Sports
NSF In Search Of More Glamour
The 17th National Sports Festival, christened the “Garden City Games”, has no doubt, raised the stakes in the hosting and organisation of the fiesta.
The innovative creations, the prize money, the colourful opening and closing ceremonies were very unique aspects of the festival that have had very little precedent in the fiesta’s history.
At the close of the games, the host, Rivers State, came first with 135 gold, 79 silver and 85 bronze medals, while the defending champion, Delta came second with 82 gold, 89 silver and 81 bronze medals. Edo placed third with 46 gold, 41 silver and 43 bronze medals.
No doubt, Rivers State entered the record book as one of the few states which have hosted the games twice, its first being in 1988.
Demonstrably, Rivers State had yearned for the opportunity to host the games again and when it came, it was with unrivalled zest and showmanship that it hosted the games.
Against this backdrop, it is understandable why the glamour that attended the 17th national fiesta has elicited from Nigerians, a clamour to rebrand the sports festival, with a view to making it a money-spinning ground for athletes and the nation.
President Goodluck Jonathan may have himself set the pace of such advocacy, when, during the opening ceremony, he announced cash prizes for the winners of the newly introduced trophies at the fiesta, in honour of Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Chief Jerry Enyeazu and NojeemMayegun.
Sports analysts recall that it was Gowon, as the nation’s military head of state, who introduced the games in 1973, partly to enhance national unity in a nation that had just gone through a civil war, as well as enhance the physical wellbeing of the nation’s youth.
Enyeazu on his part was the first director of sports to organise the national sports festival, while Mayegun was the first Nigerian to win an Olympic medal.
The trophies were donated by the Plateau, Abia and Lagos State governments.
As the curtain closed on the 17th edition of the games, Rivers state won the N20 million prize money and the “Gowon trophy” that goes with the first place position, while Delta carted home N15 million and the “Enyeazu trophy” for the second placement. Edo won the “Maiyegun trophy” to go home with the third prize money of N10million.
Sports analysts predict that greater awards may well be available in the future, especially as President Jonathan pledged that the prize monies would be reviewed upwards to make the games more competitive.
Invariably, the federal government’s gesture has opened up calls for the general rebranding of the games.
Such calls have been diverse and varied, though they seemed to tally with trends in the world’s major games such as the All-African Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games.
Mr Patrick Ukah, the President of Nigerian Hockey Federation and a marketing consultant, said that it was obvious that the “Garden City Games” had raised the bar for the nation’s sports fiesta hosting.
“I want a situation where other games will be made attractive for participating states and athletes. Corporate bodies and organisations could come in and sponsor the trophies donated for the various sports.
“If for instance, the winner of the Gowon trophy is given N500 million, the Enyeazu trophy – N300 million and Mayegun trophy – N25 0million; such will go a long way towards getting the best out of our athletes.
“In addition, it is also possible for states to get sponsorship from corporate bodies for the games,’’ he said.
With the benefit of hindsight, Ukah said that the sponsorship of the Garden City Games by some companies was good but believed that more could still be done.
Retired Brig-Gen Emmanuel Okaro, a sports administrator and Chairman of the Games Services Committee, shared similar viewpoints with Ukah and stressed that the nation’s athletes would be the major beneficiaries of the re-branding.
“Just as it is being done in major games like the All-African Games, Commonwealth and Olympic games, we stand to benefit more if the National Sports Festival is given enough sponsorship.
“Take for instance, the opening and closing ceremonies of the Garden City Games; it was a spectacular scene like we normally see in other countries of the world.
“With this kind of show, glamour was obviously added to the games and if more money is added to the trophies, our athletes will strive to do better at the games,’’ he said.
Chief AdokiyeAmiesimaka, former Green Eagles winger, also shared same sentiments with Ukah and Okaro, and stressed that the games deserved more glamour and greater competitiveness.
“Apart from acting as an avenue for our youths to meet and for new talents to be discovered, the festival will get more value with good sponsorship. I believe that our sportsmen and women will get busier preparing to compete in every festival’’ he said.
Amiesimaka, after whom the magnificent complex for the games was named, advised that conscious efforts should be made to improve on the value and status of future games, especially as the Rivers State government had raised the bar very high.
As the nation prepares for the next edition of the games in Lagos, sports enthusiasts, athletes and officials are optimistic that greater heights will be attained at the games, in terms of competitiveness, financial benefits to athletes, as well as national prestige.
Mbonye writes from the News Agencye of Nigeria.
Mike Mbonye
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.