Sports

AFN Discovers Stars At N YG

Published

4 years ago

October 20, 2021

The search for new track queens by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) may have yielded results at the sixth National Youth Games in Ilorin.
Athletics events, which started yesterday inside the Unilorin Sports Complex, gave AFN officials cause to celebrate late into the night. Reason: A ‘new Okagbare’ has arrived.
Since the Tokyo Olympics Games in Japan, many Nigerian track and field followers have been disturbed by the sad situation U.S.-based Nigerian sprinter, Blessing Okagbare, has found herself over alleged illegal drugs use.
Okagbare was suspended on the eve of her semifinal race at the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for a human growth hormone following an out-of-competition test on July 19. Many Nigerians, including some officials of the AFN, are afraid Okagbare might not be able to return to track and field at the end of her drugs saga.
At the National Youth Games in Ilorin, yesterday, two young athletes distinguished themselves in the girls 100m event. The duo of Taiye Ayenuro of Team Delta and Stella Oyebode of Kwara gave the spectators a lot to cheer about.
Their stride, composure, speeds and finishing portrayed the picture of Okagbare in her youthful days.
Some of the coaches, who spoke with The Guardian at the end of 100m race, were delighted by the potential in the girls.
“This is one of the dividends of the Youth Games. In the next two years, these two athletes will mature to occupy vacant positions. The AFN is already planning how to position them and others athletes discovered here for the future.”
Meanwhile, Team Delta extended its leadership on the medals table to 38 gold yesterday.
The state grabbed the first gold medal in girls’ long jump event, where Djoma Fejiro Praise scaled 5.61m to beat her challengers from the FCT and Ondo State, who settled for silver and bronze medals respectively.
Team Delta also defeated Team Lagos in volleyball 25-21, 21-25, 25-9, 25-18 to win Gold medal yesterday. It also won gold in girls’ hockey and silver in the boys’ category. The state had ended Day three with 32 gold medals on Saturday with Edo State in second position with just eight gold. Plateau State has won two medals in the golf event.
Despite the psychological trauma they went through having been wrongfully screened out as being the over age limit before they won their appeal, the duo of Nantap Danat and Deborah Dung grabbed a silver medal in the stapleford girls’ team event with a combined score of 22 points.
Ponyayi Danjuma and Otopka Emmanuel also got a silver medal in the stapleford boys’ team event with 52 points.
Also, Team Lagos continued its medals haul yesterday with two more gold medals in Fives and Para Table Tennis.
Tijani Rasaq gave Lagos the gold medal in the boys’ singles Para Table Tennis, while Isaac Blessing won another gold medal in Fives singles event at the expense of Delta State. Lagos also secured a bronze medal in the Fives doubles event.
The pair of Aishat Rabiu and Mathew Kuti won a silver medal in the table tennis mixed doubles, while Balogun Yetunde got a bronze medal in the Para Table Tennis female singles event.
In boxing, Team Lagos’ Opaleye Kehinde won his bout in the 46kg category via a knock out in the second round against Rivers State’s Lucky Edum.

Sports

New W.W. Whyte Tournament Focuses On Talent Discovery – Engr. Alabere

Published

3 days ago

November 19, 2025

The Tide

The Chairman of Grassroots Initiative, Engr. Promise Alabere has reiterated that the New W.W. Whyte Secondary Football Tournament was to discover hidden players from the grassroots and groom them to stardom.

He stated that the his organisation is partnering with the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC) for the football tournament, adding that in the first edition 32 players were discovered and NDDC, and his organisation are to fixing them into various clubs.

Engr. Alabere said this while briefing sports journalists last Tuesday, in Port Harcourt, and expressed optimism that the second edition which have 22 secondary schools participating would be exciting and impressive.

” The essence of this tournament is to catch them young because in the 1980s and 1990s most of the players that played for NNPC, Sharks and other big clubs in the country were discovered through this competition.

” Even me I was a product of the W.W. Whyte tournament, as I started playing for the Nigerian Police football club when I was in class four. But this competition stopped about 20 years when two schools resort to bloody clash during one of their games.

According to him the second edition expanded to schools in six Local Government Areas, saying that it will be better than the previous in terms of organisation and others.

“We want to make this edition more exciting and beneficial to all participating schools because the first edition was on experiment but this edition is no longer an experiment” he stated.

The Chairman of Grassroots Initiative,used the forum to advice all participating schools to conduct themselves in a good manner and adhere to rules of the competition.

He equally thanked NDDC for being its major sponsor of the tournament.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Hoopers Ready For NPBL Title Defence – Captain

Published

3 days ago

November 18, 2025

The Tide

Rivers Hoopers captain Victor Anthony Koko has said that his team is mentally ready for the challenge of retaining their Nigeria Premier Basketball League title when the 2025 season Final Four phase holds from November 21 – 23 in Port Harcourt, Tidesports source reports.
The Kings Men, who won back-to-back NPBL titles in 2023 and 2024 unbeaten, are chasing their seventh title.
They will be up against Lagos Legends, Gboko City Chiefs, and Nigeria Customs, as they hope to retain the title they won last year and also pick the ticket to next year’s Basketball Africa League.
Following the conclusion of the Final Eight earlier this month, the KingsMen have had time to fine-tune preparations ahead of their title defence at the Final Four, with the skipper stating that he and his teammates are fully prepared to retain the championship.
“This time around, everyone is ready; everyone is mentally ready. We understand what is at stake, so we need to go all out. And right now, with the level of energy I’ve seen from my team during practice, I don’t think we’re going to be a team that just wants to have fun [on the court]. We’re a championship-winning team, and we want to retain that championship,” he stressed.
Koko has won the league seven times in his career, and he is looking to help the Port Harcourt club reach its height.
“I want us to win the 2025 NPBL title. It’s on my mind, day and night: Hoopers Champions. And I’m assuring our fans that we’re not going to let them down. It’s happening here in Port Harcourt, and we’re going to make them proud.”

Sports

Barau Beat Rangers To Move Out Of Relegation Zone

Published

3 days ago

November 18, 2025

The Tide

Nigeria Premier Football League newcomers, Barau FC have zoomed out of the drop zone after they defeated Rangers International FC 2-0 on Sunday in a rescheduled tie played in Kano.
The Maliya Boys got their goals through Muhammed Umar and Joseph Kemin in the 26th and 76th minutes to record their third win of the season
They have moved to the 16th spot with 13 points from 12 games but the loss by the Flying Antelopes see them slid to the seventh spot with 19 points from 13 games.
The home win is no doubt a relief to Barau FC head coach, Ladan Bosso who has seen his job brought under scrutiny following the Maliya Boys impressive start to the season.