Sports
Volleyball Tourney: Sunshine Spikers, Police Win Division I League
Sunshine Spikers of Ondo has emerged winners of the Division one National Volley Ball Tournament which took place at the Indoor Sports Complex of the University of Ilorin.
The Ondo team outclassed Nigeria Army by three straight sets to win the tournament in the final game played on Saturday.
The team proved to be the worthy winners after winning a total of nine games with a total of 26 points.
The Army finished in the second position with 24 points followed by Niger Brass in third place with 19 points.
Offa Volleyball Club garnered 18 points to finish fourth and are four points better than Kada Kings of Kaduna in fifth position.
Prisons finished in the sixth place with 13 points ahead of ABM of Katsina which has nine points in seventh position.
Dynamics of Anambra State and neighbouring Delta Force occupied the eighth and ninth positions with six points each while Imo State finished at the bottom of the table with zero point.
Earlier in the day, Police Force had beaten Team Imo 3-1 to take the first position in the female division with nine points.
Imo occupied the second position with six points while O.K Babes of Ogun had three points in third position with Zamfara at the bottom of the table without any point.
While speaking at the closing ceremony, President of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation , Engr Musa Nimrod thanked and appreciated the host community as well as the Kwara government for providing an enabling environment for the championship.
Nimrod disclosed that the event was staged, hosted and completed successfully without any hiccups and further revealed that his board will be looking forward to stage subsequent events at the university.
He also charged the competing teams to go back to the drawing board and re-strategize ahead of the next leg of the league.
The president also revealed that the federation is leaving no stone unturned in preparing the national team for international events.
Chairman of the directors of sports forum in Nigeria, Coach Tunde Kazeem thanked the volleyball federation for bringing the tournament to Ilorin.
The director who was particularly impressed with the quality of the female division, stressed the need for the participating states to encourage their athletes.
On his own part, chairman of the Kwara State Volleyball Association, Bashorun Bankole called on private sponsors and individuals to partner with the federation in it’s bid to organise more grassroots events in order to fish out talents.
Meanwhile, information gathered from the league Management Committee of the Nigeria Volleyball, says the next leg of the division one League is expected to hold in Bauchi at a later date.
The Ardova Handball Premier League 2025, which began with the first phase in Benin City months ago, before the second phase in Lagos which ends with a finale that the Executive Chairman of Ardova PLC, Dr. Abdulwasiu Sowami, ably represented by the Deputy Managing Director, Ardova PLC, Mrs Abiola Babatunde-Ojo, described as delightful to watch in her speech.
For Safety Shooters, it was a historic moment as they clinched the men’s title for the first time since 2020, completing a dominant campaign that saw them finish top of the table with 57 points from 20 matches while Safety Babes also etched their name deeper into Nigerian handball history, winning an unprecedented fifth consecutive women’s championship, reaffirming their status as the league’s most dominant team, not just in the women’s category but in the history of handball premier league in Nigeria.
In the Men’s Safety Shooters finished the season in style, beating COAS Shooters 43–32 (20–10) to cap off a dominant outing in Phase 2.
Their final-day victory ensured they remained clear at the summit with an impressive 18 wins, one draw, and one loss, totaling a superb goal difference of +214 after scoring 638 goals and conceding 424.
The organisers of the Ikoyi Club Tennis Masters Tournament have earmarked N4 million as the prize money for this year’s edition.
?The Chairman of the tennis section of Ikoyi Club, Diran Famakinwa, stated this at a briefing, highlighting the activities for the second edition of the tournament.
?The tournament, which is in collaboration with MegaMound Investment Limited, is endorsed by the Nigerian Tennis Federation.
?According to Famakinwa, the male and female champions will receive N500,000 each, while the runners-up in both categories will go home with the sum of N350,000 each, with the remaining money to be shared among the semi-finalists and other participants.
?Sixteen players, which includes the eight top ?male and eight top female players, will feature in the one-week event, which started on December 5, and run till Saturday, December 13.
?The female final will be held on Friday, December 12, while the male final will take up on Saturday, December 13.
In a statement released on Saturday, the NSC described the defender as “Captain Fantastic” and praised his decade of distinguished service to Nigeria, highlighting a legacy defined by professionalism, consistency, patriotism and an unwavering commitment to national duty.
“After a decade of distinguished service to Nigeria, Troost-Ekong leaves behind a legacy defined by professionalism, consistency, patriotism and an unwavering commitment to national duty,” the NSC stated.
The commission noted that, as one of the most capped defenders in Super Eagles history with 83 international appearances since his debut in 2015, Troost-Ekong served as a pillar of leadership across multiple tournaments and qualification campaigns.
“His exceptional outing at the last Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored three goals and was named Player of the Tournament, remains one of the most remarkable achievements by a defender in AFCON history,” the NSC added.
The statement further emphasised that Troost-Ekong’s “Nigeria first” mindset, discipline and exemplary conduct set a standard for the next generation of athletes, with his influence within the national team extending beyond the pitch to inspire unity, resilience and professionalism among his teammates.
Meanwhile, Troost-Ekong has dismissed rumours that he was forced to retire by the country’s football administrators as punishment for leading a revolt against the NFF.
The 32-year-old’s announcement came less than a month before the AFCON, and he was named in the 54-man preliminary list. His decision sparked speculation, particularly as he had led a strike in protest against unpaid bonuses during the World Cup qualifying play-offs.
One fan speculated on social media, suggesting that Troost-Ekong was pressured to quit after exposing the NFF. The Al Khoolood defender offered a sharp retort, establishing that he unilaterally made the decision to retire.
“Not true! My own choice/decision and on my own terms. No one ever asked/tried to force me out. If anything, the opposite when I shared my decision. I wish the team all the best and support them together with all Nigerians for the upcoming AFCON to go all the way,” he wrote on X.
The NSC concluded by wishing Troost-Ekong the very best in the next chapter of his career and commending him for representing Nigeria with honour.
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