Sports

Amusan Bounces Back, Reclaims Gold at Berlin Meet

Published

1 year ago

September 5, 2022

Eric

World record holder Tobi Amusan dominated the women’s 100m hurdles at the ISTAF 2022 Berlin meeting on Sunday, winning in a time of 12.45 seconds. The meet is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour Silver level series.

Amusan entered Sunday’s race on the back of a second-place performance at the 2022 Lausanne Diamond League meeting last month, but said she was confident of bouncing back at the Olympic Stadium this weekend.

The Nigerian standout got off to a strong start to build a sizable lead and then powered away to secure the victory.

She hit the last hurdle and was pictured limping at the end of the race, even minutes after her celebrations. But, the world champion revealed afterward that she was okay and is now looking forward to her next competition at the 2022 Wanda Diamond League final in Zurich later this week.

American two-time world junior champion Tia Jones finished strongly over the closing barriers to take second place with a time of 12.58 while Olympic bronze medalist Megan Tapper of Jamaica was pushed back into third place in 12.66.

Amusan said after her victory: “It has been a long season, but I am still alive. I just wanted to finish strong today. I was here to execute.

“I need to work on what I need to work on, but it is alright. There is always room for improvement. I need to improve my start and my finish.

“I will race again in Zurich. Today we had a great competitive field. My goal was to focus on myself.”

Amusan won the world title in Oregon in July with the fastest time in any conditions at 12.06 seconds, hours after running 12.12 seconds to set the current world record in the semi-final.

Meanwhile, the top German finisher was Isabel Mayer who ran a personal best time of 13.24 to better the 13.25 she clocked in June.

“It could not have been better for me today,” said Mayer. “I was super excited because the German Championships here were a bit traumatic for me. I felt very good today.

“I just wanted to have fun and that worked out today.”

Also, Ese Brume, who clinched her first win at the Diamond League Meet, winning the Women’s Long Jump event at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme in Brussels, Belgium on Friday, finished second in the women’s long jump event in Berlin.

The Commonwealth champion jumped 6.78m to finish behind world and Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo, who won with a leap of 6.92m.

Brume got her first-ever victory in Brussels, winning with a distance of 6.83m, having finished second in Doha (2018) and Eugene (2022).

Sports

Again, Messi Wins Ballon d’Or for World’s Best Player

Published

4 weeks ago

October 31, 2023

Eric

Argentina captain Lionel Messi won a record-extending eighth Ballon d’Or for the best player in the world on Monday, beating Norway’s UEFA player of the year and treble winner Erling Haaland of Manchester City to the prestigious prize.

Inter Miami’s Messi, who last won the award in 2021, played a pivotal role in guiding Argentina to their first World Cup title in 36 years in Qatar last season.

Reuters

Sports

Posthumous Birthday: Google Honours Rashidi Yekini with Doodle

Published

1 month ago

October 23, 2023

Eric

Today’s Doodle celebrates Nigerian footballer Rashidi Yekini, who is remembered for being the top goalscorer of the nation and widely considered one of the best Nigerian athletes of all time.

Today’s Doodle celebrates iconic Nigerian footballer Rashidi Yekini, an accomplished forward nicknamed the “Goalsfather” for his ability to sneak shots by the keeper. On this day in 1963, he was born in Kaduna, Nigeria.

The beginning of Yekini’s life was difficult as he faced homelessness and poverty. To make money, his first jobs were a welder and mechanic, but his true goal was to pursue football. He soon began playing in front of scouts and in 1981, he joined his first football club, UNTL FC, in Kaduna.

The talented striker played for the Shooting Stars next, scoring an impressive 45 goals in 53 games. His spectacular scoring abilities earned him the title of African Footballer of the Year in 1983, and he was the first Nigerian player to receive this honor. The next year, he helped bring the Shooting Stars to the finals of the African Champions Cup.

Outside of Nigeria, he also played for football clubs in Spain, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Portugal, Tunisia, Switzerland, and Greece. While playing for a Portuguese team called Vitória Setúbal, he won the Bola de Prata (Silver Ball) for being the league’s top-scoring player in the 1993-94 season.

Yekini helped Nigeria’s national team, nicknamed the Super Eagles, qualify for the 1994 World Cup. Nigeria played Bulgaria on June 21st, and Yekini made it a game to remember. Not only did he score the first goal of the game, but also the first World Cup goal for Nigeria. Overcome with excitement and pride, he ran into the net and clutched it with both arms while cheering and crying tears of joy. Many consider it one of the most iconic goal celebrations in football history and it served as inspiration for today’s Doodle artwork.

He went on to play for the Super Eagles for a little over 14 years, including another shot at the World Cup in 1998. In his 58 games for Nigeria, he scored 37 times, and to this day holds the record for most goals scored for the country.

Happy birthday, Rashidi Yekini!

Source: Google

Sports

Napoli Mock Osimhen for Penalty Miss, Get Knocks

Published

2 months ago

September 27, 2023

Eric

Serie A champions, Napoli, are under serious attack from football followers, who deemed a video posted on the club’s official TikTok handle as mocking Nigeria international Victor Osimhen for missing a penalty on Sunday.

Osimhen, who was the club’s top scorer last season as the Parthenopeans won the Scudetto after three decades, missed the penalty that denied Napoli a chance to win all three points against Bologna on Sunday.

And with just four minutes to the end of the game, the Super Eagles striker was substituted for Giovanni Simeone.

Not happy with the substitution, Osimhen expressed his anger at Napoli coach Rudi Garcia as he walked away to the bench.

Osimhen has since sent his apologies to the coach and his teammates over his action but on Tuesday, the official TikTok of the team, which had posted a video three days ago referring to Osimhen as a coconut head, posted another video trolling the Nigerian for missing the penalty against Bologna.

The action by the club’s social media handle has seen the football faithful from across the world attack the club.

“That video of @sscnapoli trolling @victorosimhen9 over his penalty miss (which I won’t share) is in very poor taste for a player who continually gives 100% for that club. Everyone involved in that decision, from ideation through approval to execution, should be fired, pronto!” Nigerian journalist Collin Udoh wrote.