Sports
Sports: A Harvest Of Achievements
Since creation, about 50 years ago, the geographical expression called Rivers State has been one of the major players in the Sports industry in Nigeria. From the production of sportsmen and women, who grew to win laurels, national and international glory for the country, and the development of Sports infrastructure, the state has been central.
Therefore, at times like this, when scoresheets are collated, and past strides are analysed, counting the leaps and honour roll call of Rivers State in sports 50 years into its creation would not be out of place.
Looking back and, chronicling the giant strides of the state and her people would however not be a simple or an easy task.
Having been created on the 27th of May 1967, the State shaped its identity not only on the economic and social front but in sports as well. From the outset, the state played frontal roles in shaping the course of sports development and talent contribution to the country. From the provision of sports facilities that at different times were put at the disposal of the country, and thrusting forward athletes to fly the nation’s flag at international competitions, Rivers State has been among the top five. It is this vision, one of those of the founding fathers of the state that has kept the state in the front burner of players in the country’s sports industry. It has made Port Harcourt a destination of choice for national sports events.
From its creation to present day, the State can boast of facilities that have placed it at the top of proud owners of modern sports facilities that can be described as world class in Nigeria.
Since the days of the famous Recreation Stadium, to the impressive but uncompleted Liberation Stadium of Old, and the Civic Centre, later Christened the Alfred Diete-Spiff Sports Complex, Rivers State has improved infrastructurally.
Today, the State can celebrate the impressive and ultra modern Adokiye Amiesimaka Sports Complex which was started during the administration of the immediate past governor, Rotimi Amaechi and completed by the incumbent, Chief Nyesom Wike.
It is an imposing infrastructure that boasts of space and facilities for almost all kinds of sports, from athletics, ball games, racquet sports, aquatic sports, indoor halls, medical and administrative centres, a mainbowl and multiple training pitches to other facilities.
The complex has become an addition to the facilities put in place by the first Military Administrator of the state and now a respected elder statesman, King Alfred Diete-Spiff.
Due to the presence of these facilities and additional basketball, volleyball, handball and tennis facilities in the Town axis of Port Harcourt, the state capital has become a consummate centre for wearing and expression of talent and home for many national and international Sports events.
In fact, the state has at different times come to the rescue of Nigeria, particularly, as her teams tried to qualify for international competitions. The state under Sir Peter Odili played pivotal role in ensuring that the national football team, the Super Eagles qualified for the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan.
Governor Nyesom Wike also, barely months in office placed the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium at the disposal of the national team and the youth side, the Flying Eagles, as they laboured to relaunch themselves into international competitions.
The State’s ambience and hospitality played major roles in the teams’ progress at the time the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, was in a difficult position and no other state wanted to shoulder the responsibilities of the national teams.
As hosts of the 1999 U-20 World Cup Sub seat of the Local Organizing Committee, LOC, Nigeria ’99, the State was among the subseats that received accolades for the way the teams were hosted, events organized and the spectators’ comportment throughout the first football World Cup played in Nigeria.
Apart from the football teams, Port Harcourt has also been a Mecca of sorts for intellectual discussions on ways of advancing the cause of the Sports sector in Nigeria. Many Sports federations would rather take their events, especially workshops, seminars and other events to the city rather that anywhere else.
It is on record that the state is among the list of few in the nation to have hosted the National Sports Festival, an event designed to be the discovery and launch pad for emerging and young talents into national assets, twice since inception, in 1988 with ‘Rivers 88’ and in 2011 when Garden City Games 2011 made headlines for the best reasons.
In fact, the Garden City Games was adjudged the most glamorous and best organized edition of the National Sports Festival. To date, a few have tried but no state has been able to match the standard set by that memorable festival.
It is to the credit of the state that one of the few Sports High Performance centres in Africa and the major one in West Africa is hosted in the State, with the centre at the University of Port Harcourt critical to the wearing and preparation of athletes for major competitions.
In addition to the infrastructural weight of the state as far as the Sports sector is concerned, there are also landmark achievements, stars and heroes of yore and present to celebrate.
Over the years, athletes discovered on the streets, creeks and coastal areas of the State have grown to win laurels and bring glory not only to Rivers, but Nigeria as a whole. From the time of the Old Rivers State to present day, athletes and teams from the State have made appreciable marks in the sands of time.
Therefore, as the drums are rolled out this day in celebration and reminiscences of the giant strides of Rivers and her people, some thoughts and recognition must be spared for those that have written the name of the state in gold though sports at one time or the other.
Multiple title winners, Rivers United Football Club of Port Harcourt in its days as Eagle Cement FC and Dolphins FC of Port Harcourt has severally won the National challenge Cup, now Federation Cup and the country’s top flight title to be regarded as one of the most successful football clubs in Nigeria. The Club is currently, under their new identity as Rivers United, the only survivor flying the country’s flag in a CAF’s continental football competition CAF Confederation Cup, this season. Rivers Angels FC, one of the pioneers of women football clubs in Nigeria has also become serial winner of all the national titles on offer, be it the League or the Federation Cup competition.
The state was also able to break the ice and wrote its name among the few that have won the National Sports Festival, when Rivers hosted and won remarkably the 17th edition in 2011.
At individual levels, athletes and sports administrators from the state have equally been able to hold their own and ensured that the state at different times was proud to have had worthy sons and daughters that represented her well.
“In the 1970s and ’80s, the state was so blessed with talents’ recalled one of the veteran athletics coach still around today, Tobias Igwe, fondly called ‘Toblow’ in a recent interview, ‘ that the state was a major supplier of athletes to the national camps, the state had a way of throwing up athletes as if they were on standby:
Interestingly, as the old generations fade, new ones emerge to take over the mantle.
Leading the old brigade was late Dr. George Ogan, an accomplished athlete and technocrat that was one of those Nigerians that were sent to study why the Germans were so successful in Sports in the 1950s and ’60s. He was also among those that wrote the letters of the National Sports festival in Nigeria. Dr. Ogan, who died recently was a pioneer long and triple jumper in the ’60s.
Another triple jumper, Chief Nemi Adoki bestrode the event at the Oluyole ’80 National Sports festival. He ruled the sport in his days before veering into sports administration. Adoki is among the pioneer members of the National Association of Athletics Technical Officials, NAATO.
Another old brigade athlete is Warisenibo Kalada Aminiokuma. The Bonny-born high Jumper of repute dominated and popularized the event in the State as he won several meets, especially in the then Eastern region of Nigeria.
There are several other athletes and stars of yester-years who deserve mention and recognition, particularly at this time of celebration. Mr. Joshua J. Kio, popularly known as J.J. Kio is one of such athletes. Kio took the baton for his Kinsman, Ogan and became synonymous with triple jump. He won several national and international laurels.
An astute technocrat, who has superintended over the Rivers State Sports Institute, Isaka and served as Director, Sports Development in the Ministry of Sports remains one of the state’s only two time Olympians. He was part of Nigeria’s contingent to the 1980 Moscow Olympies and the subsequent edition in Los Angeles in 1984.
Step out Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka, MON, JP, an erudite scholar, broadcaster, footballer and Sports administrator. Amiesimaka among other things remains one of the most celebrated members of the maiden title winning football team, Green Eagles when the country lifted the African Cup of Nations in Lagos in 1980. Amiesimaka, who played for the national team as an undergraduate also laced boots for the famous Rangers International of Enugu and Sharks FC of Port Harcourt, which he later managed as chairman.
Late Ombo G. Peters was one of the best sprinters to have come out of the state. He was a specialist in the sprints and long jump and was a member of the Nigerian team to Edinburgh 1986 Commonwealth games. There was also Ethel Jacks, a table tennis Amazon who ruled the circuit before the emergence of players from the South West as leading forces of the Sport.
Also part of the old guard were Tamunoemi Gibson, late Silas Ogwuama, Graywood Oruwari, Tari Tikili, Mbakabuari Fyneface and Godwin Banuna, who held sway in badminton and athletics.
Then enter the recent generation of athletes, who consistently put Rivers on the map by sustaining the character and performance of the state at national and international competitions.
Time was when the state was a colossus in weight-lifting. That time belonged to the likes of Ojadi Aduche, Oliver Toby and Benjamin Minimah were the leading lights.
Aduche blazed the trail in the 1990s, dominating almost every National Sports festival and flew the country’s flag at the All Africa games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. He won gold medals at Kenya and Cairo ’91 All Africa games Silver at the Commonwealth games in 1990 and represented Nigeria at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.
Following the trail of Aduche were Oliver Toby, a 64kg Category Weightlifter and Minimah, a heavyweight. Toby was a Junior Championship Champion at several World weight lifting Championships, winning gold in Florida in 1990 and in turkey in 1992. He also won three gold medals at the world junior Weightlifting Championships in 1994 in Canada and earlier secured two gold medals at the All Africa Games, Cairo 1991 and two gold and one Silver in Kenya. He is also an Olympic games in Barcelona.
Minimah on his part, rode the national scene, particularly the National Sports Festivals in the 1990s. he quit competitive weightlifting after Bauchi 2000 National Sports festival.
Gabriel Nwanetanya
Team Nigeria finished sixth on the overall medals table at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, falling short of the National Sports Commission’s ambitious target after ending the competition with 23 medals, comprising 10 gold, seven silver and six bronze
The tally represents a shortfall against the lofty expectations set before the Games.
Director General of the Commission, Bukola Olopade, had projected that Nigeria could surpass the 18-gold target set by the Elite Athletes Podium Finish initiative to win as many as 22 gold medals, citing structural reforms under NSC chairman Shehu Dikko and backing from President Bola Tinubu.
Nigeria’s confidence had been rooted in its performance at the 2022 Birmingham Games, where the country recorded its most successful outing with 35medals, comprising 12 gold, nine silver and 14 bronze, to finish seventh overall.
While the final gold count of 10 fell well short of the 22 projected and even the eighteen baseline target, and the overall medal haul of 23 was down on the 35 won in Birmingham, Team Nigeria’s campaign in Glasgow nonetheless produced several standout moments across a broader spread of disciplines than in previous editions, with medals arriving from athletics, judo, weightlifting, para athletics, para powerlifting and swimming.
Samuel Ogazi delivered Nigeria’s first-ever Commonwealth Games gold in the men’s 400m, powering to victory in 44.25 seconds, while Ezekiel Nathaniel added another gold in the men’s 400m hurdles in 48.47 seconds. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi became the first Nigerian to win the men’s shot put title at the Games with a throw of 21.07m, and further medals came from Ella Onojuvwevwo, who claimed bronze in the women’s 400m to end a wait dating back to 1994, Ruth Usoro, who won silver in the long jump, Udodi Onwuzurike, who took silver in the men’s 200m, and Kayinsola Ajayi, whose bronze in the men’s 100m ended a twenty-year wait for Nigeria in the event. The men’s 4x100m relay team and the mixed 4x400m relay quartet both closed out the athletics programme with bronze medals, while the women’s 4x100m team finished sixth.
Beyond the track, Enku Ekuta ended a 24-year wait for a Nigerian judo medal at the Commonwealth Games with bronze in the women’s -63kg category, a result hailed as one of the most symbolic achievements of the campaign given the sport’s long struggle to convert domestic talent into podium finishes.
The Commission had sought to keep morale high throughout the Games with an enhanced welfare package.
NSC chairman Shehu Dikko had announced an upward review of bonuses partway through the competition, raising the reward for gold medallists to 10,000 dollars, comprising 5,000 dollars in instant cash and 5,000 dollars paid directly into their accounts, up from an initial structure of 8,000 dollars. Silver medallists received 5,000 dollars, made up of 2,000 dollars in instant cash and 3,000 dollars paid into their accounts, while bronze medallists received 3,000 dollars, comprising 1,000 dollars in instant cash and 2,000 dollars paid into their accounts.
Coaches whose athletes won gold were also entitled to a 5,000-dollar incentive, on top of daily allowances of 200 dollars for athletes and 250 dollars for coaches.
Despite the increased incentives and the individual milestones recorded across several disciplines, Team Nigeria’s sixth-place finish and gold medal count leave the Commission short of the record-breaking outing it had targeted before the Games, setting up questions for officials over preparation and investment as the country looks ahead to future global multi-sport events.
Nigerian professional wrestler, Oba Femi, defeated former UFC and WWE champion, Brock Lesnar, in a brutal Hell in a Cell match at WWE SummerSlam on Saturday night, earning one of the biggest victories of his career.
The contest, held at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, saw the Lagos-born wrestler overcome Lesnar in his first-ever Hell in a Cell appearance.
Femi took the fight to Lesnar from the opening bell, surviving multiple German suplexes, a Tombstone onto exposed wooden boards beneath the ring and several attacks with steel steps before countering with two chokeslams.
The match reached its climax after Lesnar attempted to use a steel chair, but Femi knocked it from his grip with a stiff right hand before delivering his signature Fall From Grace to secure the victory.
Following the bout, Lesnar embraced Femi, took a microphone and publicly endorsed the Nigerian star.
Declaring himself the past and Femi the future of WWE, Lesnar praised his opponent in front of the SummerSlam crowd.
Reacting to the moment, Femi admitted he did not expect the show of respect from his longtime rival.
“The hug and public endorsement was definitely a shock, and I didn’t see that coming.
“I know that deep down, Brock has always respected me, and he knows that deep down, I respect him as well,” Femi said.
The victory continues an impressive breakthrough year for the Nigerian wrestler, who defeated Lesnar at WrestleMania 42 in April before winning the 2026 King of the Ring tournament in June.
Their SummerSlam clash was the culmination of a months-long rivalry that saw Lesnar return from an apparent retirement to attack Femi before defeating him in a rematch at Clash in Italy.
South Africa national team head coach Hugo Broos has left his position after five years in charge, with South African Football Association (SAFA) president Danny Jordaan confirming the Belgian’s departure at the weekend.
Broos’ contract officially expired last Friday, bringing an end to his tenure, which began in May 2021 after Bafana Bafana failed to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The 74-year-old coach leaves behind a period that included several notable achievements for South Africa.
Under Broos, Bafana Bafana finished third at the 2023 AFCON, which was eventually staged in early 2024 in Ivory Coast after being postponed.
He also guided the team to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, marking South Africa’s first appearance beyond the group stage at the tournament.
The qualification itself ended a 24-year wait for Bafana Bafana, who had last featured at the World Cup in 2010 as hosts. Their 2026 appearance was their first since that tournament.
Broos had previously indicated that his departure from the national team was settled.
Speaking to the media after the World Cup, Broos said his decision to leave the Bafana Bafana job was irreversible, citing his desire to spend more time with his family. However, he also
expressed a willingness to take up another position within SAFA.
His comments sparked uncertainty, with SAFA initially releasing a statement denying that Broos had already stepped down.
Further speculation followed when reports emerged that the coach had been offered a one-year contract extension. SAFA subsequently issued another statement insisting that no extension had been finalised.