Sports

Sports, A Strong Tool For National Unity – Gbassa

Published

5 years ago

June 21, 2021

Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Jason Gbassa, has observed that sports can be a very strong tool for national unity.
Speaking as Special Guest at the 2nd Olo Boat Race competition at the Navy Town Lagos, Saturday, the navy chief said he was pleased to see the kids compete “because they are the future of Nigeria.
“It starts from here. The joy of it is that I have seen children from different backgrounds competing as one. There is no discrimination between one from the north and another from the South or east.”
It was fun and fanfare, yet the rivalry among the contestants was high.
The spectators, among who were Rear Admiral Jason Gbassa and other top naval officers and invited guests were treated to the best of sailing and boating throughout as the contestants glided on open water in exhilarating fashion.
Events competed for included swimming, boat racing, Kayak and GP 14.
In the GP 14 Sailing race, the pair of Alaba Matthew and Elizabeth Crown finished first, ahead of Moses Orubani/Khadija Giginya and the pair of Izilein Emmanuel/Japhet Benedicta. In the Laser event Ekiye Abraham Leo dusted Abdulsalam Jamiu and Gbamire Isaac.
Giginya Asmau won the Girls swimming event. She beat Nafisat Mohammed and Shawulu Serah, while Giginya Aminu defeated Hassan Saleh and Nwankwo Raymond to win the Boys Swimming event. In the Men’s category, Solomon Kehinde won the event ahead of Ekiye Abraham and Isaac Gbamire who finished second and third respectively.
The high point of the day’s events was the Kayak contest in both men’s and women’s categories.
Alaba Matthew took first in Kayak Men’s category. He defeated Izilein Emmanuel and Orugbami Moses while Izilein Deborah defeated Giginya Asmau and Giginya Khadija to win the Kayak event in the women’s category. Hassan Saleh defeated Giginya Aminu and Nwankwo Raymond in the Kayak Boy’s event.
The kids were not left out as they also competed in the open water swimming event. Japhet Jeffery finished in first place and was followed by Nwankwo Jacinta and Umoh Christopher.

Sports

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

Published

2 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

2 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

2 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.