Sports
Gym’s Renovation Delights Para-Lifters
Para-lifters, who will soon have a modern facility to train and for competition, have expressed delight with Friesland Campina WAMCO Nigeria Plc., makers of Peak Milk for refurbishing their gymnasium at the National Stadium, Lagos.
Tidesports source gathered that the renovation of the weightlifting gymnasium which began on June 13 is expected to be completed by August with state-of-the-art equipment installed.
The project, which cover working stations such as training equipment, changing rooms for the users before and after training, conveniences and an electricity generator is part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility.
WAMCO also provides nutritional support which started in December 2016 with the monthly supply of Peak Milk to the national team of the Nigeria Para-Powerlifting Federation (NPPF).
Some of the athletes and other users who spoke to newsmen in Lagos expressed delight with the development, saying that the renovation of the dilapidated gymnasium would bring great improvement to the sport.
An 86kg 2012 Paralympic gold medallist, Oluwafemi Folashade, described the renovation as the best thing that has ever happened to the lifters who had been training under discomposure.
Folashade, who applauded the company for coming to their rescue, said the renovated gymnasium would go a long way to boost athletes’ zeal for training.
“I just thank God and appreciate Peak Milk for responding to our cry, I believe that our days of training for and out of competitions under adversity are over, ”she said.
Another Paralympian, Tolulope Taiwo, told newsmen that Peak Milk has brought light to the sport which by extension will affect the Para-lifters that make use of the gymnasium.
Taiwo said the renovation of the gymnasium would uplift the state of the sport also enhance training for the users.
“Now we are training outside because of the work going on in the gymnasium and we don’t mind because it is something that we have been praying for.
“The joy of the whole thing is that very soon our gymnasium will be comparable with those we make use of when we travel for international competitions,” he said.
A 2016 gold medallist in the women’s -79kg Powerlifting event, Bose Omolayo, while applauding Peak Milk for the initiative, urged other corporate organisations to emulate the gesture.
Omolayo said that, the project was a significant way of identifying with the para-lifters in their quest to sustain their passion in bringing honour to the nation in major Games.
“We have many needs of which Peak milk have set the ball rolling so we expect other companies to also come and do something like sponsoring competitions,” she said.
World record holder with a 220kg lift in the men’s -65 kg in powerlifting, Paul Kehinde, told newsmen that he was impressed by the tremendous support of Friesland Campina WAMCO Nigeria Plc.
Kehinde said that the organisation associated with the athletes in December 2016 and had consistently provided Peak Milk for the athletes monthly at the National Stadium, Lagos.
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor
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