Sports

U-17 Women’s W/Cup: Action Kicks Off In Azerbaijan’ Morrow

Published

13 years ago

September 21, 2012

It’s going to be a three-week
party, a party on a scale possibly never seen before at a U-17 World Cup
Judging by the sheer enthusiasm of the host nation’s German coach, Sissy Raith,
the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Azerbaijan 2012 is shaping up to be an
unmissable event. It certainly has a lot to live up to after the success of the
two most recent editions, but the sparkling line-up for this year’s tournament
– due to unfold between tomorrow and 13 October – suggests that it could indeed
be set to reach new heights.

With Germany, USA, Japan, Korea
DPR, Brazil and Nigeria among the sides in contention, the most formidable
powers in women’s football will be taking part – and competing for the ultimate
prize. The tournament will hardly be short of burgeoning talents either, and
fans can look forward to witnessing the likes of exciting Japanese midfielder
Yui Narumiya, German forward Sara Dabritz and Brazilian schemer Andressa up
close. Fearsome goal machines such as Summer Green of the United States,
Uruguay’s Yamila Badell and Korea DPR’s Ri Un-Sim will likewise be aiming to
set the competition alight.

As it happens, the only major
absentee in Azerbaijan will be Korea Republic, the reigning champions having
only managed to finish fourth in their Asian qualifying campaign. The Taeguk
Ladies will therefore be unable to defend their title, increasing the chances
of a new name on the trophy. Their North Korean neighbours are the only
previous winners in the field, in fact, having claimed victory at the inaugural
edition in New Zealand four years ago.

As those previous tournaments
suggest, Asian sides have held a stranglehold on the FIFA U-17 Women’s World
Cup so far. That was amply demonstrated at Trinidad & Tobago 2010, when all
three contenders from the Far East won their way through to the semi-finals,
prompting FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter to hail the strength of women’s
football in the region. “It’s good news for Asia, but frankly it’s not a
surprise,” he said at the time. “When FIFA began taking an interest in women’s football
in the 1980s, the countries in Eastern Asia were already pioneers in the
discipline. Women’s football has deep roots in the region.”

This time around, it will be Japan,
Korea DPR and China PR looking to continue the tradition, and all three figure among
the favourites. As Asian champions, the Young Nadeshiko can be particularly
ambitious as they tackle their third finals campaign, but the team’s coach
Hiroshi Yoshida is urging caution all the same. “We’re just hoping for six
matches and to reach the final,” he said. “Our goal is to win, but in this type
of competition – especially the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup – you can’t predict
anything.”

The United States and Germany are
likely to mount serious challenges as well, with both nations having reached
the final of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Japan 2012 just over a week ago,
the Stars and Stripes ultimately emerging victorious. They will go into the
tournament desperate to make an impression after failing to qualify two years
ago, while Anouschka Bernhard’s Germany team have a disappointment of their own
to put behind them. The European heavyweights rattled in no fewer than 22 goals
during the group stage two years ago, only to suffer a 1-0 loss to Korea DPR in
the quarter-finals.

Among the other hopefuls on show,
Brazil will be serious contenders with their alluring Jogo Bonito, as will a
France side spurred on by gifted playmaker Sandie Toletti. Nigeria will also be
keen to have their say and boast a squad featuring five players (Sarah Nnodim,
Victoria Aidelomon, Oluchi Ofoegbu, Halimatu Ayinde and Ebere Okoye) who were
also involved two years ago. Meanwhile, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, New Zealand
and Ghana all have previous experience of the tournament and will be aiming to
reach the semi-finals for the first time. In particular, Ghana will be
bolstered by the presence of defender Ellen Coleman, a veritable veteran at
this level who will be making her third trip to a FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

For their part, newcomers Gambia,
Uruguay, China PR and hosts Azerbaijan will be focused on gaining experience in
Odlar Yurdu (the Land of Fire) and springing a few upsets. “We’ll need a small
miracle to come out on top, but in football there are always miracles,”
explained the home side’s coach, Raith. “We’ll see what happens.”

Sports

NDG: Rivers Coach Appeal To NDDC In Talent Discovery

Published

3 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Chess coach Nnamso Umoren has appealed to relevant authorities, most especially the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to provide funds for scouting of hidden talents at the grassroots.

He stated that lack of funds is hindering most coaches from doing what they are expected to do; hence, they don’t have enough money to travel to rural areas to discover talents.

Umoren made the appeal in an exclusive interview with Tidesports yesterday, in Benin, Edo State, shortly after the second edition of the Niger Delta Games drew her curtains closed.

According to him, without coaches no athlete can perform better, as coaches are the ones that teach athletes the techniques and rudiments of every sport.

“I appeal to the commission to support the coaches with funds to enable them to go to the areas and discover talents. Lack of funds for coaches limits the extent to which they can move around within the state in search of talents.

“I am of the general opinion that without coaches, athletes cannot perform better; hence, the coaches teach them the rudiments of the sports,” Umoren said.

The Chess coach called on the Rivers State government to organise tournaments in the State to know the strength of athletes discovered, saying that will improve sporting activities in the State.

However, he commends NDDC, who are the major sponsors of NDG, and Dumamis Icon Limited for close to perfect organisation.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Rivers Sports Director Rates Niger Delta Games High

Published

3 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Director of Sports, Obia Inyingikabo has that the just concluded second edition of the Niger Delta Games, held in Benin, Edo State, was very impressive and well organised.

She commended both the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Dumamis Icon Limited for the sponsorship and organisation respectively.

According to her, the problem of the team was the epileptic situation of shuttle buses, which was not under the direct control of the sports council.

Inyingikabo said this in a telephone interview with Tidesports yesterday; she confirmed that apart from the poor transport system for athletes, every arrangement went successfully as planned.

The director praised her athletes for making the State proud by winning gold, silver, and bronze medals during the games. She assured the people of Rivers State that in the next edition they will perform better and also used the opportunity to commend Rivers State promoting sports in the State.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Treat Bees, Silkworms As Valuable Resources – Don

Published

3 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

A Professor of Applied Entomology and Pest Management, at the Federal University of Technology Akure,(FUTA), Olufunmilayo Oladipo, has said insects such as bees ,houseflies silkworms and similar species should be seen and treated as valuable resources whose careful management could enhance food security, generate income, support industrial applications, and contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic diversification.

Prof. Oladipo made the remark while delivering the 193rd Inaugural Lecture of the institution on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

Citing the honeybee as a prime example, Oladipo noted that beyond honey production, bees provide beeswax, royal jelly, propolis and venom used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, while their pollination services significantly increase crop yields and biodiversity.

She also referenced silkworms, whose silk supports textile industries and export earnings, as well as black soldier flies and houseflies, locusts, grasshoppers, mealworms and crickets which are increasingly used in the production of high-protein livestock and aquaculture feeds, thereby reducing dependence on expensive imported feed ingredients.

Speaking on the topic, “Six-Legged Arthropods: Food Security, Health and National Economic Development,” Professor Oladipo highlighted the multiple contributions of insects to national development in a monolithic economy like Nigeria, where over-dependence on crude oil has limited diversification.

She pointed out that insects serve as food for humans and feed for livestock, provide income for households through apiculture, sericulture, and insect-based enterprises, and supply raw materials for pharmaceutical and industrial uses. Beneficial insects also enhance food security through nutrient recycling, biological control of harmful species and weeds, and pollination of crops and horticultural plants, resulting in bumper harvests and increased biodiversity.

Professor Oladipo further mentioned termites and dung beetles for their role in nutrient recycling and soil aeration, improving soil fertility and agricultural productivity. Ladybird beetles and parasitic wasps, she explained, serve as natural biological control agents, reducing populations of destructive pests without harming the environment.

In the area of public health, Oladipo declared that though “the economic toll of insect vectors is staggering, stretching from the household to national economy, thereby undermining productivity, draining family resources, and constraining national growth, certain insects negatively affect agriculture, public health, and livelihoods”.

The professor pointed to the importance of understanding mosquitoes and other disease vectors such as tsetse flies, whose management is critical in combating malaria, yellow fever, dengue, sleeping sickness and other vector-borne diseases that weaken workforce productivity and strain national resources.

She cited data showing that malaria alone costs Africa over 12 billion dollars annually in healthcare expenditures, lost productivity, and reduced investment. Beyond mortality, she emphasized, insect-borne diseases also contribute to morbidity, chronic disability, and reduced workforce efficiency, imposing heavy burdens on families, health systems, and national economies.

She referenced maggot therapy, currently practiced in teaching hospitals in Kano, as a safe and effective treatment for chronic diabetic wounds adding that bioactive compounds from fungus-insect complexes such as Bombyx batryticatus and Beauveria bassiana, which have been developed into medicines with anticonvulsant, anticancer, antifungal, anticoagulant, and hypolipidemic properties.

Weaver ants, bee venom, and cantharidin from blister beetles, she stated, also possess therapeutic value, including immune-boosting, anti-diabetic, anti-arthritic, and antiviral applications. She maintained that strategic government investment in entomotherapy could strengthen healthcare delivery, reduce pharmaceutical import dependence, save lives, and support national economic diversification.

According to her, these examples demonstrate that insects are not merely pests to be eradicated but strategic biological assets that, if properly managed, can enhance food security, strengthen public health systems, generate employment, and support Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.

The Agric expert noted however, that certain pest species continue to pose threats to agriculture and public health, thereby negatively affecting economic growth. She stressed that proper management, rather than indiscriminate eradication, is key to maximizing the benefits of these six-legged resources.

Professor Oladipo advocated integrated pest management strategies that prioritize environmentally friendly approaches, including botanicals, pheromones, biological control agents, growth regulators, and semiochemicals, while minimizing the use of broad-spectrum synthetic insecticides.

She warned that excessive reliance on chemicals has resulted in resistance, environmental pollution, and harm to non-target organisms. She also called for stricter regulation of pesticide importation and usage under professional supervision, and for stronger surveillance by regulatory authorities to prevent the introduction of exotic pest species.

To strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in entomology, she urged the government to support insect rearing and the conservation of beneficial species and to establish more Departments of Entomology in universities.

On the benefits of insects, she stressed the need for shifting societal perceptions and promoting sustainable practices, calling for stronger linkages between universities and industries to translate research findings into practical applications and commercial opportunities.

Professor Oladipo further appealed for increased funding for research and for targeted support for brilliant but indigent students in science-based disciplines, emphasizing that nurturing the next generation of entomologists and agricultural scientists is critical for national development.

Presenting the inaugural lecturer, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, FAS, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development), Professor Sunday Oluyamo, described Professor Oladipo as a distinguished scholar whose research has significantly advanced the field of entomology and strengthened FUTA’s academic and research profile.

The Vice Chancellor who described the lecture as ‘timely’, given Nigeria’s challenges in food security, public health, and economic diversification, commended the inaugural lecturer’s scholarly depth, resilience, and dedication to mentoring students, reaffirming FUTA’s commitment to research that addresses pressing national development priorities.