.
The event will take place from Dec. 17 to Dec. 18, at the Additional Sports and Entertainment (ASEP) Pro Limited, in Mowe, Ogun State.
The seminar will enhance the capabilities of Nigerian table tennis coaches, with a particular emphasis on female coaches, aligning with the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF) Gender Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (GEDI) Initiative.
A statement issued by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, on Tuesday, said that the seminar was part of the one-week sports and leadership boot camp titled “Awaken the Giant, She Can 4.
0,” proudly supported by NTTF.“This seminar will also represent the third stage of the 2024 “My Gender, My Strength” programme, which has table tennis star Abosede Akinsete, as a beneficiary.
“NTTF President,Tikon Ishaku, Vice President, Adesoji Tayo, and other board members are dedicated to initiatives that support the development of coaches.
“Wahid Enitan-Oshodi, ITTF Executive Vice President, and President of ITTF-Africa, reaffirms his commitment to empowering women in sports, in line with the GEDI Initiative.
He explained that the seminar would feature people, who would speak on leadership and management skills, to enhance the abilities of coaches to identify and develop talents, as well as encourage the development of high-performance table tennis players capable of competing globally. (NAN)
Rivers United Football Club of Port Harcourt on Sunday returned to the 2024/2025 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) summit as strong rivals Remo Stars FC faltered on Match Day 13.
Report says that Rivers United beat visiting Abia Warriors of Umuahia 1-0 after an Ndifreke Effiong 58th minute goal from the penalty kick spot.
Effiong’s goal in the match at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium helped them to move to 25 points from 13 matches, after seven wins, four draws and two losses.
Former leaders Remo Stars dropped to second with 23 points from 13 matches after seven wins, two draws and four losses, following a 0-2 loss to hosts Katsina United.
Plateau United of Jos beat visiting Nasarawa United of Lafia 2-0 to bolster their position.
Shooting Stars Sports Club also struggled to a 1-0 win over visiting Bayelsa United of Yenago.
A 15th minute goal by Anthony Okachi at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan gave them the win.
El-Kanemi Warriors of Maiduguri had on Saturday beaten Akwa United of Uyo 1-0 to move into third place on the table with 22 points from 13 games.
Enyimba International of Aba remained in fourth place with 20 points from 12 matches, with their week 13 game against Sunshine Stars of Akure on hold.
Rangers International of Enugu are in fifth place with 20 points also, after a goalless draw with hosts Heartland FC ain Owerri on Saturday.
Bendel Insurance of Benin had also beaten Kwara United of Ilorin 3-1, while Lobi Stars of Makurdi drew 2-2 with visiting Kano Pillars in Lafia.
NAN reports that the league will enter Match Day 14 on Wednesday.(NAN)
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