Sports
National Open Set To Debut In Nigeria
The National Sports Commission (NSC) is looking at introducing another national sports competition, separate from the National Sports Festival (NSF) where the elite sports, some of the sports NSC consider as the ‘A’ sports will feature.
This was disclosed yesterday by the Director-General of NSC, Dr Patrick Ekeji during the presentation of report on the bid for the 2014 National Sports Festival at the Presidential Hotel, Port Harcourt.
According to Dr Ekeji, the NSC has been looking at how it can improve the sports festival. “We needed to look at the definition of the National Sports Festival and come up with programmes and the idea of a National Open come up,” said the D-G.
He explained that if the Open comes on stream, only about eight sports will be competed for.
“It will not be for all, they are the sports the National Academicals Sports Committee will be organising, about eight of them considered to belong to the “A” Class.
He further said that if Nigeria is to benefit from the idea, then the National Open would come early in the first quarter of an Olympic year, and the athletes (winners) that would emerge may be the likely ones that will represent the country at that Olympic Games.
That is, at the end of the open, Nigerians will already know the athletes that will fly her flag at the Olympics.
He also disclosed that efforts were on to redefine the National Sports Festival and probably make it an age-grade level event, since one of the major objectives of the festival is developmental, catching them young.
Dr Ekeji said that plans for programmes and innovations for sports were still on as the NSC tries to improve on what is on ground already.
On the 2014 bid, he described the bidding innovation as a good development that will only see committed states hosting the festival.
Lagos is scheduled to host the 18th edition next year while Dr Ekeji decided to reveal the 19th editions’ host in 2014 during the closing ceremony of the ongoing Garden City Games 2011.
However, Tidesports gathered that Cross River State is among the front runners for the 2014 fiesta.
The championship will run from today to October 12 at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia. On the ground for the championship are athletes from Brazil, Peru, Egypt, Cameroon, Tunisia, Nigeria, Mauritius and Rwanda. They arrived on Sunday.
Some of the other countries were expected in the Abia State capital yesterday. Speaking on the championship, yesterday, Abia State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Nwobilor Ananaba, said the chief host, Governor Alex Otti, has mobilised facilities and the personnel to ensure a successful event.
Speaking through the Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports, Raymond Chima Ukwa, said: “We have the best mats, playing mats, especially the wheelchair playing mats, which is the first of its kind in West Africa.
“If you go around, you’ll see the hall and the preparation that has been made to ensure that people have an equitable world-class playing field.” Thrilled by Governor Otti’s support for the competition, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) President, Francis Orbih, said that, besides making all the necessary arrangements that will ensure a successful hosting of the events, “we will have a Para-Badminton workshop for coaches and players.
“Nigeria is doing well, Abia is doing well, and we want to do better to improve on where we are, which is why all these have been put together by Governor Otti.”
Nigeria’s Flying Eagles began their campaign at the 24th FIFA U20 World Cup with a narrow 1–0 loss to Norway on Monday, despite creating several opportunities to level the game.
Norway took the lead in the 9th minute after being awarded a controversial penalty. The Flying Eagles pressed for an equaliser but were denied two penalty claims in the second half.
Kparobo Arierhi came close in the 47th minute when his shot drifted wide with the goalkeeper beaten, while Tahir Maigana struck the upright in the 63rd minute.
Nasiru Salihu’s rising effort in the 71st minute also went narrowly over the bar, drawing gasps from the crowd.
Seven minutes from time, Maigana again tested Norway with a long-range strike that went just wide as Nigeria continued to pile on the pressure.
Despite their dominance, the Flying Eagles could not find the breakthrough and now turn their attention to Thursday’s clash against Saudi Arabia in their second group match.
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