SPORTS
Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja Renovation Work Excites Dare
By Jude Opara, Abuja
Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare on Friday inspected the ongoing work at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium where he declared that he was satisfied with the progress so far made.
Recall that the contract for the re-grassing of the 65,000 capacity Stadium was awarded to an indigenous company last October with the timeline to complete and deliver the before the end of April, 2021.
However, due to the fact that it is increasingly becoming evident that the April date may not be feasible, Dare who paid an unscheduled visit told newsmen that he was satisfied with the level of work and that the new delivery date is June, 2021.
However, the Minister charged the contractor to ensure he completed the task on schedule, warning that there may not be a new extension.
Addressing the media after the inspection Dare said; “I am satisfied with the progress so far, the delivery date is now June. There are technologies attached to football pitches like this, when you see standard pitches, it is not just about the sand and grasses, but there are underbellies of technologies like the water sprinklers among others. We are trying to get things right so that with proper maintenance, we won’t be drawn back to it for another 10 years.”
Investigation by DAILY ASSET Sports revealed that the contractor has been finding it very difficult to fix the water sprinklers which are usually buried under the pitch. The water sprinklers have not been able to water the entire pitch like it used to be.
Meanwhile, the Minister also used the occasion to reassure on the nation’s readiness for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, saying the country was on track on her preparations. He also revealed that the Nigerian athletes for the global championship will be camping in Delta, Lagos and Port Harcourt while their foreign camp will be in Florida, USA.
“We are done with the National Sports Festival, now as a Country and a Ministry, our eyes are on the Olympics for which we have started a 100 days Countdown. In another 7-10 days the camps will be opened in *Lagos, Port Harcourt* , probably *Delta* and *Florida* where we have most of our relay team athletes. From there other members of the team will be joining them and possibly we will have another camp in Europe. The preparation for the Olympics never stopped even with the effect of covid-19 and preparations for the just concluded *National Sports Festival.
“We will try to maintain a 60-70 days camping by doubling the 25-30 days camping we used to have in the past”.
Nigeria will be competing in seven sports; Boxing, Athletics, Basketball, Wrestling, Weightlifting, Table Tennis and Volleyball.
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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