Sports

NCC Tennis League Cup Kicks Off In Abuja

Published

8 years ago

September 24, 2018

The 2018 edition of the annual Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Tennis League Cup teed off at the Abuja National Stadium at the weekend.
The tournament, which has been running since 2015, is an International Tennis Academy (ITA) championship sponsored by the NCC.
Declaring the tournament open at the tennis court of the Abuja National Stadium, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Umar Dambatta, assured tennis stakeholders that the commission would continue to support the event.
The EVC who was represented by Deputy Director, Corporate Planning and Strategy of the Commission, Inatimi Spiff stressed that the tournament has yielded positive results among Nigerian youths since its commencement.
“This is the fourth year that we are having this tournament and we are pleased to continue to sponsor it, because of the result it has yielded.
“Everyone is a winner and we advise the players to use this as a platform to further sharpen their skills,” Dambatta said.
Tidesports source gathered that the NCC Tennis League Cup will be played in 12 venues across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Delivering her goodwill message at the opening ceremony, a representative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Hauwa-Kulu Akinyemi, praised the effort of the NCC and encouraged other institutions to emulate the commission’s gesture.
“This competition has been taken to 12 venues in the six geopolitical zones, which means youths in those areas have been empowered.
“I want to appeal to other institutions to support sports development because this competition shows that sports can be used to empower our youths,” Akinyemi, a director in the ministry said.
The NCC Tennis League Cup is a team-based tournament in four categories: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles and women’s doubles.
Tidesports also reports that a total of 23 million naira prize money is up for grabs in this year’s tournament, with the overall best team smiling home with the sum of seven million naira.
The runners up and third-placed teams will earn five million and three million naira, respectively, while the fourth-placed team will be rewarded with two million naira.
Speaking at the event, President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation,Dayo Akindoju, also commended the NCC, while urging other well-meaning bodies to come on board and support the discovery of sports talents for the nation.
“The NCC Cup is one of the biggest tennis events in Nigeria. We are grateful to the commission for encouraging our youths and for discovering talents for the federation.
“We hope other institutions will emulate what the NCC is doing for sports development,” Akintoju said.
In the opening matches decided at the Centre Court of the Abuja National Stadium on Saturday, Imeh Joseph of Team Tech Vibes defeated Oparaoji Ude of Team Goshen 6-3, 6-3.
Joseph’s teammate, Thomas Otu also overpowered Emmanuel Sunday of Goshen 7-6, 6-4.
In the women’s game, Tech Vibes’ Aanu Ayegbusi dispersed Goshen’s Blessing Samuel 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the next round of the tournament.

Sports

Rivers-born Chess Player Clinches Third Position At World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship

Published

5 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

A veteran Rivers State chess player, Apollos Akomaka, has finished in joint 3rd place at the just-concluded World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship held in Abuja.

Akomaka, who is the director of physiotherapy at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, overcame a shaky start to secure a podium finish in the 11-round rapid event that began on August 2.

The tournament featured top chess players from several countries.

After losing his opening game, the defining moment for Akomaka came between Rounds 7 and 11.

He raised his game and began defeating some of the top-ranked players in the event.

The Rivers-born player ended the championship tied for 3rd place in the U2000 category with 6.5 points out of 11, alongside Cameroon’s national champion, Noumbo Vidal.

His final game was against Vidal, with the Nigerian playing the black pieces.

Vidal opened with a queen’s gambit but quickly transposed into an English opening with a double fianchetto attack.

Akomaka responded sharply with a king’s Indian defense and soon launched a kingside attack from a defensive position.

The pressure paid off, resulting in an immediate material gain, a knight for a rook, and leaving Akomaka with a strong attacking advantage.

Vidal fought hard to avoid mate and managed to steer the game into an endgame, where he found some respect. At that point, the Cameroon champion offered a draw, which Akomaka accepted.

Speaking after the event, Akomaka said that he is resilient and determined after the poor start but happy that he finished on the podium.

He expressed optimism that in subsequent competitions he will make Rivers State proud and Nigeria at large.

Akomaka has won both local and national chess championships in recent times.

He is passionate about chess; besides, he has equally sponsored several national chess tournaments in Nigeria.

The World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship concluded with Akomaka of Rivers State,

Nigeria, battling back from an early loss to end among the top three in his category

Tonye Orabere/Kiadum Edookor

Sports

Team Nigeria Secures Women’s 4x100m, 4x400m Finals at World U20 Championships

Published

5 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

Team Nigeria continued its impressive showing at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, securing places in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals after strong performances in the heats.

The Nigerian quartet of Becky Ebiyadi, Jecinta Lawrence, Tejiri Praise Ugoh and Faith Ezechukwu booked their place in the women’s 4x400m final after clocking a season’s best of 3:35.28.

Nigeria finished third in the heat behind Italy and Great Britain, doing enough to advance to the final and remain firmly in contention for a medal.

In the women’s 4x100m, Ugoh joined Lucy Nwankwo, Chigozie Nwankwo and Oluebube Ezechukwu as Nigeria produced another season’s best, clocking 43.65 seconds to secure an automatic ticket to the women’s 4x100m final.

The qualification was sealed by a sensational anchor leg from Ezechukwu. Receiving the baton nearly 20 metres behind the United States, the Nigerian launched a determined charge down the home straight, rapidly closing the gap before edging the Americans at the line to claim the third automatic qualifying position.

Nigeria stopped the clock at 43.65 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of the United States, who finished in 43.67 seconds.

The performances mean Nigeria will now contest both women’s relay finals, further strengthening the country’s medal prospects at the championships.

In Saturday’s evening phase of the event, Success Uyibo will compete in the 200m women’s final while the 4x100m compete in the women’s final.

Sports

Poor welfare forced me to dump Delta for Enugu, says world – Nwachukwu

Published

5 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

World Record holder and Commonwealth Games champion, Goodness Nwachukwu, has revealed why she dumped Delta State for Enugu State.

The sudden departure of Nwachukwu, a multiple gold medallist, from Team Delta to the Coal City, Enugu , sparked controversy within the sports family, with officials of Delta State Sports Commission accusing the president of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, of manipulating the system for the athlete to dump the state.

But Nwachukwu, who broke the World Record to win a gold medal for Team Nigeria in the Women’s Discus F42 event at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to her movement to Enugu State.

Speaking with The Tidesports source report, shortly after winning the gold medal, Nwachukwu said: “It is not true that anybody aided my movement from Delta State to Enugu. Rather, it was Delta State that forced me to leave because of poor remuneration.