Sports
Association Chairman Decries Poaching Of Athletes
The Chairman, Ebonyi State
Badminton and Weightlifting Association, Chukwudi Unachukwu, has said that poaching of athletes, hamper the development of his sports in the state.
.Unachukwu, told newsmen in Abakaliki that it had been the inability of the state government and the private sector to collaborate to develop sports that had been responsible for the poaching of athletes from Ebonyi.
According to Unachukwu the state always excels in grooming athletes only to lose them to other states because they had been unable to meet up with their welfare needs.
“The most prominent case is that of Chika Amalagha, that the state toiled to groom to continental and world championship level in weightlifting but was eventually poached by Delta.
“We all are witnesses to how she deteriorated in Delta because their main aim was not to develop her talent, but to use her in winning laurels.
“There is also the case of Mike Onwe, one of the best badminton players in the country, who was also poached by another State in spite of all efforts that we made to keep him.
“Our consolation is that the likes of Onwe still comes to the state as he cannot easily forget his roots as well as efforts made to develop him.
“Onwe was recently in the state and we used the occasion to present our best athletes to compete against him in order to improve on their skills and techniques” .
Unachukwu, then, urged the state’s present administration and the private sector to check the trend by investing in sports for the overall development of the state.
“We lack basic facilities and funds to cater for our athletes. For instance, I’m personally sponsoring a badminton competition aimed at discovering new talents and enhancing the skills of established ones.
“Other well-meaning people should also develop interest in sports, such as badminton and weightlifting,’’ added Unachukwu, the current President of the Golden Fitness club, Abakaliki.
He said that badminton was one of the best sports that one could take to, as the players could exercise all parts of the body.
The president said this could enhance a players’ skill and keep them physically and mentally fit.
“Several youths have used weightlifting as a springboard to achieve their life ambitions and subsequently becoming useful to their families and the society.
“Adequate attention should be paid to sports development by relevant bodies especially, in the current bid to check youth restiveness and other forms of criminality,’’ he said.
Sports
Inter Best Juventus To Maintain Serie A Lead
Andrea Cambiaso scored at both ends during the first half of Saturday’s Derby d’Italia, before Pierre Kalulu’s red card forced Juventus to play the entire second half a man light.
Substitute Francesco Pio Esposito got Inter back in front with a bullet header, then Manuel Locatelli’s pinpoint finish looked to have salvaged a point for the Bianconeri, before Zielinski struck on the cusp of stoppage time.
Juventus made the brighter start, but they were masters of their own downfall in the 17th minute, when Cambiaso deflected Luis Henrique’s cross beyond Michele Di Gregorio.
Cambiaso atoned within nine minutes, catching Henrique on his heels when Weston McKennie’s cross squirmed through to the back post and applying a side-footed finish.
But after Bremer cleared Zielinski’s dinked effort off the line, Juve’s hopes were damaged when Kalulu received his second yellow card for a 42nd-minute pull on Alessandro Bastoni, though the Inter centre-back appeared to go down theatrically.
Di Gregorio made a remarkable stop to thwart Hakan Calhanoglu, but as Juventus dropped ever deeper, they were punished when substitute Esposito guided Federico Dimarco’s searching cross into the far corner with 76 minutes on the clock.
It looked like Inter would have to settle for a point when Locatelli whipped a wonderful finish into the bottom-left corner in the 83rd minute, but Zielinski had the final say as his 20-yard drive fizzed through Locatelli’s legs and beat Di Gregorio.
Sports
Szoboszlai’s Real Madrid Dream Sparks Concern At Liverpool
A cloud of uncertainty has settled over Liverpool after comments from Hungary head coach Marco Rossi reignited speculation about Dominik Szoboszlai and Real Madrid.
Rossi, who has worked closely with Szoboszlai since his teenage years, revealed that the midfielder’s lifelong ambition is to play for the Spanish giants.
“Because of the very close and direct relationship I’ve had with Dominik since he was a child, Real Madrid has always been his dream,” Rossi said.
For a Liverpool side building around Szoboszlai as a centerpiece of Arne Slot’s project, those words landed hard.
Within hours of Rossi’s remarks, Szoboszlai interacted on social media with two Real Madrid players, applauding posts from Vinicius Junior and Trent Alexander-Arnold following Madrid’s win over Real Sociedad.
His reaction to Vinicius’ post drew particular attention. The exchange with Alexander-Arnold, his former Liverpool teammate, was seen as less surprising.
Still, in the hyper-connected world of elite soccer, even a digital thumbs-up can carry weight. On Merseyside, fans and pundits quickly began dissecting the meaning behind the interactions.
Szoboszlai, Hungary’s captain, has become one of Liverpool’s most influential players. That status is precisely why Rossi’s comments triggered such an intense reaction in England.
The midfielder had just delivered on the field as well, scoring in Liverpool’s 3-0 FA Cup fourth-round victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield.
After the match, Mohamed Salah heaped praise on his teammate, calling Szoboszlai “the best player in the world.” Slot struck a slightly more measured tone but echoed the sentiment.
“I think there are many elite players in the world, but I definitely agree with Mo that he is one of them,” Slot said. “He is very important for us.”
Szoboszlai is under contract at Liverpool through 2028. However, the club is reportedly eager to open extension talks in the coming months to secure his long-term future.
The player himself addressed the situation recently with notable candor.
“There’s nothing yet, to be honest. Nothing from now on. It’s not in my hands. That’s how it works,” he said. “There’s no progress, but if the right offer comes, we’ll see.”
He was equally clear about his affection for Liverpool.
“We’ll see what happens. Hopefully everyone will be happy in the end. Of course I want to stay. I like the city, I like the club, I like playing with these guys. I love Anfield, I love the fans. Let’s see what the future brings. It’s not my fault. I’d love to stay. We’ll see.”
Inter’s dramatic victory boosted their lead over rivals AC Milan to eight points, ahead of the Rossoneri hosting Como on Wednesday. Juventus, meanwhile, could drop out of the top four as Roma visited Napoli last night.
The last four Serie A matches between Inter and Juventus have produced a total of 21 goals (an average of 5.25 per game), compared to just nine in the previous six (1.5 per game).
Cambiaso became the first player in Derby d’Italia history to score and put through his own net in the same match between these old rivals, but it was Zielinski’s fifth Serie A goal of the season that proved decisive.
Inter will argue they were deserved victors after amassing 21 shots and 1.88 expected goals (xG), while Luciano Spalletti’s visitors mustered 10 shots and 0.92 xG – though the Bianconeri actually attempted six of their shots while down a man in the second half.
Sports
Wolves Beat Man Utd Conquerors
Premier League strugglers Wolves overcame resolute Grimsby Town in challenging conditions at Blundell Park to reach the FA Cup fifth round at the expense of the side that eliminated Manchester United in the last round.
Santiago Bueno scored from Wolves’ only shot on target with an hour played, diverting Joao Gomes’ cross past goalkeeper Jackson Smith with his thigh to end the League Two club’s resistance.
Unrelenting rainfall caused heavy ground underfoot and one penalty area in particular- that of Grimsby’s Smith in the first half – was already a quagmire before kick-off.
Charles Vernam shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box with just 43 seconds on the clock as Grimsby sought to catch their top-flight visitors cold.
Wolves had to wait until the 17th minute for their first opportunity of note, forward Tolu Arokodare firing over with a first-time attempt.
The white paint of the pitch markings soon blended and blurred with the mud as the surface rapidly deteriorated, and both sides struggled to stitch together cohesive attacks as passes travelled unpredictably across the sodden ground.
-
Politics3 days agoAPC Releases Adjusted Timetable For Nationwide Congresses, Convention
-
Sports3 days ago
DG NIS Wants NSC Board Constituted, Seeks Increased In Funding
-
Business3 days agoCustoms Seek Support To Curb Smuggling In Ogun
-
Sports3 days agoSWAN Rivers Set-up Five Functional Committees
-
Featured3 days agoINEC Proposes N873.78bn For 2027 Elections, N171bn For 2026 Operations
-
News3 days ago
Police Bust Kidnapping Syndicate In PH
-
Sports3 days ago
NSC Disburses N200m Training Grants To 26 Athletes
-
Sports3 days ago
‘NTF Will Build On Davis Cup Success For Brighter Future’
