Sports
Anambra FA Poll: Leave Obiano Out Of Campaign – Iloenyosi
Ex-international and a chairmanship aspirant for the Anambra Football Association elections, Chikelue Iloenyosi, has cautioned name droppers to leave Governor Willie Obiano out of their campaign in the build-up to the election.
Speaking in a media parley in Abuja, the ex-international who is the SA Security to the NFF President said Governor Obiano has not endorsed any aspirant for the top FA position.
Chikelue, who said he is in the race with a 14-point agenda that would make Anambra State great again as a home for football noted that the state has produced great football players and clubs like Udoji United, Jasper United, Gabros Int’l FC, etc has been in the doldrums in recent times.
“Name droppers should stop using the governor’s name. He has not endorsed anybody and has no intention to do so. In fact, our hard-working governor is not interested in who emerges as the next Chairman of the State FA, all he wants to see is someone who will return the state to her past glory in football.”
He noted that as an ex-international and administrator, he has worn the shoe and knows where it pinches, arguing that the problem the state is facing in making great impact in the nation’s football can only be addressed by someone who is passionate about the game and ready to commit both time and resources to take her back on achieving tracks.
According to him, “I have great contacts that will turn football in the state to a money spinner which will not only alleviate the problems of the actors but contribute immensely to the state’s economic development. This I will do by ensuring that the FA creates a conducive environment for tournaments that will give our youths the opportunity to ply their trade overseas.”
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had earlier set up a Caretaker Committee for the running of the affairs of the Anambra State Football Association, following the expiration of the tenure of the Dr. Ifeanyi Ubah-led executive team, and pending the conduct of fresh elections.
The Caretaker Committee is to administer the activities of the Anambra State Football Association and also conduct elections into the Board of Anambra State Football Association and the Anambra State Local Football Councils within three months.
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria ( SWAN) Rivers State Chapter has set up five standing working committees on Tuesday, in its general congress.
At the playoff held at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, the team of Canice Abua, Michael Emmanuel, Daniel Adeleye, and Abubakar Yusuf was majestic as they restored Nigeria’s hope in a sport that once gave the country so much joy.
Speaking after the final game, Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) President, Victor Ochei, said the Davis Cup feat is the stepping stone to better days in the sport, adding that the federation has set up programmes that will help the budding talents across the country play at the same level as their counterparts in other tennis-developed countries.
Ochei said: “The whole aim of having this new board is to lift the sport to the level we used to be. I tell you, tennis is taking a new shape in Nigeria. We are putting everything and anything to make that work happen.”
Ochei said that the NTF has looked at sponsorships and how to get the emerging players compete at the same level with their peers elsewhere, adding that the federation is working on organising local competitions and helping the players to compete in international championships.
“We believe that with what we are doing now, sponsors will come to us to organise new competitions. But beyond that, there’s a strategic growth development plan, a 10-year development plan, which the board is working on.
“The programme will ensure that we catch them young. This is because we believe that to create champions, we must start grooming them early. The champions you are seeing today were those groomed yesterday.”
“The process of building new champions will include building the coaches, the players, the infrastructure and sensitising the parents so that we can start catching them as young as age five to six.
“By the time that we groom them through 10 years of training, at age 15, 16, you will see fantastic professional players.”
To achieve the federation’s plans, Ochei admits that the NTF needs a lot of investment, adding that the board is working at realising the funds quietly and tenaciously.
The NTF president acknowledged the contributions of former international stars like Nduka Odizor and Sadiq Abdullahi to the bid to rejuvenate Nigerian tennis, adding that NTF is open to collaborating with former players who know what it takes to play at the highest level of the sport.
He said, “Nduka Odizor is around as one of our VIP personalities. He has been psyching up the boys in the battle with Uzbekistan. He will not enter the court to play, but his mere presence is enough motivation to the boys, who will want to be like him in the future.
“You see, the type of support the Odizors, the Imonities and the Abdullahis got in their time is no longer there, but we are revamping it with the support of our stakeholders in the Diaspora.
“It will appear to take us some time, but I can tell you that the Diaspora support is massive.”
In its bid to get good results in this year’s Commonwealth Games, the National Sports Commission (NSC) has disbursed N200 million as training grants to 26 athletes.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow, Scotland.
The NSC stated that the grants were disbursed through its Elite and Podium Board, noting that N200 million was allocated to select top-performing athletes.
The beneficiaries are both foreign-based and home-based, the NSC said, adding that it will cater for their training and preparation expenses.
According to the NSC, the recipients span several sports, including athletics, wrestling, weightlifting, and para-sports, in line with the Commission’s mandate to prioritise athletes’ welfare and high-performance development.
The Commission added that the disbursement follows the establishment of the Elite and Podium Board, created to implement a scientific and institutionalised support system aimed at sustaining peak performances by Nigerian athletes at major international competitions.
NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, said the Commission, under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was established to restore confidence and provide renewed hope for Nigerian sportsmen and women by placing strong emphasis on athlete welfare.
“The training grants disbursed to 26 athletes across different sports followed a careful and professional selection process by the Yusuf Ali-led Elite and Podium Board. This is our way of reassuring our athletes that their welfare remains our utmost priority,” he said.
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