Sports

National Sports Festival Begins in Benin City

Published

3 years ago

April 3, 2021

Eric

Benin City, the Edo State capital, is agog, as the 20th edition of the National Sports Festival begins on Friday (today), with 8,000 athletes expected to vie for honours in 40 events.

The festival was initially scheduled for March 20 to April 6, 2020 but was called off following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Thereafter, the festival suffered three more postponements in December 2020 as well as in January and February this year, due to paucity of funds, with the Edo State Government saying they didn’t have the financial strength to host the national event.

Again, with just few days to the commencement of the festival, The PUNCH exclusively learnt that the sports ministry was considering hosting the event in Abuja, as the ministry and the state failed to reach a truce over funds from the Federal Government to stage the festival.

Both parties eventually agreed on terms, and the festival is set to host after initial hiccups.

The main arena for the festival, the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, has been refurbished to world-class standard, with other centres expected to host various events, also in good shape.

The state is ready to start receiving the contingents today, with the Deputy Governor and Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the Games, Philip Shaibu, assuring of the state’s readiness to host a befitting event.

Shaibu told journalists in Benin City on Thursday that the Unity Torch for the Games would arrive Edo on Saturday and would tour the 18 local government areas of the state, before finally arriving at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium main bowl on April 6, where Governor Godwin Obaseki would light it up.

The Games Village opens on Saturday, with athletes and officials expected to present certificates and documentation of COVID-19 tests and vaccination before they are admitted into the facility.

“The visa to be admitted into the Games Village is the evidence that you have taken the COVID-19 vaccine. Athletes at the Games Village will also take the PCR test 72 hours before the commencement of the Games. We are not going to compromise on that as we have agreed with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19,” Shaibu said.

“As a state, we have been able to flatten the curve of the second wave of the pandemic and will not want to use the hosting of the Games to spark off another wave.

“From about 14,000 athletes that were to compete, we have been able to reduce it to about 8,000 athletes. We have a facility prepared for about 18,000 persons, which has now provided opportunity and space for social distancing even in the area of accommodation. We will have a festival that is COVID-19 free.”

On the standard of facilities for the Games, the deputy governor added, “The idea is not to bring world-class equipment for the National Sports Festival, the idea is to expose our young ones in Edo, so that by the time they get used to this kind of facilities, if any of them is invited for any national or international event or other opportunities to participate in any other event, they won’t be looking too naive because these are facilities they are already used to and we want to give them the best.”

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will officially declare the Games open on Tuesday.

Sports

PSG Bundle Barcelona Out of Champions League

Published

3 days ago

April 17, 2024

Eric

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have kicked 10-man Barcelona out of the Champions League as they qualified for the semi-final after winning 4-1 at the Camp Nou.

Barcelona had won the first leg 3-2 in Paris, but PSG won 6-4 on aggregate to qualify for the semi-finals.

Kylian Mbappe grabbed a brace in the encounter to see PSG through.

A Superb work from Lamine Yamal squared the ball to Raphinha, who beat Gianluigi Donnarumma with a brilliant shot into the bottom right corner to give Barcelona a 12th minute lead.

In the 29th minute, Ronald Araujo made an ugly tackle on his opponent and was sent off by the referee leaving the homers with 10 men to play the entire duration.

PSG capitalised on their advantage and equalised in the 40th minute. A former Barcelona player, Ousmane Dembele equalised for the visitors.

Bradley Barcola played the ball to Dembele, who showed great determination to get to the ball before a couple of defenders and from inside the box he shot into the top right corner of the net to make it 1-1.

PSG made it 1-2 in the 54th minute from a fantastic finish by Vitinha from just outside the box. He wasted little time in getting away a bullet of a shot that flew past the goalkeeper into the bottom left corner of the net.

Mbappe added another goal for PSG from the penalty spot in the 61st minute. He put the ball into the top left corner past the outstretched arm of Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

A minute to duration time, PSG made it 1-4. Mbappe fired the rebound into the bottom right corner after the ball broke to him in the box.

Sports

IGP Salutes Exceptional Performances of Police Athletes at 2023 African Games

Published

1 week ago

April 11, 2024

Eric

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D, NPM, has commended the exceptional performances of the Police Athletes who distinguished themselves, as Nigeria’s ambassadors at the recently concluded 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana.

The IGP notes that their remarkable performances across various sporting events have brought immense pride to the Force and the country at large.

While receiving the athletes, the IGP, who was represented by the Force Director of Sports (FSO), CP Patrick A. Atayero, likened the African Games to a continental Olympics, and harped on the significance of young and talented Police Sports Men and Women showcasing their skills, passion, determination and courage on such a prestigious stage to emerge Medalists. He emphasized that the success of Police Athletes at the 13th African Games which held from 8th to 26th March, 2024, shortly after the 14th Biennial Police Games (Oluyole 2024) that concluded on 2nd March in Ibadan, is a veritable testament to the effectiveness of the sports development initiatives of the Force.

The medalists – Inspr. Aisha Adamu, Sgt. Mohammed Inuwa, Sgt. Emmanuel Bala, Sgt. Matthew Deshi, Corporal Chika Blessing, Corporal Nathaniel Samson, Corporal Victor Ikechukwu, Corporal Eweh Emmanuel, Corporal Collins Obi, Corporal Godwin Sunday, Corporal Emmanuel Ochayi, Corporal Aminu Garba, PC Olayiwola Zainab, PC Mabel David, PC Precious Joel, PC Esther Peter, and Bello Tunde Muiz (Education Officer II), demonstrated exceptional dexterity in Arm wrestling, Athletics, Badminton, Mixed Martial Arts, Swimming and Hockey. These Police Athletes garnered 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 5 Bronze totalling 8 Medals, for Nigeria at the Continental Sports Fiesta.

The Inspector General of Police appreciates all Police Athletes for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to sporting excellence, national unity and development in all spheres in Nigeria. He reiterates that their collective success serves as an inspiration to other Police Officers and fellow aspiring Athletes and inestimable potentials across the nation.

Sports

Super Falcons Draw Goalless with South Africa, Quality for Paris Olympics

Published

1 week ago

April 9, 2024

Eric

Nigeria’s female national football team, Super Falcons have qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Nigeria beat South Africa 1-0 on aggregate to reach the Summer Olympics.

Rasheedat Ajibade scored from the spot in the first leg of the qualifiers in Abuja on Friday.

That goal was enough for the Super Falcons to pick one of Africa’s tickets for the women’s football event of the Paris Olympics as the second leg tie ended goaless in South Africa.

The last time Nigeria’s Super Falcons reached the Olympics was 16 years ago.