Sports
Proprietor Wants Govt To Establish Sports Trust Fund
A sports enthusiast and proprietor, Little Tigers Football Academy, Amaka Agbakoba-Onyejianya, has urged federal and state governments to set up a Sport Trust Fund to encourage investment and boost the sector.
Agbakoba-Onyejianya gave the advice in an interview with newsmen last Sunday in Lagos while reviewing the summer football camp for children, organised by the academy at the Campos Square, Lagos Island.
She said that government could set up a trust fund like Agriculture Funds, Small Scale Enterprises Funds and the rest for potential investors in sports.
“Nigeria now needs Sport Trust Fund just like what we have in developed nations to cater for the funding of various sports investments. Government needs to look in this direction.
“There are many potential investors willing to invest in sports but they are often hampered by inadequate funds to facilitate their various efforts.
“Sports investment may be expensive, but it is quite rewarding, especially when it comes to providing facilities and equipment that are not produced in Nigeria.
“Facilities such as mini stadiums are not enough in Nigeria and so are gymnasiums for the athletes. What we need is a special sports fund where investors can borrow from,’’ she said.
Agbakoba-Onyejianya said that the special funds for the development of youths would not only help the investors, but also help to keep young ones out of crimes.
“There are some other trust funds such as Mortgage Banks, Agricultural Funds and Infrastructure Banks; government can also set up Sports Trust Funds so as to engage our youths effectively.
“If we take a look at what can engage the youths actively now, without doubt, sports will come to mind, so, if youths have much passion for sports, why not develop it?
“If the larger part of youths won’t want to go farming but rather go into sports, that opens opportunity for all in sports; likewise we need sports funds to develop the grassroots.
“The various clubs can draw from this funds to care for their teams and I believe it will be rewarding to all, government inclusive because it will be the greatest beneficiary,’’ she said.
Agbakoba-Onyejianya said that the method of repayment of the loans collected could not be a problem because the loans secured would be for the human capacity development which might not go bankrupt.
“The funds will be well used for its purpose because it is for human capacity development and we need a holistic approach to this, not surface scratching.
“Repayment of the loan will be very easy with my experience as an investor in sports. I started my academy with just five kids but it has grown within the space of five years.
“There are many areas in sports that need investment which some investors may not be able to afford, so, setting up this trust fund will help mitigate those areas.
“Sports academies are springing up in Nigeria now in response to the demands in the world and many of these academies need help to survive and to be viable,’’ she said.
Agbakoba-Onyejianya said that many developed countries have tilted toward grassroots sports development as a means of getting their young ones out of trouble, an example is Jamaica.
“Many countries are now using sports as a means of getting their youths involved and getting them out of crimes. Nigeria can learn from the example of Jamaica.
“The way to pull youths out of ghetto is to involve them in sports. Almost all young ones enjoy one sport or the other, so we need to tap into it.
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.