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LSSC Laments Use of Over-Aged Athletes at 2021 National Youth Games

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The Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Sola Aiyepeku, on Tuesday expressed displeasure over the usage of over-aged athletes for the just-concluded National Youth Games (NYG) in Ilorin.

The Team Lagos came second behind Team Delta for the second consecutive time.

Team Lagos had 19 gold, 25 silver and 28 bronze with a total number of 72 medals while Delta emerged winners with 56 gold, 26 silver and 28 gold with overall of 110 medals.

LSSC boss, Aiyepeku, said that the NYG was a tournament designed to discover budding Athletes for the Nation.

“But the U-15 School Sports Championship is now being competed for by adult athletes.

“The organisers of the competition, the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, consciously allowed overaged athletes allegedly brought into the games by some states like Delta, Imo, Edo.

“Many other states from the northern part of Nigeria also brought in overaged athletes to compete with youthful ahletes from other states.

“The games designed by the Nigerian government for U-15 athletes has turned to the games of the overaged ahletes because of the “win at all cost” syndrome being championed by some of the states,” he said.

Aiyepeku noted that during the screening exercise for the games before its commencement, many overaged athletes, who were earlier screened out, were later seen competing when the games started on Friday Oct. 15.

“Unconfirmed report says that a directive from the Ministry of Sports gave a go-ahead to clear most of the athletes who had earlier been screened out.

“Investigations revealed that the age cheat is more pronounced in combat sports such as Taekwondo, Karate, and some other sports like swimming, gymnastics, weightlifting and many others.

“In Karate, a coach informed that an athlete whose age is around 25 years, from Imo state was allegedly allowed to compete with U-15 athletes from states like Ekiti, FCT and Lagos States,” he said.

Aiyepeku added: “In swimming, one of the technical officials was furious when he saw the maturity in some of the swimmers; he disclosed that he could not complain before he was not in the position to talk.

“He alleged that many swimmers from Delta that swept the gold medals of the event could not claim to be under the official age of the tournament.

“The case of gymnastics was so pathetic; young gymnasts were robbed of good points that could have given their states upper hands in winning medals.

“Many of our youngsters in gymnastics who are performing very well in hard floor exercise were rated lower, while some adult athletes, particularly from Delta, who participated in soft floor exercise event were rated with high points.

“I don’t see any justification for this because if this continues, it seems we are not encouraging these young athletes at all,” said one of the coaches from a state in North Central Nigeria,” he said.

The LSSC boss alleged that the game of Darts, which had been in progress, was stopped and restarted.

“The game was restarted after a written paper was presented to the Federation that all athletes who were earlier screened out for being overaged should be allowed to compete.

“In the morning of Saturday, Oct. 16, some female footballers from Delta State, who were suspected to be playing for one of the amateur clubs in the country, were fielded against Team Lagos.

“They were allowed to play the match after being cleared by the organisers.

“Allowing this kind of abnormality by the organiser of the NYG, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, makes some states to be at a disadvantage,” Aiyepeku claimed.

He equally noted that there were states which still believed in competing clean by abiding to the rules set for the games.

“The abnormality encourages states like Delta and Edo which always poached athletes from other states to have an upper hand because the “end must justify the means”, they want to top the medals table by all means”.

“This abnormality sends a dangerous signal and a bad omen for sports development in a country that must find all legitimate means to replace its aging athletes,” Aiyepeku said. (NAN)

SPORTS

Int’l Friendly: Super Eagles Hand Mali First Win in 49 Years

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The Super Eagles were given a reality check by Mali’s Les Aigles as they succumbed to a 0-2 defeat in a friendly game in Marrakech, Morocco on Tuesday.

Reports says that the rare win by the Malians against Nigeria was their first in 49 years.

Goals by El Bilal Toure and Kamory Doumbia sealed the win for Mali.

The last time Mali defeated the Super Eagles was on Sept.

5, 1975, also in a friendly which ended 4-1.

Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Eagles were unbeaten in eight straight fixtures against the Malians, recording five wins and three draws.

Interim coach, Finidi George, gave starting shirts to Jamilu Collins, Raphael Onyedika, and Kenneth Omeruo.

The trio replaced Bruno Onyemaechi, Frank Onyeka and Benjamin Tanimu, who all featured in the 2-1 win against Ghana on Friday.

The Malians dominated the early stages of the game and almost took the lead less than five minutes into the game, but were denied by goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.

The breakthrough for Mali eventually came in the 14th minute as El Bilal Toure capitalised on a defensive error by Nigeria to score.

The Eagles were forced into a first half change as Moses Simon went off injured in 34th minute and was replaced by Cyriel Dessers.

The early part of the second half saw the Super Eagles start brightly but the Malian defence held firm.

Despite starting the half on a positive note, it was Mali who almost doubled their lead but the Eagles defence intercepted a dangerous cross from the left.

Dessers was presented an opportunity in the 65th minute as he was sent through on goal but blasted his shot over the bar with only the keeper to beat.

Iheanacho had a chance of his own barely a minute later, but took a low shot which was parried away for a corner.

With 12 minutes left, the Eagles won a freekick in a decent position but Iheanacho’s floated attempt was again cleared away by the keeper.

Mali then doubled their lead in the 87th minute thanks to Kamory Doumbia who raced into the Eagles’ 18 yard box and fired past Nwabali to earn his side a well deserved win.

Up next for the Super Eagles is the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June against South Africa who held Algeria to a 3-3 draw at the Nelson Mandela Stadium on Tuesday. (NAN)

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Wrestling : 4 Nigerian Wrestlers Secure Olympic Qualification in Egypt

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Four Nigerian Wrestlers on Saturday   qualified  for  the Paris  2024 Olympics  in their various  events at  the ongoing African championships and Olympics qualifiers in Alexandria, Egypt.

Reports says that the wrestlers will now join Odunayo Adekuoroye, who secured qualification in 2023 after  winning  a bronze medal in the women’s 57kg category  at the World Championships in Belgrade.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics silver medalist Blessing Oburududu booked a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics after a 2-0 pinfall victory over Uilau Tarkong of Palau in the  68kg.

World Military Champion, Hannah Reuben Pipped Amy Youin  of Cote D’Ivoire 6-0 in the 76kg category  to secure Olympics slot in Paris .

Esther Kolawole joined the list of Nigerian athletes going to Paris for the Olympics after  overcoming Angelina Rodrigues of Cape Verde 10-0.

African Games champion, Christiana Ogunsanya in the  53kg category overpowered Egyptian Shaimaa Mohamed 10-0  to secure qualification.

However, Mercy Genesis narrowly missed out on Paris Olympics in this window after a 5-7 defeat to Nada

Mohamed of Egypt in the  50kg weight class.

Reports says that  five female wrestlers will represent  the country in the Paris 2024 Olympics .

NAN reports that Nigerian male freestyle wrestlers will hope to join their female counterparts on Sunday when they take to the mat.

Sunday will be  the final day of this window’s qualifiers.

NAN reports that the remaining Olympic slots will be decided on May 9 to 12 at the 2024 World Qualification Tournament in  Istanbul, Turkey.

NAN reports that the African championships and Olympic qualifiers which started on Monday in Alexandria, Egypt is expected to end Sunday.(NAN)

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SPORTS

Flying Eagles Crash Out of  African Games

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The Flying Eagles of Nigeria have been knocked out of the men’s football event of the 2023 African Games in Ghana after a 3-2 defeat by Senegal.

Reports says that the Flying Eagles took an early lead in the second minute through Charles Agada in the match played at the Accra Sports Stadium on Friday evening.

Idrissa Traore, however, equalised for Senegal in the 21st minute when his low shot beat the time in the encounter.

Chibuzor Izuogu put Nigeria back into the game when he equalised to make it 2-2 through a brilliant free kick.

Pape Diouf converted from the spot for the winning goal to send Senegal to the semi finals.

The Flying Eagles ended their campaign with only one victory against South Sudan, losing their opening match 2-1 to Uganda and 3-2 to Senegal.

Nigeria finished third in the group behind Uganda and Senegal, with South Sudan coming fourth.

After the match, Bosso said he was disappointed at the result and blamed poor preparation for the performance.

“I’m disappointed because this game was the best we have played so far in this tournament.

” I didn’t have enough time to scout for players and what I did was to watch few games in Uyo and other places .That’s where I saw the two Enyimba players, Daga and Chibueze,” Bosso said.

Nigeria won the men’s football silver at the last African Games in Rabat, Morocco in 2019 after a 2-0 loss to Burkina Faso in the final.(NAN)

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