Sports
Chikere, Bariyana Win Diette-Spiff’s Golf Tourney
Two invited professionals, Golden Chikere and Helen Bariyana at the weekend emerged winners of the Men and Ladies Guest categories, respectively, of the one day golf tournament to mark the 70th birthday celebration of the first Military Administrator of Rivers State, King Alfred Diette-Spiff in Port Harcourt.
Chikere hit a net score of 66 to emerge tops in the men’s category while Bariyana scored 86, net, to win the ladies.
In the Veteran’s category, former Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Sir Gabriel Toby ?? 85 net score to finish runner up to Professor S.J. Cookey who scored 83.
Also, Hon. Justice Oniyangi achieved a net score of 83 to finish tops in the Special Guest’s category and was trailed by C. Ngoka, 84 and former Military Administrator of Rivers State Col. Musa Shehu, 85 net.
The men seniors’ category saw C. Anukam clinching the best gross scores with 88. Chief C.U. Okwute won the best net scores with 71 net, while Admiral O.P Finesi 75 net and Peri Okonny 76 net finished first and second runners up, respectively, for men.
In the Ladies Seniors, R. Briggs scored 75 net to overcome F. Barber, 83.
Meanwhile, S.U. Amadi and Mrs E. Ogan won the best scores for men and ladies with 76 and 91 scores, respectively.
Ekiro Akudihor hit 70 net to top the men’s net scores, while John Izim scored 71 and beat Uzo Ezennaka, also 71, to the second spot on count back.
In the Ladies net category, S.Cole-kotas recorded 69 net to beat J. Nule 70.
Earlier, in the morning session of the one-day event, Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi , who teed off the tourney said that it was an honour for him to walk where King Diette-Spiff walked.
He expressed gratitude for the Amanyanabo of Twon-Brass for the foundation he laid for the state when as a young naval officer at 24, he was appointed to administer the then newly created state.
“From the records, he performed and so we are happy with him and that is why we have set out to celebrate him”, said Amaechi.
Two other administrators who succeeded Diette-Spiff, Colonel Musa Komo (rtd) and Colonel Shehu Musa (rtd) also had good words for the Amanyanabo. According to Komo, “we had the good fortune of building on existing structures and were thankful that the celebrant invested resources in developing human capacity and infrastructure to make the state truly functional. A lot of those structures are still standing today”.
The Chairman of the Planning Committee of the celebration and Chief Of Staff, Rivers State Government House, Chief Tony Okocha explained that they chose Golf to celebrate Diette-Spiff because he has been an avid golfer all his life, “and it was deemed vital to celebrate him with the sport he loves”.
The Ardova Handball Premier League 2025, which began with the first phase in Benin City months ago, before the second phase in Lagos which ends with a finale that the Executive Chairman of Ardova PLC, Dr. Abdulwasiu Sowami, ably represented by the Deputy Managing Director, Ardova PLC, Mrs Abiola Babatunde-Ojo, described as delightful to watch in her speech.
For Safety Shooters, it was a historic moment as they clinched the men’s title for the first time since 2020, completing a dominant campaign that saw them finish top of the table with 57 points from 20 matches while Safety Babes also etched their name deeper into Nigerian handball history, winning an unprecedented fifth consecutive women’s championship, reaffirming their status as the league’s most dominant team, not just in the women’s category but in the history of handball premier league in Nigeria.
In the Men’s Safety Shooters finished the season in style, beating COAS Shooters 43–32 (20–10) to cap off a dominant outing in Phase 2.
Their final-day victory ensured they remained clear at the summit with an impressive 18 wins, one draw, and one loss, totaling a superb goal difference of +214 after scoring 638 goals and conceding 424.
The organisers of the Ikoyi Club Tennis Masters Tournament have earmarked N4 million as the prize money for this year’s edition.
?The Chairman of the tennis section of Ikoyi Club, Diran Famakinwa, stated this at a briefing, highlighting the activities for the second edition of the tournament.
?The tournament, which is in collaboration with MegaMound Investment Limited, is endorsed by the Nigerian Tennis Federation.
?According to Famakinwa, the male and female champions will receive N500,000 each, while the runners-up in both categories will go home with the sum of N350,000 each, with the remaining money to be shared among the semi-finalists and other participants.
?Sixteen players, which includes the eight top ?male and eight top female players, will feature in the one-week event, which started on December 5, and run till Saturday, December 13.
?The female final will be held on Friday, December 12, while the male final will take up on Saturday, December 13.
In a statement released on Saturday, the NSC described the defender as “Captain Fantastic” and praised his decade of distinguished service to Nigeria, highlighting a legacy defined by professionalism, consistency, patriotism and an unwavering commitment to national duty.
“After a decade of distinguished service to Nigeria, Troost-Ekong leaves behind a legacy defined by professionalism, consistency, patriotism and an unwavering commitment to national duty,” the NSC stated.
The commission noted that, as one of the most capped defenders in Super Eagles history with 83 international appearances since his debut in 2015, Troost-Ekong served as a pillar of leadership across multiple tournaments and qualification campaigns.
“His exceptional outing at the last Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored three goals and was named Player of the Tournament, remains one of the most remarkable achievements by a defender in AFCON history,” the NSC added.
The statement further emphasised that Troost-Ekong’s “Nigeria first” mindset, discipline and exemplary conduct set a standard for the next generation of athletes, with his influence within the national team extending beyond the pitch to inspire unity, resilience and professionalism among his teammates.
Meanwhile, Troost-Ekong has dismissed rumours that he was forced to retire by the country’s football administrators as punishment for leading a revolt against the NFF.
The 32-year-old’s announcement came less than a month before the AFCON, and he was named in the 54-man preliminary list. His decision sparked speculation, particularly as he had led a strike in protest against unpaid bonuses during the World Cup qualifying play-offs.
One fan speculated on social media, suggesting that Troost-Ekong was pressured to quit after exposing the NFF. The Al Khoolood defender offered a sharp retort, establishing that he unilaterally made the decision to retire.
“Not true! My own choice/decision and on my own terms. No one ever asked/tried to force me out. If anything, the opposite when I shared my decision. I wish the team all the best and support them together with all Nigerians for the upcoming AFCON to go all the way,” he wrote on X.
The NSC concluded by wishing Troost-Ekong the very best in the next chapter of his career and commending him for representing Nigeria with honour.
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