Sports

Pillars Now Favourites For League Title

Published

12 years ago

October 15, 2014

Nigeria league defend
ing champions Kano Pillars are set to clinch a record third straight title with six rounds of games to be played.
But six-time champions Enyimba are expected to push this race for the championship to the wire again.
Pillars sit on top of the league table with 53 points from 32 games, with Warri Wolves second on 52 points from same number of matches.
With three home games and three away games to go, will Kano Pillars make it a three title in a row?
Or would Warri Wolves get their first league shield? Or could it be Nasarawa United or Enyimba, who have won a record six championships?
Pillars can end the season with 63 or 62 points.
The home games left for Pillars are vs Gombe United, Kaduna United and Nembe City and wins in these games will give Pillars nine more points.
Out of their away games against Nasarawa United, El Kanemi Warriors and Enyimba, Pillars could nick a point against El Kanemi as the match will be played at the Sabongari Stadium in Kano, where the champions also play their home games.
Warri Wolves are presently second with 52 points and could well end the season with 61 points if they win their remaining home games against Lobi, Crown and Gombe United.
Their away fixtures are tough and they are not likely to get a point from the three games against Heartland, Sharks and title-chasing Nasarawa United.
Nasarawa United is currently third with 50 points, and they may end the season with 59 or 60 points considering their remaining games.
They have three home games against Pillars, Sunshine Stars and Wolves and if they could win all three, they would have nine more points.
Out of the away games they could get a point at Giwa, but the same could not be said when they face Enyimba and Rangers away from home.
Enyimba have 48 points and now need to win at least an away game apart from claiming all the points at home to be champions again.
‘The People’s Elephant’ are expected to garner nine points at home against Nasarawa United, El Kanemi Warriors and Pillars.
Their remaining away games are against Nembe, Kaduna, who are both battling against relegation, and Dolphins.
If they could beat Nembe and Kaduna, they would end up with 63 points and with the biggest goals difference of +16 so far, they would push Pillars all the way to the top prize this season.
Maybe the final game of the season between Pillars and Enyimba in Aba could well determine where the trophy will rest at the end of the season.

Sports

Rivers-born Chess Player Clinches Third Position At World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship

Published

5 hours ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

A veteran Rivers State chess player, Apollos Akomaka, has finished in joint 3rd place at the just-concluded World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship held in Abuja.

Akomaka, who is the director of physiotherapy at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, overcame a shaky start to secure a podium finish in the 11-round rapid event that began on August 2.

The tournament featured top chess players from several countries.

After losing his opening game, the defining moment for Akomaka came between Rounds 7 and 11.

He raised his game and began defeating some of the top-ranked players in the event.

The Rivers-born player ended the championship tied for 3rd place in the U2000 category with 6.5 points out of 11, alongside Cameroon’s national champion, Noumbo Vidal.

His final game was against Vidal, with the Nigerian playing the black pieces.

Vidal opened with a queen’s gambit but quickly transposed into an English opening with a double fianchetto attack.

Akomaka responded sharply with a king’s Indian defense and soon launched a kingside attack from a defensive position.

The pressure paid off, resulting in an immediate material gain, a knight for a rook, and leaving Akomaka with a strong attacking advantage.

Vidal fought hard to avoid mate and managed to steer the game into an endgame, where he found some respect. At that point, the Cameroon champion offered a draw, which Akomaka accepted.

Speaking after the event, Akomaka said that he is resilient and determined after the poor start but happy that he finished on the podium.

He expressed optimism that in subsequent competitions he will make Rivers State proud and Nigeria at large.

Akomaka has won both local and national chess championships in recent times.

He is passionate about chess; besides, he has equally sponsored several national chess tournaments in Nigeria.

The World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship concluded with Akomaka of Rivers State,

Nigeria, battling back from an early loss to end among the top three in his category

Tonye Orabere/Kiadum Edookor

Sports

Team Nigeria Secures Women’s 4x100m, 4x400m Finals at World U20 Championships

Published

7 hours ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

Team Nigeria continued its impressive showing at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, securing places in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals after strong performances in the heats.

The Nigerian quartet of Becky Ebiyadi, Jecinta Lawrence, Tejiri Praise Ugoh and Faith Ezechukwu booked their place in the women’s 4x400m final after clocking a season’s best of 3:35.28.

Nigeria finished third in the heat behind Italy and Great Britain, doing enough to advance to the final and remain firmly in contention for a medal.

In the women’s 4x100m, Ugoh joined Lucy Nwankwo, Chigozie Nwankwo and Oluebube Ezechukwu as Nigeria produced another season’s best, clocking 43.65 seconds to secure an automatic ticket to the women’s 4x100m final.

The qualification was sealed by a sensational anchor leg from Ezechukwu. Receiving the baton nearly 20 metres behind the United States, the Nigerian launched a determined charge down the home straight, rapidly closing the gap before edging the Americans at the line to claim the third automatic qualifying position.

Nigeria stopped the clock at 43.65 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of the United States, who finished in 43.67 seconds.

The performances mean Nigeria will now contest both women’s relay finals, further strengthening the country’s medal prospects at the championships.

In Saturday’s evening phase of the event, Success Uyibo will compete in the 200m women’s final while the 4x100m compete in the women’s final.

Sports

Poor welfare forced me to dump Delta for Enugu, says world – Nwachukwu

Published

7 hours ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

World Record holder and Commonwealth Games champion, Goodness Nwachukwu, has revealed why she dumped Delta State for Enugu State.

The sudden departure of Nwachukwu, a multiple gold medallist, from Team Delta to the Coal City, Enugu , sparked controversy within the sports family, with officials of Delta State Sports Commission accusing the president of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, of manipulating the system for the athlete to dump the state.

But Nwachukwu, who broke the World Record to win a gold medal for Team Nigeria in the Women’s Discus F42 event at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to her movement to Enugu State.

Speaking with The Tidesports source report, shortly after winning the gold medal, Nwachukwu said: “It is not true that anybody aided my movement from Delta State to Enugu. Rather, it was Delta State that forced me to leave because of poor remuneration.