Sports
YSFON, Catalyst For Youth Dev- Wejinya
Hurdlers competing at the last NSF, KADA 2009, in Kaduna.
The Secretary of Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) Rivers State Chapter, Collins Wejinya has described YSFON as a viable nursery bed for future players in the country. Wejinya, who made this known in a chat with Tidesports in Port Harcourt, said YSFON is the best place for the grooming of future players and so should be supported by government, individuals and corporate bodies. The YSFON secretary noted that it is youngsters within the age of eligibility for YSFON competitions that were usually used into militancy and other vices, adding that there is every need to discourage them, using football which every child plays. He expressed worry that even the local government areas were not sponsoring clubs from their areas for the on going under – 12 and under 13 YSFON championships. “I am disappointed that even the local government councils are not sponsoring their home clubs. It is the little boys that are tasking themselves to register and transport themselves to match venues, since the commencement of the 14th edition of grassroots sports/human development programme,” he said. According to the competition fixture, Under – 13 has four groups which is made of 15 clubsides. So for, U-13 has played three matches at the group stage. Port Harcourt Future Stars defeated Diamond Sports 1-0, PH City Academy trounced Corinthiasns 6-0 while United Feeders won United Stars 1-0. In the Under – 12 category which has only 12 clubs in the four groups (A-D) four matches have been played with Eagle Stars, Bright Strikers, PH City Academy and PH Future Stars winning their counterparts MAC1 Soccer Initiative, United Feeders, Golden Stars and Diamond Sports 2-1, 3-0,2-0 and 5-2, respectively. Wejinya called on the government to support the competition so as to secure the future of Rivers football.
It’s no retreat, no surrender for Team Nasarawa as a 154-man contingent has landed in Ilorin, Kwara State, for the North Central Zonal Eliminations of the 9th National Youth Games.
The delegation, made up of athletes, coaches, sports secretaries, medical and media crew, security operatives, and top officials, left Lafia on Saturday and touched down in Ilorin with high hopes of conquering their zone.
Team Nasarawa will slug it out in five major sports—football, basketball, handball, volleyball, and hockey—against rivals from Kwara, Benue, Kogi, Plateau, Niger, and the FCT. The qualifiers are held from August 16 to 18, 2025, at the Kwara State Stadium, with the team departing on the 19th.
Director of Sports Organising, Nasarawa State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mallam Ubah Musa, who is leading the delegation, said the team is fired up to make the state proud.
“Our boys and girls are ready. They know what is at stake, and they will give everything to qualify for Asaba. The expectations are high from our governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, and from the good people of Nasarawa State. We won’t disappoint,” Musa assured.
Winners from the zonal eliminations will fly the North Central flag at the National Youth Games proper, scheduled for August 26 to September 6 in Asaba, Delta State. All 36 states and the FCT will compete.
Since its inception in 2013, Team Nasarawa has never missed an edition of the Games, and this year, they say it’s “all or nothing.”
Nigeria has stepped up its push to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games with a high-level meeting in London between officials of the National Sports Commission, the Nigeria Olympic Committee, and the Commonwealth Games Federation.
According to a press statement made available to Sunday PUNCH, the delegation, led by NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, met CGF executives to discuss Nigeria’s expression of interest, submitted earlier this year, and to review the next stage of the bidding process.
The team also included NSC Director-General Bukola Olapade, NOC President and International Olympic Committee executive member Habu Gumel, NOC Vice-President Solomon Ogba, and Secretary-General Tunde Popola, alongside technical experts and advisors.
Talks in London centred on the country’s objectives for staging the Games, as well as requirements for the final bid.
According to the NSC, issues discussed included the Code of Conduct for candidate cities, communication protocols, timelines, and the expectations of the federation.
The CGF has recently introduced new measures aimed at making the event more sustainable and affordable for hosts. Nigerian officials said the meeting was an opportunity to align the country’s vision with those reforms.
Highlighting the domestic context, the NSC said the delegation presented the reforms underway in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu, which places hosting major sporting events at the centre of national economic and cultural development.
“The NSC believes hosting the Commonwealth Games will deliver immense value to Nigeria,” the commission said, stressing that the event would contribute to wealth creation “across sports, diplomacy, economy, culture, and social development.”
Nigeria is now expected to prepare its final submission before the August 31 deadline.
Officials said the document would be forwarded subject to presidential approval, with the CGF scheduled to announce its decision before the end of the year.
Nigeria’s D’Tigers will look to seal a perfect group-stage record when they face Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in their final Group B clash at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket on Sunday in Luanda, The Tidesports source reports.
The game at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda tips off at 5:30pm Nigerian time, with victory guaranteeing Nigeria top spot and direct passage to the quarter-finals on August 20 and defeat leaving them vulnerable to dropping into the qualification placement round a day earlier.
The D’Tigers have opened their campaign in style, brushing aside hosts Angola before overpowering reigning champions Tunisia 87-66 on Friday.
Josh Okogie was the star against Tunisia, pouring in 33 points to continue his standout tournament form.
Nigeria and Cameroon have faced off three times in AfroBasket competition since 2009, with the D’Tigers leading the head-to-head 2-1.
Their most recent meeting came in the 2017 quarter-finals, when Nigeria triumphed 106-91.
Cameroon, however, arrive in Luanda with their own ambitions. The Lions have averaged 83 points per game at the tournament so far and lead Nigeria in both rebounds (46 to 42.5) and assists (18 to 15), which underlines their capacity to test the West Africans.
A win would hand Nigeria valuable rest days before the quarter-finals, while also reinforcing their credentials as title contenders in Angola. For Cameroon, toppling the D’Tigers would not only earn first place in Group B but also provide a psychological boost ahead of the knockout stages.
Nigeria forward Devine Eke expressed delight after the team’s latest victory, but maintained that the players are keeping their focus on the bigger prize. He stressed that while the result was important, the ultimate goal is to win the championship.
Eke highlighted how the D’Tigers stuck to instructions and worked as a unit, crediting the collective effort for the team’s strong display. He pointed out that every player embraced their responsibility, which made the difference in securing the win.
“We feel good about the win. The job is not done, but I feel we can win this whole thing. We feel really good. We executed well. We followed our coach’s game plan. Everyone played their role, and if everyone continues to do that, anything is possible,” Eke said.
The 31st edition of AfroBasket, hosted by Angola for the fourth time, runs until August 24. Nigeria last won the competition in 2015, and after a strong start, belief is growing that they can mount another championship run.
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