Sports
Federation Postpones Squash Tourney
President of Nigeria Squash
Federation (NSF), Adamu Erena, has said that the 2014 African Squash Championship, earlier scheduled to begin on May 5 in Abuja, would now kick-offon May 25.
Erena told newsmen in Abuja that the postponement was as a result of the issue of insecurity in the country.
“This is the first time Nigeria was selected to host the event by the Squash Federation of Africa (SFA), but the participating nations wrote to the federation about their safety and the need for the event to be postponed,’’ he said.
The NSF President, however, said the event had been rescheduled for May 25 to May 30.
“We were to have it beginning on May 5, but it fell around the same date the World Economic Forum on Africa was to begin.
“So, we decided to postpone it to May 25 in view of that issue and because most member-nations were complaining about their safety in Nigeria.
“Though, the federation had written them that their safety was guaranteed, but even with that only three countries sent in their acceptance forms,“ he said.
Erena told newsmen that 15 countries were expected to participate in the championship, but only three countries had so far indicated interest in participating in the competition.
He further said if the federation did not get a feedback by next week the African federation would have to sit and decide if Nigeria should still host the competition.
“We will try to convince them that Nigeria is safe for the competition, and if they do not accept, it will be left for the SFA to decide,” the federation president said.
He, however, said if the feedback was positive, the NSF would write all the country’s security agencies to keep them informed about the event.
“This is in order to ensure adequate security at the venue of the competition,’’ Erena said.
He however told newsmen he was optimistic that the SFA member-nations would send their acceptance forms for participation in the competition.
The 2014 edition of the African Squash Championship is scheduled to hold at the Abuja National Stadium.
Table tennis players struggling for honours during a national event in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, recently.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.
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