Sports
Kwara Boxers Shine In Inter-State Tourney
Kwara boxers have emerged overall winners of the inter-state boxing tournament concluded at the Indoor Sports Hall at the weekend after winning six of the 10 bouts in the final of the three-day tournament.
The boxers started their winning streaks with Balogun Qudus out punching Tobi Rafiu of Oyo State in the 48kg while entertaining Ahmed Suleiman of Kwara State beat Kehinde Akanmu of Oyo State in the 52kg bout. Saheed Jamiyu, fighting in the 56kg class, gave Kwara another victory against Rasheed Adeniran from Oyo State while Ishola Nurudeen cleared the fourth straight victory for Kwara State over Sanmi Sunday of Ekiti State in the 60 kg.
The contingent of Oyo State, who also gave good accounts of themselves, claimed their first victory in the 64kg bout when Arewa Ridwan boxed Omolola Oyewale of Ekiti State to victory.
Fatai Jimoh, another Oyo State fighter, went ahead for second victory when he out boxed Ismail Jimoh of Kwara State in a split decision.
The Oyo State team, in its classical display, got its fourth win in the 75kg and in the only U15 bout as Idowu Rasheed beat Ogundare Ebenezer of Ekiti, while Oladokun Isaac defeated Tijani Issah of Kwara State.
The female bouts of the day were anchored by Kwara State in grand style as Fausiyat Tijani claimed split victory over Seun Omowaye of Ekiti State while Risika Abdulrazaq beat Olamide Oluwamuyide of Oyo State
In his remark at the closing ceremony, Mr Ahmed Rufai, the chairman of Kwara Boxing Association, appreciated the state government for providing the enabling environment for sports in the state.
He explained that the aim of the competition was to bring boxing closer to the youth as “the association is bringing Gotv to Kwara at the end of August to further aid boxing development in state”.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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