Sports
Senate President To Sponsor Baseball, Softball Championships
Preparations are in top gear for the maiden edition of the Senate President Youth Baseball and Softball Championships slated to hold in Ilorin, an official said in Lagos yesterday.
Femi Abolarin, the event’s coordinator, told Tidesports source that the competition, which is a national under-15 championships, would hold from January 31 to February 10.
He said also that the event woud take place at the Adewole Baseball and Softball Park in Ilorin, and it was being organised by the Double T Baseball and Softball Club.
Abolarin added that more than 500 players and officials from across the country would participate in the programme targeted at promoting the sport at the grassroots.
“We are working round the clock to ensure the success of this upcoming championship for young baseball and softball players in the country.
“The championship is named after Senator Bukola Saraki, a worthy son of Kwara state who has contributed immensely to the growth of the state and Nigeria at large.
“The competition will avail young players the opportunity to hone their skills and showcase their talents in the sport,’’ he said.
The official added that the championships which would go on to be an annual event was being supported and sponsored by the Kwara State Government.
“Ilorin is the home of baseball and softball in the country and I am proud to say that the first baseball and softball park in West Africa was built in Ilorin.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.