Sports
We’re Ready To Host 2019 RIGAN Games – DG
The Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) is ready to host the 16th edition of the Research Institutes Games Association of Nigeria (RIGAN) Games, an official said at the weekend.
The institute’s Acting Director-General, Prof. Samson Duna, told newsmen in Abuja that the 2019 RIGAN Games would hold from December 13 to December 22 in Ota.
“We are ready to host the best-ever RIGAN Games, through the provision of world-class sports facilities.
“Facilities to be used for the games are at an 80 percent stage of completion. So, we are ready and waiting,’’ he said.
Duna said NBRRI was expecting to take the Games to another level with the quality of facilities being put in place.
“NBRRI will change the face and status of the RIGAN Games through the provision of sports facilities that are of an international standard.
“In addition to this, we are making sure that provisions are made for all officials involved in officiating to apply international standard rules and regulation.’’
He added that all rules and regulations of international standard must be applied in order to raise the bars and ensure a top quality competition at the end of the day.
Duna also disclosed that efforts were underway to attract corporate bodies to partner with RIGAN, the games’ national association.
Speaking also to newsmen on the Games, the National President of RIGAN, Prof. Rabiu Adamu, assured that the 2019 Games would be unique in view of the addition of new events.
“We at the association level are gradually improving the Games and the Association at large year in year out.
“For example, this year’s edition of the Games is going to be a unique one due to the addition of new events to it.
“These new events include basketball male and female five-a-side,’’ he said.
The RIGAN president also said the admission of two new research institutes to the association was delightful as it would further enhance competition.
He however said all participating institutes were expected to pay their games’ levies on time and begin their preparations in earnest.
“This is important because the levies will be used as one of the criteria in the screening of competitors before participation in the games.’’
The RIGAN Games’ Media Consultant, Udochukwu Emmanuel, also said that about 2,500 sports men and women were being expected at the biennial Games.
“They will be from 30 research and development institutes across the country.”
Sports
CAA Wants Ghana To Host 2026 Athletics Champions
The Confederation of African Athletics has invited Ghana to bid for the hosting rights of the 2026 African Athletics Championships, following a successful athletics event at the just concluded 2023 African Games.
President of Ghana Athletics, Bawa Fuseini, stated this and expressed confidence in the transformative potential of the Legon Stadium for athletes and Ghana’s bid to host international competitions.
With a capacity of 11,000, the Legon Stadium played a pivotal role in the recent African Games, hosting both the opening and closing ceremonies as well as various sporting events including athletics, football, and rugby.
Fuseini highlighted the success of the athletics events held at the stadium, which contributed to Ghana winning six medals.
“We have already started getting requests from the Confederation of African Athletics to bid for the 2026 African Athletics Championships.
“When they came and saw what we have put in place and the level of organisation, they told me that for the last 20 years, they’ve never seen any organisation like this before. We did three official courses. And the last one, we had 110, all of them passed. We had a lot of officials and equipment.”
Since its establishment in 1979, Ghana has never hosted the African Athletics Championships, with Nigeria being the host country twice, in 1989 and 2018.
This year, Cameroon will take the reins as the host nation, with the event set to be held at the Olembe Stadium.
Sports
‘Reasons Why Eagles Lost To Mali’
The friendly games against Ghana and Mali were to serve as an audition for George Finidi, who was in charge of the team on an interim basis, but the Eagles’ lacklustre display in those friendlies has called for his further evaluation.
Finidi kept faith with ex-coach Jose Peseiro’s defensive formation against Mali on the back of his first win (against Ghana) in charge of the team four days earlier.
But this time, his defence was punished following a combination of defensive errors and poor passes.
The Eagles struggled to play out of defence due to the high pressing of the Malians and it was no surprise that the first goal by Les Aigles was a direct result of their aggression.
Chidozie Awaziem, who started on the right of the back three alongside Kenneth Omeruo and Semi Ajayi, lacked composure and was pressured into making a pass across his box straight at Bilal Toure, who made no mistake in getting the ball past Stanley Nwabali. They missed the calming presence of injured William Troost-Ekong.
Vice captain, Kenneth Omeruo, was also culpable of misplaced passes and was beaten for pace when Kamory Doumbia ran past him to seal Mali’s first win in over four decades, firing his shot past a helpless Nwabali, who stood no chance.
Eagles wing backs, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Jamilu Collins also did not do enough to support the team in attack when they had the chance to.
Lack of creativity
Finidi paired Raphael Onyedika and Wilfred Ndidi in a double pivot in midfield. Both players are naturally anchor men and neither is a box-to-box midfielder.
They both do not possess the offensive capability to drive the team’s attack forward, which left the Eagles once again craving for a natural creative midfielder.
Sports
Onigbinde Not Sacked – Chairman
Chairman of Doma United, Suleiman Umar, has said head, coach Akinade Onigbinde was not relieved of his duties after the club announced former Kwara United, Niger Tornadoes and Katsina United coach, Abubakar Bala, as an addition to their technical crew.
Bala was announced as the technical adviser by the club on Wednesday.
According to the club, Bala’s appointment was necessitated by the dwindling fortunes of the team in the second stanza of the Nigeria Premier Football League, which has seen them drop to 13th in the table with 34 points after 27 matches.
“The appointment of Coach Bala is imperative given our recent challenges in the second half of the season. We believe his extensive experience in managing teams within the league will significantly contribute to our objective of maintaining our status,” Umar said in a statement.
“It’s worth noting that coach Bala will be collaborating closely with Coach Onigbinde and our dedicated coaching staff. The technical department is not open to all, and we caution against unwarranted meddling as we remain focused on our objectives.”
The Savannah Tigers are winless in eight matches since the start of the second stanza with their last win in the league being their 2-0 win over Katsina United in January.
Their performance is a stark contrast to the first half of the campaign, when they ranked in the top three.
With 11 matches to the end of the season, Bala and Onigbinde must find a way to rescue the club as they sit just three points above the relegation zone.
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