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Team Kwara Heads for Edo With 233-man Contingent for 27 Events

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Team Kwara on Saturday left for the 20th National Sports Festival in Benin with a 233-man contingent, 128 more than the state’s team to the 2018 festival in Abuja.

The contingent has 166 athletes, who will compete in 27 events, coaches, secretaries, protocol officers, cleaners, security, helpers, and other accompanying officials.

The officials are from the state’s Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, led by the Permanent Secretary, Iyabo Banire.

The 27 events include athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, chess, cricket (male), darts, scrabble, squash, tennis, para-tennis, karate, taekwondo, judo, wrestling, cycling and table tennis.

The rest are golf, volleyball, deaf and blind athletics, power-lifting, weightlifting, wushu kungfu, kick-boxing, para-table tennis and para-athletics.

While briefing newsmen before their departure for Benin, the Director of Sports, Atanda Alarape, said the 166 athletes across the 27 events were carefully selected, based on merit and strength.

“Our target is to go to Benin and win medals, as we have mapped out our strategies to maximise participation, especially in areas of our strength.

“By doing so, we cut down on some areas, as we are not going for a jamboree, and not to complete numbers,” Alarape said.

He commended the Kwara governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for raising the stakes, especially approving money for both open and closed camping, as well as for the festival proper.

Alarape also commended the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, coaches and secretaries and the other officials, for their understanding throughout their preparation for the festival.

He charged the athletes to put the interest of the state at heart, and be good ambassadors of the state by competing fairly for medals at the festival.(NAN)

SPORTS

PSG Edge Liverpool on Penalties to Reach Champions League Quarters

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Paris Saint-Germain have knocked top seeds Liverpool out of the Champions League to reach the quarter-finals, 4-1 on penalties.

The feat was achieved thanks to two saves from goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The Italy international saved spot kicks from Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones, while Vitinha, Goncalo Ramos, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue converted for PSG who remain in the hunt for a first title in the elite event.

The last 16 tie was locked at 1-1 after PSG had cancelled out their 1-0 home defeat from last week through Dembele in the 12th minute at Anfield.

Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter Milan also reached the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

The other four last 16 return legs are on Wednesday.(dpa/NAN)

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SPORTS

Kwara United Clinch 2025 State FA Cup

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Defending champions Kwara United triumphed 5-4 on penalties over Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) Ilorin FC, following a 1-1 draw in regulation time, to claim the 2025 Kwara FA President Federation Cup.

The match, held at the Rashidi Yekini Main Bowl in the George Agbazika Innih Stadium Complex, Ilorin, saw ABS FC take the lead in the 21st minute.

A defensive lapse by Kwara United allowed Boluwatife Ajina to score, putting the Saraki Boys ahead.

ABS FC dominated much of the game, with Kwara United finding it difficult to breach their defence.

In the second half, Coach Tunde Sanni made tactical changes, introducing Ismaila Gatta, Shola AbdulRaheem, and Junior Aimufua for Wasiu Jimoh, Issa Gatta, and Akanni Akeem.

The substitutions paid off, as Kwara United increased pressure and were rewarded in the 80th minute when Kabiru Mohammed was fouled in the box, earning a penalty.

Ismaila Gatta stepped up and converted the spot-kick confidently, levelling the scores at 1-1.

With the game tied at 1-1, the match proceeded to a penalty shootout.

The decisive moment came when the ABS goalkeeper missed a sudden-death penalty, allowing Kabiru Mohammed to seal the win with the final kick.

Sanni, in his post-match remarks, expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, calling the win a morale booster ahead of their next NPFL fixture against Abia Warriors on Wednesday.

Moje Queens defeated Kwara Ladies United 4-3 on penalties in the women’s final after a 2-2 draw in regulation time. (NAN)

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SPORTS

Arsenal Crush Manchester City to Stay in Title Hunt

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Arsenal delivered a statement of intent in the Premier League title race with a 5-1 hammering of champions Manchester City to close the gap at the top to six points on Sunday.

Captain Martin Odegaard fired Arsenal into a second-minute lead and City were finished off in ruthless fashion after the break with teenagers Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri both on target for the rampant Gunners.

Erling Haaland’s 55th-minute equaliser, his 250th senior career goal, had briefly raised City’s hopes, but they could have no complaints as any lingering chance of winning a fifth successive title surely disappeared into the north London night.

Arsenal are now 14 games unbeaten in the league and have 50 points from 24 games with leaders Liverpool on 56 from 23.

Manchester City are a distant fourth with 41.

Arsenal have been accused of being over-reliant on set-piece goals this season but on Sunday they played with fluency and flare to rack up their biggest home win of the league season.

“It was a top game, a top performance and with the fans and the atmosphere it can’t be better, so very happy.

“In the end, I think we got what we deserved, “Odegaard said

City, whose six-game unbeaten run in the league had suggested they were returning to form, were generally second-best apart from a lively spell before halftime when Arsenal keeper David Raya was forced into a couple of crucial saves.

“It is difficult. I think all of us don’t take losing well,” City defender John Stones said. “It is hard to put into words straight after a game like that.

“How we played in the last 30 minutes was not acceptable.”

Sloppy City gifted Arsenal the lead when Manuel Akanji was put in trouble by teammate John Stones and was dispossessed before Kai Havertz calmly set up Odegaard to sweep home from close range despite an attempted block by Stones.

With City at sixes and sevens, Arsenal thought they had made it 2-0 shortly afterwards when Gabriel Martinelli lifted a shot past Stefan Ortega but was adjudged to be offside.

City were spared further punishment when they again lost the ball playing out from the back and Havertz, with the whole goal to aim at, somehow dragged his shot wide.

Haaland touched the ball only six times in the first half but came alive in the 55th minute to head in Savinho’s cross.

For a moment it looked as though Arsenal’s earlier misses might haunt them but 38 seconds after the restart Phil Foden gave the ball away and Thomas Partey’s shot deflected off Stones to leave Ortega with no chance.

With their tails up, Arsenal looked to rub City’s noses in the dirt and Lewis-Skelly took a pass from Declan Rice before sending a right-footed shot past the diving Ortega.

Havertz made up for his earlier miss with a clinical finish from Gabriel Martinelli’s pass after a counter-attack.

The party was already in full swing when substitute Nwaneri left Ortega for dead with a sublime curling finish after a long passing move.

Arsenal will now try to overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit in Wednesday’s League Cup semi-final at Newcastle United.

While City will have to dust themselves down as a seismic Champions League playoff against Real Madrid looms. (Reuters/NAN)

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