Sports
Taekwondo In Need Of Publicity – Coach
A coach with the Lagos State Taekwondo Association, Peace Ogunnowo, has called for more publicity for taekwondo for the sports to be better appreciated in Nigeria.
She said that the only way taekwondo could be more valued in Nigeria like other sports is through more publicity that would create the much-needed awareness about it.
Ogunnowo lamented the low number of spectators that witnessed the just-concluded third Korean Ambassador’s Taekwondo Championship in Abuja.
The taekwondo championship was held at the Velodrome of the Abuja National Stadium last month.
The championship organised by the Korean Cultural Centre of the Embassy of Korea Republic in Nigeria in conjunction with the Taekwondo Federation of Nigeria (TFN) was sponsored by LG Electronics.
Ogunnowo said “Nigerians are just ignorant about taekwondo” in terms of their level of awareness about the sport.
“Most Nigerians don’t even know what taekwondo entails. It is a combat sport that deals more with the hands and the legs.
“Some people will just tell you that their child cannot go and learn how to fight, and this is not so.
“What they failed to understand is that taekwondo is a survival sport which can be useful to anybody personally,’’ she said.
The coach said only the media could give such needed publicity because it has ways of ensuring people get informed and enlightened.
“Nigerians have to be enlightened on what taekwondo entails, as well as its advantages, and the only way this can be done is through the media,’’ she said.
Ogunnowo, however, thanked the Korean Cultural Centre and its Director, Mr Suh Jeong-sun, as well as the South Korean ambassador, Mr Choi Jong-hyun, for organising the competition.
She said the competition would go a long way to help in developing the game in view of the improvements witnessed in its level of organisation.
“I appreciate the efforts of the Korean Cultural Centre and the Korean Ambassador because this championship has really improved from what we had last year.
“At the second edition last year, they promised that there was going to be an electronic scoreboard this year and we got it.
“Those of us in the sport just pray that more of this competition will come up for taekwondo players.
“This is because if competitions like this did not come up, we cannot know how far our players have gone. We need more competitions to put them to test,’’ the coach said.
Sports
CAFCC: Enyimba International In Pot 3 For Draws
African soccer governing body has released the pots for the qualified teams for the group stage of the Confederation Cup, Tidesports sources reports.
Enyimba International is among the 16 qualified teams for the group stage of the competition.
The People’s Elephant was placed in pot 3 alongside ASJaaraf, CS Constantine; Bravos Do Maquils, Lunda Suliat, Orapa United, Black Bulls, and Stellenbosch. Pot 1 consists of Zamalek, RS Berkane, Simba SC, and USM Algers while Pot 2 has ASEC Mimosa, Stade Malien, Al Masry, and CS Sfaxien.
Sports
AFCON 2025 Qualifiers : Super Eagles Host Libya, Oct 11
The Super Eagles of Nigeria will host the Mediterranean Knights of Libya in a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matchday three encounter at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo on Friday, October 11.
The two teams will clash in a matchday four encounter at the Tripoli International Stadium four days later.
The Super Eagles started their qualifying campaign with a 3-0 home win against the Cheetahs of Benin Republic.
The three-time African champions were held to 0-0 draw by the Amavubi of Rwanda in their second group game.The West Africans occupy top spot in Group D with four points from two games.
Libya are bottom of the group after amassing one point from two games.
Only the top teams in each group will advance to the tournament proper in Morocco beginning in December 2025.
Meanwhile, Libya has opted to host Group D leaders Nigeria at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium, in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying Matchday 4 encounter. The facility is located in the city of Benina, some 19 kilometres outside the country’s second city, Benghazi.
Known previously as Hugo Chávez Stadium, the stadium is a 10,000-capacity facility with an artificial turf.
Both countries will do a Matchday 3 battle at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Friday, 11th October, before the clash in the city at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday, 15th October.
While the match in Uyo will kick off at 5pm, the battle in Benina will commence at 8pm Nigeria time.
Libya remain bottom of Group D after two rounds of matches, following a 1-1 at home to Rwanda (a game that was played at the Tripoli International Stadium) and a 1-2 loss to the Cheetahs of Benin Republic in Abidjan.
Nigeria tops the pool with four points, after a 3-0 spanking of Benin Republic in Uyo on Matchday 1 and a scoreless draw with Rwanda’s Amavubi in Kigali on Matchday 2.
Sports
NYG: Kano Athletes Protest Over Allowances In Asaba
Kano State athletes, who participated in the concluded 8th edition of the National Youth Games (NYG) in Asaba, Delta State, last Friday called on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to address the issue of their poor camp allowances.
The athletes, speaking anonymously, expressed dissatisfaction with the daily allowance they received, claiming it was significantly lower than that of their counterparts from neighbouring Northwestern states.
“We were given less than N20,000 for ten days, while athletes from Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara received N50,000. Jigawa athletes were paid the highest, receiving N80,000,” one of the athletes said.
Despite the disparity in allowances, the athletes secured five gold, three silver, and one bronze in the competition.
They urged the governor to intervene and resolve the issue.
Also, the athletes commended the Kano State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, for supporting other athletes representing the state in sports like football and basketball and hoped for similar support.
The objective of the National Youth Games, initiated by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2013, is to promote unity, peace, and understanding among youths while addressing issues of restiveness and unemployment across the country.
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