Sports
Athletes Shun Akure League Over Prize Money
Some track and field
athletes have threatened to boycott the Nigeria Athletics Federation (AFN) organised Golden League scheduled for Akure.
The athletes told newsmen in Lagos that the prize money for the two previous competitions in Abuja and Ilorin had not been paid.
The AFN’s league is organised every two weeks in different states to harness talents for national assignments.
The winner of the first position is to earn N40,000 and the second N30, 000, while the third and fourth positions are to get N20, 000 and N15,000 respectively.
The fifth placed athlete is to earn N10,000 and the sixth to get N5,000, while the first place winners in relay are to get N30,000, second N25, 000 and third N20,000.
Temidayo Oshunbanjo runs 100m hurdles, Eze Anayo who does 800m and Abike Egbeniyi for 1,500m women.
The athletes, who claimed to be speaking for their colleagues, said they were tired of unfulfilled promises by the organisers over their outstanding prize monies.
Oshunbanjo, a gold medalist from the Abuja event in April said: “As a professional, I am supposed to live from my career and not promise.
“From the kick-off of the league in Abuja, no prize money has been given to anybody, we all expected the money at the Ilorin event two Saturdays ago but to no avail.
“The Akure event will be a show down on individual basis devoid of conspiracy, the athletes are poised to down tool to drive home their demand,” Oshunbanjo said.
Anayo, also a gold medalist in the 800m of the league at Ilorin said: “We have had enough of their unfulfilled promises and we don’t live on pledges, they should pay us now.
“The consternation you see us express cut across the ranks of the participating athletes, it is quite regrettable that such a thing is happening now,” Anayo said.
Egbeniyi, a bronze medalist of the competition said that AFN should make the welfare of athletes their topmost priority.
“With the feelings around the athletes only all-comers will be at the Akure event.
“The professional athletes are tired of misleading promises from the organisers and will not be part of the third leg of the league in Akure unless we are paid,” she said.
Meanwhile, Uruemu Adu, Assistant Secretary, Athletes Coaches Association, said the issue of athletes prize money had been resolved by the AFN and that they would be paid at Akure.
Adu told newsmen that there was an issue about who should be handed over the cheque.
“The issue has been resolved by AFN without the knowledge of the athletes, the initial problem had to do with who should AFN hand over the cheque to.
“Because the coaches are entitled to some percentage of the prize money,’’ Adu said.
He said the federation was using the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) guideline of 25 per cent to coaches and 75 per cent for athletes to resolve the issue.
According to him, the issue was resolved after the Ilorin event with the athlete’s representative Falilat Ogunkoya.
The National Sports Commission (NSC) says it will no longer pay athletes training grants in foreign currency.
The development came after sprinter, Kayinsola Ajayi, alleged foul play regarding the disbursement of training grants by the Commission.
Head of NSC’s Elite Athletes Development and Podium Board, Yusuf Alli, told Tidesports source on Friday that it was wrong of Ajayi to rubbish the good intention of the NSC, saying: “I have been in athletics for over 40 years now, and this current NSC Board, led by Mallam Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade, has done what others could not do. So far, the NSC has spent over N200 million in payment of training grants for athletes ahead the 2026 Commonwealth Games and preparation for Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.”
The NSC sourced the money from the private sector. It has never happened before. “I expected the athletes to encourage the NSC so that it can do more instead of raising unnecessary alarm and making allegations that is capable of discouraging them (NSC) and even the sponsors. It takes good initiative and trust for sports administrators in Nigeria to convince sponsors to donate money for welfare of athletes,” he said.
Speaking further, Alli, whose long jump record of 8.27m set in 1989 (35 years ago) is still unbroken, said: “We have decided that henceforth, all payment of training grants will be in Naira. No more payment of grants in U.S. dollars. We are Nigerians, and everyone knows that the exchange rate is not stable. As at the time Ajayi got his money, the rate of dollars to Naira may have changed
“I expected him to make a call either to myself or anybody in the Elite Board, or even the NSC to find out what happened instead of resorting to such allegation.
“If we make payment in Naira, any athlete who wants to convert his or her money to any foreign currency can tell their people back home to do so. I am sure this will solve the problem. If anybody wants to know how much he is entitled to, he must first of all find out the category that he or she belongs to.”
Alli disclosed that coaches, who train the athletes would soon get their grant. “They train the athletes, and the NSC feel is it not proper to leave them out in payment of grants. We have compiled their names, and very soon, the coaches would get their money,” Alli stated.
The chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Gbenga Elegbeleye, has directed that a minute’s silence be observed before kick-off at all Matchday 30 fixtures this weekend in honour of former Green Eagles captain Henry Nwosu, following the death of the former midfielder at the age of 62.
In a statement made available to Tidesports source on Saturday, the league body confirmed that the tribute would be held across all matches to recognise the contribution of the former international to Nigerian football.
Elegbeleye described Nwosu’s passing as both a personal loss and a painful moment for the country’s club football community.
Nwosu, who was the youngest member of Nigeria’s squad that won the 1980 African Cup of Nations, died in the early hours of Saturday at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital in Ikeja after a brief illness.
The former midfielder had reportedly spent several days in hospital receiving intensive care before his death.
Elegbeleye said the late footballer was more than a colleague within the sport, describing him as someone with whom he had maintained a long-standing personal relationship dating back to his time at the National Sports Commission.
He said the former national team star had remained supportive of him in various moments of his career, including when he was nominated for the Pitch Football Awards.
Reflecting on Nwosu’s legacy, the NPFL chairman said the news represented the loss of a major figure in Nigerian football, noting that the former midfielder distinguished himself not only at club level but also later contributed to the development of the domestic game as a coach.
Elegbeleye said the death of the former international was “the death of a true ambassador of the domestic and national team football because he not only made his mark as a player in league clubs, but he also coached some of the league clubs.”
He added that death remained a submission to the will of God and prayed for the repose of Nwosu’s soul while urging strength for his family as they mourn the loss of their loved one.
Earlier confirmation of the former midfielder’s death came from former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami, who revealed that Nwosu died after spending five days in hospital. Odegbami said the former player passed away at about four o’clock in the morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, where he had been receiving treatment in intensive care.
“It is with deep pain in my heart that I have to be the conveyor of the news of the death of Henry Nwosu MON,” Odegbami said.
“After five days in hospital battling for his life, the one I call ‘Youngest Millionaire’ passed on at four o’clock this morning at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, where he had been in intensive care since Wednesday. May he rest peacefully with our Creator in heaven”.
At the club level, the former international spent most of his career in Nigeria, starring for New Nigeria Bank FC of Benin City and African Continental Bank FC of Lagos during a period when both sides were among the dominant forces in domestic football. His performances later earned him moves abroad, where he also played for ASEC Mimosas of Ivory Coast and Racing FC Bafoussam of Cameroon.
Nigeria’s Women Basketball team, D’Tigress, is targeting victory against Philippines this Saturday in their third game at the ongoing FIBA Women’s World Cup qualification tournament holding in Lyon, France.
The Coach Rena Wakama-led D’Tigress, on Thursday, lost their second game 60-77 to South Korea, making it the first time the Nigeria senior women basketball team is losing to their Asian opponent.
After this Saturday’s game against Philippines, D’Tigress will face two European giants, France and Germany.
Both Nigeria and Germany had already qualified for the FIBA Women’s World Cup slated for September in Berlin, Germany. They are only taking part in the qualification competition in Lyon as preparatory test ahead of the World Cup.
In Thursday’s game against South Korea, the Nigerians had a closed game in the first and second quarter losing narrowly by 36-32 points but couldn’t build their usual momentum in the third and final quarter as the game slipped away from them.
Coach Rena Wakama said they learnt quickly from the loss to South Korea, and charged her girls to quickly put the defeat behind them and focus on an improved performance in their game against the Philippines.
“South Korea is a great team. We struggled today (Thursday) shooting the balls and we turned over the ball 22 times, which is not typical of our game.
“Mentality we are fine, and we are not going to over react to the loss. There are lessons in losses so we are going to take the lessons from this game and try to get better and be ready for our next game.
“The Koreans were very physical, denying our passing lanes and double up on our players. They did a great job and credit to them,” Wakama stated.
Victoria Macaulay was Nigeria’s best performer after her MVP display in the first game against Colombia, scoring 22 points and 6 rebounds.
South Korea is hoping to pick one of the two World Cup tickets in the round robin qualification tournament to join Nigeria and Germany for the FIBA Women’s World Cup in September in Berlin, Germany.
The FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament is currently taking part in four counties – France, Turkey, Puerto Rico and China as countries fight to make the World Cup.
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