Sports

‘Chess, Good For Mental Fitness’

Published

8 years ago

October 10, 2016

A Chess player and Port
Harcourt based businessman, Ginah Ginah said that the game is good for brain development and mental fitness.
Ginah, an expert in Organisational Behaviours in Management, made the assertion in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt.
He said that chess enables players to have the ability to take accurate decisions.
“Playing chess is the best exercise for brain development. Everything you achieve as a human being starts with your brain.
“It gives you the ability to analyse issues and take decisions. Chess players are good decision makers,” he said.
Ginah also described the game as ‘a mirror of life because of the beginning, middle and end game.
“Just like in life, you may not start well. You may come from a poor background, which is your opening, the middle of the game which is like starting your career.
“You will find out that you still have the opportunities to improve if you put more effort. Finally the end game, how you end up after retirement.
“So, by playing chess, you get used to the vicissitudes of life, how life can change, how your situations can change in life,” he said.
Ginah said playing chess would enable people to go about life at every stage, turn it around and manage it to a successful ending.
“I have benefitted a lot from it in this wise, I am able to make good decisions at my workplace based on my experiences on the chess board,” he said.
Ginah, who recently sponsored an “Independence Anniversary Port Harcourt Club Closed Chess Tournament, said the aim was to keep the game alive and active.
He said that interests in the game could decline without organised tournaments.
“Tournament gives the participants something to look forward to that would measure their performance.
“The tournament is necessary to ginger the players and get more followership. I am quite impressed with the turnout considering the fact that there has been no competition for years,” he said.

Sports

New Eagles Squad Excites WizKids

Published

15 hours ago

March 21, 2025

The Tide

Nigerian Afrobeats star Ayodeji Balogun, popularly known as Wizkid, has expressed his satisfaction with the Super Eagles’ preparation ahead of their 2026 World Cup qualifier against Rwanda in Kigali.
The team, now under the leadership of newly appointed head coach Eric Chelle, held its first training session on Tuesday afternoon.
Reacting to the new squad, Wizkid took to his X handle on Wednesday, writing, “New Super Eagles team! (I) love the energy,” he wrote.
The crucial qualifier is set to take place at the Amahoro Stadium in Rwanda on Friday, March 21, with kickoff scheduled for 5 pm Nigerian time.
Following the match, Nigeria will return home to face Zimbabwe in Uyo on Tuesday.
The Super Eagles must secure maximum points from both fixtures to strengthen their chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
Nigeria’s current squad features several in-form players, including Galatasaray’s Victor Osimhen, Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, Genk’s Tolu Arokodare and Fulham’s Calvin Bassey.
The match against Rwanda will be Chelle’s first game in charge of the three-time African champions, who are desperate for a positive result to keep their World Cup qualification hopes alive.
The Super Eagles last played at the Amahoro Stadium in September 2024, where they were held to a goalless draw by Rwanda.

Sports

NLO Tasks Clubs To Complete Players’ Facial Registration

Published

15 hours ago

March 21, 2025

The Tide

The Nationwide League One (NLO) has mandated the clubs that make up the Division One and U19 Youth League to complete their players’ facial verification process.
The Secretariat of the nation’s third-tier league regulatory body via its media department gave reasons on the essence of exercise as the March 30th players’ registration deadline draws near.
According to the NLO, clubs must complete facial verification for each player during registration to prevent duplicate registrations.
As regards players that have already been registered, the NLO explained that if a player fails verification (already registered with another club), the holding club must release the player. The NLO Admin will confirm the release and allow the verification of such a player for the new club.
The NLO stressed the importance of the release documentation and Registration Window Closure.
Releasing clubs must upload the player’s release document. This document will be reviewed and verified by the NLO Admin.
After the registration window closes, clubs cannot sign new players.
With the introduction of the new facial recognition technology, all clubs must register both their existing and new players.
These updates ensure a fair and transparent registration system. For assistance, clubs should contact NLO support.

Sports

Aruna Up For $275k WTT Chennai

Published

15 hours ago

March 21, 2025

The Tide

Nigeria table tennis star, Quadri Aruna, will contest in the maiden WTT Contender Chennai in India after he was picked as a replacement for German star, Dimitrij Ovtcharov.
The WTT Contender Chennai is the fifth WTT event of the year and marks the first staging of the series in the City.
The event which has a prize purse of $270,000 will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai, India from March 25 to 30.
Aruna and nine other players have been confirmed for the men’s singles including his African rival, Egypt’s Omar Assar.3.
Other players confirmed so far include Denmark’s Jonathan Groth (17), Hugo Calderano of Brazil (6) and world number four Tomokazu Harimoto of Japan.
The 36-year-old has played in two WTT events this year.
In January, he made it as far as the semi-finals in the WTT Star Contender in Doha where he lost in straight sets to Japanese sensation Tomokazu Harimoto.
Last Wednesday, the world number 19 crashed out of the WTT Champions Chongqing 2025 after suffering a comprehensive 3-0 defeat to world number two Wang Chuqin of China in their round of 32 clash.
Aruna will hope to put up a more commanding show in India, as he has been tipped to shine by the world body.
“Stay tuned. There’s more to come from Quadri Aruna in India,” WTT captioned Aruna’s video on Monday after announcing his participation.
WTT Executive Director of Events Mounir Bessah also said the competition is a bold step forward as they expect Aruna and other players to deliver a memorable spectacle.
“Chennai’s inclusion in the WTT Series calendar underscores our mission to expand the reach of table tennis globally while honouring the sport’s passionate fanbase in India. With a venue like the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium and the support of Tamil Nadu’s government, we are ready to deliver an unforgettable spectacle for players and fans.”