Sports
World Relays: Chinese Embassy replies ‘inconsistent’ AFN
The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria on Saturday responded to reports concerning the withdrawal of Nigerian athletes from the 2025 World Relays in Guangzhou, China, fingering the Athletics Federation of Nigeria for muddying the facts about the visa processing timelines, Tidesports source reports.
AFN announced Nigeria’s withdrawal from the World Championship-qualifying event on Friday, citing visa delays by Chinese authorities as the reason for their decision.
This marks the second time Team Nigeria will be affected by visa issues for a major championship this year. The country had only one athlete at the World Indoors which was also held in China in March.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the Chinese Embassy expressed regret over the athletes’ absence but maintained that it had acted promptly and efficiently upon receiving a request for assistance from the National Sports Commission.
“On April 24, the Embassy received a letter from the National Sports Commission of Nigeria (dated 22 April) requesting assistance in processing visas for Nigerian athletes to participate in the event in China.
“The Embassy immediately communicated with the Commission and guided it to prepare the relevant materials to expedite the visa application.
On May 6, the China Visa Application Centre received the relevant application materials submitted by the Nigerian athletes. The Embassy immediately activated the expedited procedure, provided the utmost assistance to the Nigerian applicants, and completed the visa issuance on May 8,” the statement said.
The AFN in their statement on Friday had accused the Chinese authorities of frustrating their visa applications, but the Embassy insisted that the athletics body was economical with the truth.
“The Embassy of China in Nigeria has always actively supported people-to-people and sports cooperation between the two countries, repeatedly expressed its welcome for Nigerian athletes to participate in events in China, and consistently assisted Nigerian citizens in visa applications in an efficient and professional manner.
“It should be noted as well that visa issuance is a matter of national sovereignty, and all foreign embassies require applicants to provide the corresponding documents and materials, as well as allow sufficient time for the application process.
“We regret that the Nigerian athletes were unable to participate in the event in China this time, but the statement issued by the AFN is clearly inconsistent with the facts.”
Sports
SWAN Rivers Set-up Five Functional Committees
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria ( SWAN) Rivers State Chapter has set up five standing working committees on Tuesday, in its general congress.
Sports
‘NTF Will Build On Davis Cup Success For Brighter Future’
At the playoff held at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, the team of Canice Abua, Michael Emmanuel, Daniel Adeleye, and Abubakar Yusuf was majestic as they restored Nigeria’s hope in a sport that once gave the country so much joy.
Speaking after the final game, Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) President, Victor Ochei, said the Davis Cup feat is the stepping stone to better days in the sport, adding that the federation has set up programmes that will help the budding talents across the country play at the same level as their counterparts in other tennis-developed countries.
Ochei said: “The whole aim of having this new board is to lift the sport to the level we used to be. I tell you, tennis is taking a new shape in Nigeria. We are putting everything and anything to make that work happen.”
Ochei said that the NTF has looked at sponsorships and how to get the emerging players compete at the same level with their peers elsewhere, adding that the federation is working on organising local competitions and helping the players to compete in international championships.
“We believe that with what we are doing now, sponsors will come to us to organise new competitions. But beyond that, there’s a strategic growth development plan, a 10-year development plan, which the board is working on.
“The programme will ensure that we catch them young. This is because we believe that to create champions, we must start grooming them early. The champions you are seeing today were those groomed yesterday.”
“The process of building new champions will include building the coaches, the players, the infrastructure and sensitising the parents so that we can start catching them as young as age five to six.
“By the time that we groom them through 10 years of training, at age 15, 16, you will see fantastic professional players.”
To achieve the federation’s plans, Ochei admits that the NTF needs a lot of investment, adding that the board is working at realising the funds quietly and tenaciously.
The NTF president acknowledged the contributions of former international stars like Nduka Odizor and Sadiq Abdullahi to the bid to rejuvenate Nigerian tennis, adding that NTF is open to collaborating with former players who know what it takes to play at the highest level of the sport.
He said, “Nduka Odizor is around as one of our VIP personalities. He has been psyching up the boys in the battle with Uzbekistan. He will not enter the court to play, but his mere presence is enough motivation to the boys, who will want to be like him in the future.
“You see, the type of support the Odizors, the Imonities and the Abdullahis got in their time is no longer there, but we are revamping it with the support of our stakeholders in the Diaspora.
“It will appear to take us some time, but I can tell you that the Diaspora support is massive.”
Sports
NSC Disburses N200m Training Grants To 26 Athletes
In its bid to get good results in this year’s Commonwealth Games, the National Sports Commission (NSC) has disbursed N200 million as training grants to 26 athletes.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow, Scotland.
The NSC stated that the grants were disbursed through its Elite and Podium Board, noting that N200 million was allocated to select top-performing athletes.
The beneficiaries are both foreign-based and home-based, the NSC said, adding that it will cater for their training and preparation expenses.
According to the NSC, the recipients span several sports, including athletics, wrestling, weightlifting, and para-sports, in line with the Commission’s mandate to prioritise athletes’ welfare and high-performance development.
The Commission added that the disbursement follows the establishment of the Elite and Podium Board, created to implement a scientific and institutionalised support system aimed at sustaining peak performances by Nigerian athletes at major international competitions.
NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, said the Commission, under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was established to restore confidence and provide renewed hope for Nigerian sportsmen and women by placing strong emphasis on athlete welfare.
“The training grants disbursed to 26 athletes across different sports followed a careful and professional selection process by the Yusuf Ali-led Elite and Podium Board. This is our way of reassuring our athletes that their welfare remains our utmost priority,” he said.
-
Politics1 day agoAPC Releases Adjusted Timetable For Nationwide Congresses, Convention
-
Sports5 days agoHammers Beat Burnley To Boost Survival Chances
-
Business1 day agoCustoms Seek Support To Curb Smuggling In Ogun
-
News1 day ago
Police Bust Kidnapping Syndicate In PH
-
Sports1 day ago
DG NIS Wants NSC Board Constituted, Seeks Increased In Funding
-
Sports1 day ago
Falcon Players Prepare For Title Defense
-
Sports1 day ago
NSC Disburses N200m Training Grants To 26 Athletes
-
Sports1 day ago
NFF Await World Cup Fate Ahead Play-Offs
