Sports

Coaches, Athletes Hail Female Basketball League

Published

12 years ago

May 16, 2014

Players and coaches at
the ongoing 10th Zenith Bank National Female Basketball League in Ilorin have praised the organisation of the competition.
The players and coaches told newsmen in Ilorin that the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) had further enlivened the sport with the competition.
The Captain of the Nigeria Customs team, Theresa Samuel, said the competition so far was a success, noting that the NBBF had put its expertise in place for a well-organised competition.
Samuel, who also described the organiation as brilliant, however, urged the NBBF to fulfill its promise of insuring the players in case of serious injury.
Abimbola Olumodeji, the Assistant Captain of the Nigeria Customs, said the competition was improving year by year and urged the federation to sustain the tempo.
She also urged the federation to improve on the financial benefits of the players to motivate them.
For Jennifer Johnwestley, a player with Taraba Hurricanes, the female competition has lived up to female players’ hope, especially the upcoming ones.
Johnwestley added that the success of the competition would not only brighten most of the spectators’ desire to take to basketball.
The player, however, urged the NBBF to further improve the sport in the country by organising similar competitions for secondary schools in the country.
A player, Abosede Amao of Oluyole Babes, said that they were enjoying the competition and thanked the NBBF for putting the programme together.
Amao also commended the sponsors for the development of female basketball in the country.
Blessing Alozie, who plays for Ahip Queens, urged the NBBF to improve on accommodation and pay the teams their dues on time to enable them to start preparations on time.
The Team Manager of First Deep Water, Abayomi Adeoyo, said the competition had come to stay because it kept improving yearly and urged the NBBF to maintain the standard.
Adeoye called on corporate bodies to support government’s effort to further develop the sport by sponsoring the competition.
Coach Dauda Uduoje of Taraba Hurricanes, said his team was new and that the management was trying to bring the player up.
Uduoje added that the competition had, however, assisted the club to achieve its dreams.

Sports

Rivers-born Chess Player Clinches Third Position At World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship

Published

3 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

A veteran Rivers State chess player, Apollos Akomaka, has finished in joint 3rd place at the just-concluded World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship held in Abuja.

Akomaka, who is the director of physiotherapy at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, overcame a shaky start to secure a podium finish in the 11-round rapid event that began on August 2.

The tournament featured top chess players from several countries.

After losing his opening game, the defining moment for Akomaka came between Rounds 7 and 11.

He raised his game and began defeating some of the top-ranked players in the event.

The Rivers-born player ended the championship tied for 3rd place in the U2000 category with 6.5 points out of 11, alongside Cameroon’s national champion, Noumbo Vidal.

His final game was against Vidal, with the Nigerian playing the black pieces.

Vidal opened with a queen’s gambit but quickly transposed into an English opening with a double fianchetto attack.

Akomaka responded sharply with a king’s Indian defense and soon launched a kingside attack from a defensive position.

The pressure paid off, resulting in an immediate material gain, a knight for a rook, and leaving Akomaka with a strong attacking advantage.

Vidal fought hard to avoid mate and managed to steer the game into an endgame, where he found some respect. At that point, the Cameroon champion offered a draw, which Akomaka accepted.

Speaking after the event, Akomaka said that he is resilient and determined after the poor start but happy that he finished on the podium.

He expressed optimism that in subsequent competitions he will make Rivers State proud and Nigeria at large.

Akomaka has won both local and national chess championships in recent times.

He is passionate about chess; besides, he has equally sponsored several national chess tournaments in Nigeria.

The World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship concluded with Akomaka of Rivers State,

Nigeria, battling back from an early loss to end among the top three in his category

Tonye Orabere/Kiadum Edookor

Sports

Team Nigeria Secures Women’s 4x100m, 4x400m Finals at World U20 Championships

Published

3 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

Team Nigeria continued its impressive showing at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, securing places in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals after strong performances in the heats.

The Nigerian quartet of Becky Ebiyadi, Jecinta Lawrence, Tejiri Praise Ugoh and Faith Ezechukwu booked their place in the women’s 4x400m final after clocking a season’s best of 3:35.28.

Nigeria finished third in the heat behind Italy and Great Britain, doing enough to advance to the final and remain firmly in contention for a medal.

In the women’s 4x100m, Ugoh joined Lucy Nwankwo, Chigozie Nwankwo and Oluebube Ezechukwu as Nigeria produced another season’s best, clocking 43.65 seconds to secure an automatic ticket to the women’s 4x100m final.

The qualification was sealed by a sensational anchor leg from Ezechukwu. Receiving the baton nearly 20 metres behind the United States, the Nigerian launched a determined charge down the home straight, rapidly closing the gap before edging the Americans at the line to claim the third automatic qualifying position.

Nigeria stopped the clock at 43.65 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of the United States, who finished in 43.67 seconds.

The performances mean Nigeria will now contest both women’s relay finals, further strengthening the country’s medal prospects at the championships.

In Saturday’s evening phase of the event, Success Uyibo will compete in the 200m women’s final while the 4x100m compete in the women’s final.

Sports

Poor welfare forced me to dump Delta for Enugu, says world – Nwachukwu

Published

3 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

World Record holder and Commonwealth Games champion, Goodness Nwachukwu, has revealed why she dumped Delta State for Enugu State.

The sudden departure of Nwachukwu, a multiple gold medallist, from Team Delta to the Coal City, Enugu , sparked controversy within the sports family, with officials of Delta State Sports Commission accusing the president of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, of manipulating the system for the athlete to dump the state.

But Nwachukwu, who broke the World Record to win a gold medal for Team Nigeria in the Women’s Discus F42 event at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to her movement to Enugu State.

Speaking with The Tidesports source report, shortly after winning the gold medal, Nwachukwu said: “It is not true that anybody aided my movement from Delta State to Enugu. Rather, it was Delta State that forced me to leave because of poor remuneration.