Sports

Kwara United Explains Ultimatum To Technical Crew

Published

8 years ago

February 28, 2018

The Chairman, Kwara United FC of Ilorin, Prince Oladimeji Thompson says the three-match ultimatum to the club’s technical crew is to charge them to brace up or get axed.
Thompson told newsmen yesterday in Ilorin that the technical crew should address the club’s poor outings in the ongoing Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
The Kwara United boss said he was under pressure to sack the team’s Technical Adviser, John Obuh, when the results were bad but he stood by him.
“When people are talking negatively about the team when the results are not good, you will always have a second thought but people won’t see things from your own angle.
“The pressure you get when things are going wrong does not allow one to be focused.
“As far as I am concerned, he (Obuh) is not a failure. The problems with the players over salaries had been resolved,’’ he said.
According to him, if urgent action is not taken to address the lackluster performance of the team, it may tarnish the good image of the club and the people of the state.
Thompson assured the club’s fans that the technical crew and the players would be given the necessary support but that they should improve on their performance.
The Tidesports source reports that Kwara United lost its Match Day 10 encounter 0-1 to Rivers United on Sunday in Ilorin.
The loss was the Harmony Boys’ second home defeat in the 2017/2018 NPFL.
They will travel to Abia to lock horns with Abia Warriors for their Match Day 11 on Sunday in Umuahia.
Thompson said that the management was not insensitive to the players’ welfare, adding that negotiations with the players over salaries had been resolved.
“The system in government is different from the private sector, while we are trying to tidy up our running cost with the government, the players are impatient.
“I wasn’t happy when I heard of the players’ complaint over payment of salaries.
“They should have given us the opportunity to explain what we are doing behind the scene before they complain.
“Thank God we have resolved the issues and we are now all happy,’’ he said.
He commended Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara for approving the prompt payment of the players’ salaries.
He solicited for the support of the stakeholders, especially the fans for the team to succeed.
He appealed to the fans to bear with the management over the increment in gate takings because the reality was that the club must generate funds for its operations.

Sports

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

Published

9 hours 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

11 hours 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

11 hours 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.