Sports
My Dad Enrolled Me In Karate – National Champion

A Karate national champion, Joseph Omu, says his father enrolled him and his brother in the sport at their tender ages as a “weapon” for self-defence from bullies.
Omu, champion in the karate -84kg category, told newsmen yesterday in Lagos that ironically, the sport had helped to improve his self-discipline and independent lifestyle.
“Karate for me has been a journey I started since childhood. My brother and I got enrolled by our dad into a karate school at National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos in the late 1990s.
‘“He did that so that we could defend ourselves from bullies; there, we learnt how to back out from a fight.
“’But funny enough, Karate is a way of life; it teaches you a lot about life, it’s like a life preparing process.
“Martial art is one of the best sports in the world because it teaches self-discipline, tolerance, patience, self-defence and independence,” he said.
On his victory at the Nassarawa Open Championships held in April, Omu, who expressed happiness that the victory qualified him for the African Games, however, noted that he still had one final match in the closed camp.
“Winning in Nasarrawa qualified me but I still have a final battle in a closed camp trials which, only God knows when it’s going to be.
“’But for the mean time, I still want to maintain my shape and form as the champion and represent Nigeria in any international championship if need be,” he said.
Omu expressed sadness in Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
“Karate in the Olympic is a big blessing and achievement for all of us as karatekas though it was not easy getting in because the constitution was bent to fit in the Olympics.
“Well, to qualify for the Olympics, you have to acquire a lot of points and how do you get these points? You must attend karate leagues and win medals each time you do so.
“And we tried to keep up with it but couldn’t due to financial issues. Like I said earlier, we need a good administrative board with good future plans.
“So, basically, nobody in Nigerian karate can qualify for Tokyo 2020,” he said.
He added that Karate was a global sport for different countries because of the immense love for it.
“Karate did not just become global, it became one due to the love majority have for it. It became some country’s pride and number one sport.
“For Nigeria, I think if we want to improve, we need to start building a good and solid foundation. New administrative board members with good and future plans will also help,” he said.
Omu advised younger karatekas to remain focused, work hard, be patient, be disciplined and be prayerful.
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CAFCL : Rivers United Arrives DR Congo
Rivers United FC of Port Harcourt contingent, comprising players, technical crew, backroom staff, and officials, depart the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos State on Wednesday, bound for Kinshasa, DR Congo.
The team is set to face FC Les Aigles du Congo in the first-round first-leg match of the CAF Champions League.
This was contained in a press release signed by the media officer of the club, Charles Mayuku and made available to Tidesports on Wednesday.
He said that the highly anticipated match is scheduled to take place at the 80,000-capacity Kinshasa-Complexe Omnisports Stade des Martyrs on morrow with kickoff slated for 3:30pm.
According to the statement the encounter marks the first-ever meeting between both sides in any competition, adding that an air of excitement and unpredictability to the fixture.
“As the Pride of Nigeria embarks on this crucial journey, the team is determined to return with a decent result that will set them up favorably for the second leg on Sunday, 28th September” the statement said.
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FIFA rankings: S’Eagles drop Position, remain sixth in Africa
The new rankings, released via FIFA’s official X handle on Thursday, reflect the team’s continued struggles under Coach Eric Chelle amid a stuttering 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
This marks a second consecutive decline after the Nigerian side dropped from 43rd to 44th in August on the back of poor outings in recent international matches.
Despite Nigeria’s setback, several African teams made progress. Morocco remains the continent’s highest-ranked side, sitting 11th in the world after winning eight of their last nine matches. Senegal, Egypt, Algeria and Côte d’Ivoire complete Africa’s top five.
Lesotho slipped to 153rd place, while Benin Republic, Nigeria’s upcoming opponent, climbed to 93rd. South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, who held the Super Eagles to a 1-1 draw in June, rose to 55th, strengthening their bid for World Cup qualification.
Zimbabwe had the biggest slide down the ranking table, dropping nine places to 125th position in the world.
The rankings highlight Nigeria’s struggle to regain form on the global stage as key rivals continue to surge ahead.
Similarly, the Super Falcons of Nigeria remain 36th best in the world], while the Spanish female national team replaced the USA at the top of the women’s ranking.
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