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National Sports Festival…From Lagos ’73 To Delta 2022

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At the end of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970, the unity of the country was seriously threatened. The then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, initiated the National Sports Festival in 1973 as a platform to bring together youths from all parts of the country to compete, using sports as a tool to achieve national healing after the brutal 30-month civil war.
He saw the sports festival as a rallying point for national unity and cultural integration. It was named the Unity Games.
The maiden edition of the NSF took place in 1973 at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. For the first time after the civil war, athletes from all nooks and crannies of the country came together to felicitate and compete under a peaceful atmosphere.
The then Midwestern State, under the administration of sports-loving Military Governor, Brigadier Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia, won the inaugural edition, beating the host, Lagos, to emerge overall winner.
The sports festival made a great impact on national integration. The unity, long dreamed about by General Gowon, started manifesting as athletes discovered during the festival formed the bedrock of the country’s national teams. A majority of them represented the country in the third All Africa Games held in Algeria.
The second edition also took place in Lagos in 1975, and was won by the then Midwestern State. The festival was moved to Kaduna in 1977, and Bendel State, which came into being following the creation of States in 1976 by the Murtala Mohammed’s administration, topped the medals table.
The city of Ibadan, Oyo State, hosted the 1979 edition tagged ‘Oluyole ’79, and Bendel State also finished top on the medals table. In 1981, Benin City, the capital of the then Bendel State hosted the NSF for the first time, and Bendel State finished top of the medals table.
After Bendel ’81 edition, the NSF suffered its first postponement in 1983 due to what sports ministry officials described then as “unclear political atmosphere” after a military coup.
The National Sports Festival did not hold in 1983 as scheduled, and there was also no festival in 1984. The city of Ilorin, Kwara State, hosted the 1985 edition.
At Kwara ’85, the junior and intermediate cadres (football) were not allowed to take part in the National Sports Festival after they formed the Golden Eaglets to win the maiden FI FA Kodak U-16 Tournament in China.
The NSF did not hold as scheduled in 1987. Rather, it took place in 1988 in Port Harcourt. Bendel State finished top of the medals table at Rivers ’88.
To bridge the gap, Lagos State offered to host the NSF the following year (1989), and finished top of the medals table. The next edition of the NSF took place in Bauchi in 1991, and was nearly marred by religious violence, which broke out a few days after it commenced. In the end, Zone 2, which comprises of Bendel, Ondo and Rivers State finished top of the medals table.
After Bauchi ’91, the National Sports Festival suffered one of its worst postponements. It did not hold in 1993, 94 and 95. Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, hosted the NSF in 1996. By this time, Bendel State had been divided into Edo and Delta States, following the creation of more states by the General Ibrahim Babangida’s administration in August 1991. Lagos State finished on top of the medals table at Makurdi ’96.
There was stability, as the NSF returned to its biannual arrangement. Owerri, the capital of Imo State hosted the 1998 edition, and was won by Lagos State. Nigeria returned to democratic government in 1999, and a year later, the NSF returned to Bauchi State.
Team Delta, under the Chief James Ibori’s administration finished on top of the medals table at Bauchi 2000 with Chief Solomon Ogba as Commissioner for Sports.
Benin City hosted the NSF for the second time in 2002, with Team Edo finishing top of the medals table. The festival moved to Abuja in 2004, which Team Delta won. Delta successfully defended the NSF title two years later at Gateway 2006, Ogun State.
Thereafter, the festival suffered a one-year postponement solicited for by Kaduna State government to enable it complete its facilities. Instead of hosting the event in 2008, the KADA Games was held in 2009.
Team Delta, under the Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration topped the medals table. Rivers State hosted the National Sports Festival for the second time in 2011. Tagged The Garden City Games, Team Rivers finished on top of the medals table.
Lagos State played host to the NSF in 2012 (just one year interval) to honour the agreement it entered with the Sports Ministry during the bidding process in Kaduna, and Team Delta finished top of the medals table.
Cross River State won the bid to host the 2014 edition of the NSF. But Nigerian youths waited until 2018 for the festival to hold in Abuja.
‘The Centenary Games,’ which was meant to commemorate Nigeria’s 100 years, could not see the light of the day in Calabar.
Abuja 2018 saw Team Delta, under the administration of Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, finishing on top of the medals table with Chief Tonobok Okowa as Chairman of the Sports Commission.
Benin City, Edo State, could have hosted the NSF for the third time in 2020, but the outbreak of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic forced the Games to be moved to 2021. And to prove that the victory at Abuja 2018 was not a flunk, Team Delta finished top of the medals table.
The stage is set for Delta 2022, and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa says he would host a festival that all athletes and officials will be proud of.

By: Gowon Akpodonor

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Former Champion Seeks Title Defence At Para Table Tennis Tourney

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Former African champion Faith Ugwueke has expressed her ambitions for the seventh edition of the Valuejet Lagos Para Table Tennis Open which is holding at the Molade Okoya Thomas Sports Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere.

The 2006 Commonwealth Games silver medallist spoke to Tidesports source her desire to defend her para singles title in the women’s category and to also secure a qualification berth for both the regional West Africa para table tennis event in Abeokuta in September and the continental championship billed to hold in Cairo, Egypt in November.

The multiple Paralympian said, “My expectation is to come out great at this wonderful tournament and to qualify for the forthcoming tournament that is coming up in Nigeria and Egypt in September and November. Last tournament, I won the singles. I won three golds at the last ValueJet tournament. And I want to believe and hope that I will maintain my position by coming in first position.”

Ugwueke had featured in the para event at the 56th Molade Okoya-Thomas National Table Tennis Championships, held at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in January, where she suffered a stunning defeat to eventual finalist and tournament runner-up Taiye Oyinloye, who in turn was beaten 3-1 (11-3, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9) by Commonwealth Games medallist, Kate Oputa, to become the women’s class 1-5 champion.

The ValueJet Lagos Para table tennis Open, which is in its seventh edition, is an event sanctioned by the governing body ITTF Africa and put together by the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation in partnership with Lagos State Sports Commission.

The event will come to a close on July 11, with the competition serving as qualifiers for the country’s players for the regional tournament in Abeokuta.

A total of 98 athletes—57 men and 41 women—from Nigeria, Benin Republic, and Togo are competing in the singles events.

Notable performances have come from Alabi, Agunbiade, Ogunkunle, and Commonwealth Games medallists Kate Oputa and Faith Obazuaye, who have showcased their class against emerging talents across various classifications.

Their presence has intensified the battle for podium finishes, with top seeds asserting dominance in their respective singles events.

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Nigerian Athletes Serving Doping Bans

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The Athletics Integrity Unit continues to take a hard stance against doping violations across the globe, and Nigeria has not been spared. Below are ten Nigerian athletics serving doping ban Imaobong Nse Uko (July 2026)

The AIU announced in the June 2025 sanctions list on July 1 that 21-year-old quarter-miler Uko was found guilty of an anti-doping rule violation committed on June 5 2024. Her infraction falls under whereabouts failures, having missed three tests within a 12-month period.

The AIU confirmed that her period of ineligibility will run until 23 July 2026 and all results recorded from the date of the infraction have been officially disqualified.

Uko rose to fame after clinching three gold medals at the 2021 World U-20 Championships in Nairobi, winning the women’s 400 metres, 4x400m relay, and the mixed 4x400m relay.

Stephen Eloji (June 2028)

Sprinter and hurdler Stephen Eloji tested positive for dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone in an out-of-competition test in Nigeria on May 2, 2024 and has been handed a four-year ban by the AIU.

The 25-year-old was active in the American collegiate circuit, recording strong performances in the 110m hurdles and relay events as recently as April 2024, including at the Pepsi Florida Relays and Music City Challenge.

Ada Princess Bright (September 2027)

Ada Princess Bright is serving a four-year ineligibility period after testing positive for Metenolone during the National Athletics Trials held on July 6 2023 in Benin City.

She had an active season prior to her suspension, competing in national meets in Lagos, Uyo, and Benin, and earning a relay gold at the African U20 Championships in Ndola, Zambia.

Grace Nwokocha (August 2025)

Nwokocha is serving a three-year ban after testing positive for SARMS substances including Ostarine and Ligandrol during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The fallout was significant, as Nigeria was stripped of its women’s 4x100m relay gold medal at the Games. Prior to her suspension, she had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, posted a personal best of 11.00s in the 100m, and reached the semi-finals in the 100m and 200m at the 2022 World Athletics Championships. She is ineligible to compete until 2 August 2025.

Yinka Ajayi (January 2030)

Ajayi, a 400m specialist and one-time Olympic representative, is currently serving an extended eight-year ban for multiple anti-doping violations.

The first sanction, issued after she tested positive for Metenolone in an out-of-competition test in Iowa, USA, led to a four-year ban starting in December 2021. However, further findings of tampering led to an additional four-year penalty in 2024, extending her suspension until January 25 2030.

Glory Okon (January 2026)

Glory Okon is serving a four-year ban for testing positive for Metenolone following an out-of-competition test conducted on December 2 2021 in Nigeria.

She previously won gold in the 400 metres at the 2019 African U-20 Championships in Abidjan and featured prominently at the 2021 National Sports Festival in Benin City.

Blessing Okagbare (July 2031)

Once the face of Nigerian athletics, Okagbare is now serving a 10-year ban following multiple anti-doping rule violations. She tested positive for human growth hormone and EPO in an out-of-competition test in June 2021.

Her suspension came while competing at the Tokyo Olympics and was announced in February 2022. It was later extended by an additional year in June 2022 due to further breaches.

Divine Oduduru (February 2029)

Oduduru’s  career was derailed by anti-doping violations linked to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. On October 12 2023, a Disciplinary Tribunal of the AIU imposed a six-year ban on Oduduru after he was found guilty of possessing and attempting to use prohibited substances and methods. The case stemmed from the wider investigation into Eric Lira, the first individual convicted under the US Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, who supplied banned substances to athletes, including Okagbare, ahead of the Tokyo Games.

Oduduru’s ban is effective from February 9, 2023 and will run until February 8, 2029.

Henry Azike (Lifetime ban)

Azike is one of two Nigerian athletes currently serving a lifetime ban after testing positive for Metenolone, an anabolic steroid. His case was classified as a second ADRV, automatically triggering a lifetime suspension from the sport.

Azike last competed in 2011, including at the Doha Amir Cup and Nigerian Championships in Calabar.

Vivian Chukwuemeka (Lifetime ban)

Two-time Olympian and African shot put record holder Vivian Chukwuemeka is serving a lifetime ban for a second doping offence after testing positive for Stanozolol at the 2012 National Championships in Calabar.

The 2002 Commonwealth Games champion and multiple-time African gold medallist had previously served a two-year ban following a 2009 positive test. Her personal best of 18.43m remains the African record in women’s shot put.

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Eagles B Players Admit Pressure For CHAN Qualification 

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EAGLES B PLAYERS
Pix: Super Eagles B players at the training session. 

Invited players into the Super Eagles B camp ahead of the rescheduled African Nations Championship tournament are feeling the pressure of selection, three days into their training camp at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, Ogun State.

The eighth CHAN tournament is taking place in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda between August 2 to 20.

Ahead of the tournament, head coach Eric Chelle had invited an initial 35 players to camp and they began training on Monday with 21 players.

Five more players arrived on Tuesday to take the number to 26 while 28 players trained on Wednesday morning with the rest expected before the end of the week.

Captain of the team through the qualifiers, Junior Nduka, spoke about the intensity of the sessions and the jostle to make the final squad.

“Everybody is under pressure but definitely the coaches want the best among the 35 players,” Nduka said.

River United and former Flying Eagles forward, Aniekeme Okon, also admitted the pressure.

“It puts pressure on us, 35 players being invited, everybody is going to give out their best with an expectation of being selected. So we keep pushing.”

Ikorodu City defender, Leonard Ngenge also said, “Obviously, it puts everyone under pressure even myself. But I just need to do my best to be on the coaches’ radar.”

Nigeria, the 2018 runners-up, are in group D of the 19-team tournament, alongside Cup holders Senegal, Sudan and Congo.

The Super Eagles B will play their first two matches of the competition, against Senegal and Sudan, at the Amman Stadium on the island of Zanzibar, before taking on Congo at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Nigeria has never won the tournament, having finished third at the 2014 edition in South Africa before losing the final against hosts Morocco four years later.

 

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