Sports
AfroBasket Nigeria Draws DR Congo, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire
Nigeria’s D’Tigers have been drawn in Group A of the FIBA AfroBasket 2017 scheduled for Senegal and Tunisia from September 8 to September 16.
According to a report on the website of FIBA-Africa, the competition’s organisers, Nigeria, who are the reigning champions, have been drawn alongside DR Congo, Mali and Cote D’Ivoire.
Tidesports source gathered that the official draw for the competition took place on Sunday in Balaclava, Mauritius.
Group B of the competition has Angola, Central African Republic (CAR), Morocco and Uganda, while Group C has co-hosts Tunisia as well as Guinea, Rwanda and Cameroon.
Co-hosts Senegal has been drawn in Group D and has Mozambique, Egypt and South Africa to contend with.
The Group Phase of the competition will take place simultaneously in Senegal’s capital city of Dakar and Tunisia’s Tunis from Sept. 8 to Sept. 10.
Dakar will host Group B and Group D, while teams drawn in groups A and C will compete in Tunis.
The bottom two teams from each group in the Group Phase will be knocked out of the competition, which is the African continent’s flagship basketball event.
The top two teams from the groups in Dakar will advance to join their counterparts in Tunis, which will now solely host the Final Phase.
The Tunisian capital city will go on to host matches of the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Finals from Sept. 14 to Sept. 16.
Reports that Sunday’s draw ceremony also served to unveil the newly-designed FIBA AfroBasket trophy in a video.
The new trophy, which will be handed out for the first time on Sept. 16 to the FIBA AfroBasket 2017 champions, has an etched map of Africa engraved on it.
It also has all the past continental champions from the competition’s editions from 1962 to 2015.
The Bayelsa State government, yesterday, announced that the marathon will be held on Saturday, April 4, 2026.
The inaugural race is owned by the Bayelsa State Government and will be organised by Nilayo Sports Management Limited, a sports management company.
Under the theme “The Reveal,” the race represents a bold unveiling of Bayelsa’s immense human and cultural potential to the international community, inviting the world to witness the resilience, grit, and talent rooted in the heart of the Niger Delta.
According to the organisers, the race will be flagged off at 9:30 a.m., at the Opolo Roundabout, guiding participants through a carefully designed 10-kilometre route that highlights the scenic beauty and vibrant atmosphere of Yenagoa.
The course will culminate at Peace Park Square, where athletes will cross the finish line into a grand celebration of endurance, unity, and community spirit.
To elevate the experience for runners and spectators alike, the finish venue will host a high-energy post-race concert featuring performances from top A-list artistes, blending sport and entertainment in a festival-style atmosphere.
The organisers directed all registered participants to collect their race bibs and kits at the designated Peace Park Square between March 30 and April 3, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily.
The race, according to them, is currently on track for World Athletics accreditation, underscoring the commitment of both the Bayelsa State Government and Nilayo Sports Management Limited to delivering an event that meets the highest global standards.
The Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, on Friday continued the Commission’s nationwide appreciation tour with a visit to Abeokuta, where outstanding junior athlete, Majekodunmi Afusat Bisola, was presented with a cheque of N3 million.
The presentation forms part of the NSC’s initiative to recognise and reward exceptional junior athletes who distinguished themselves in 2025 and contributed significantly to Nigeria’s medal haul.
Majekodunmi delivered an impressive run of performances on the track. At the last edition of the National Sports Festival, she stormed to gold in the 400m and the 4x400m relay. She replicated the double triumph at the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Junior Championship, in Abeokuta, before emerging as one of the standout stars at the African Youth Games in Luanda, Angola.
Speaking during the presentation, Olopade explained that the Commission deemed it necessary to extend financial appreciation to grassroots athletes after elite performers had earlier received grants running into thousands of dollars.
“A few weeks ago, after paying grants to our elite athletes, we agreed tthere was a need to also appreciate these young, budding talents who made Nigeria proud last year,” he said.
He disclosed that of the 376 medals recorded by Nigerian athletes in 2025, more than 200 were won by grassroots talents, underscoring the importance of sustained investment in youth development.