Sports
Makinde Fulfills Land Promise To Shooting Stars Players
The Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has approved the long-promised allocation of land to the 1998 victorious squad of Shooting Stars of Ibadan players and officials.
The gesture, which fulfilled a 26-year-old pledge made by the then Military Administrator of the State, Compol Amen Oyakhire, is a reward for 3SC’s historic double in 1998, when the team won both the Nigeria Premier League and the WAFU Cup — a sub-regional club tournament for clubs in the West African lands.
As part of the reward announced in 1998, each player and official was to receive ?1 million and a plot of land. While the cash reward was disbursed, successive administrations failed to implement the land allocation — until now.
Governor Makinde’s intervention has been widely applauded by the club’s former players, officials, and fans. Speaking on behalf of the 1998 squad, former club secretary Akin Maxwell described the governor’s gesture as “a sign of leadership driven by justice, integrity, and human compassion.”
“Engr. Makinde has put smiles on the faces of these heroes who made Oyo State and Nigeria proud. His commitment to redressing past injustices has set him apart from his predecessors,” he said.
The 1998 team, led by the late chairman Bode Oyewole and coach Jossy Ladipo, included a mix of home-grown and foreign talents who now stand as proud beneficiaries of the governor’s approval. Among them are:
1. Sunday Adu (Captain), Andrew Aikhomogbe, Shanka Ugwah, Eric Ejiofor, Late Dimeji Adenekan, Niyi Elegbede, Samuel Yamta, John Benson, Leye Akinde, Late Mojeed Azeez, Late Pius Daniel, Rafiu Salaudeen, Bauldwin Bazuaye, Golden Ajeboh.
Others are: Sunday Ilevbare, Allen Njoh Njoh, Peter Obanor, Ochuko Otos, Shobayo Adesina, Kazeem Tijani, Kola Ademola, Friday Christopher, Late Jossy Ladipo (Coach), Late Bode Oyewole (Chairman), and Barr. Owolabi Salami
The lands are expected to be formally allocated with Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) issued by the Oyo State Ministry of Lands and Urban Development in the coming weeks.
This decision reaffirms Governor Makinde’s commitment to honouring those who have contributed significantly to the growth and pride of the state, particularly in the area of sports.
It’s no retreat, no surrender for Team Nasarawa as a 154-man contingent has landed in Ilorin, Kwara State, for the North Central Zonal Eliminations of the 9th National Youth Games.
The delegation, made up of athletes, coaches, sports secretaries, medical and media crew, security operatives, and top officials, left Lafia on Saturday and touched down in Ilorin with high hopes of conquering their zone.
Team Nasarawa will slug it out in five major sports—football, basketball, handball, volleyball, and hockey—against rivals from Kwara, Benue, Kogi, Plateau, Niger, and the FCT. The qualifiers are held from August 16 to 18, 2025, at the Kwara State Stadium, with the team departing on the 19th.
Director of Sports Organising, Nasarawa State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Mallam Ubah Musa, who is leading the delegation, said the team is fired up to make the state proud.
“Our boys and girls are ready. They know what is at stake, and they will give everything to qualify for Asaba. The expectations are high from our governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, and from the good people of Nasarawa State. We won’t disappoint,” Musa assured.
Winners from the zonal eliminations will fly the North Central flag at the National Youth Games proper, scheduled for August 26 to September 6 in Asaba, Delta State. All 36 states and the FCT will compete.
Since its inception in 2013, Team Nasarawa has never missed an edition of the Games, and this year, they say it’s “all or nothing.”
Nigeria has stepped up its push to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games with a high-level meeting in London between officials of the National Sports Commission, the Nigeria Olympic Committee, and the Commonwealth Games Federation.
According to a press statement made available to Sunday PUNCH, the delegation, led by NSC Chairman Shehu Dikko, met CGF executives to discuss Nigeria’s expression of interest, submitted earlier this year, and to review the next stage of the bidding process.
The team also included NSC Director-General Bukola Olapade, NOC President and International Olympic Committee executive member Habu Gumel, NOC Vice-President Solomon Ogba, and Secretary-General Tunde Popola, alongside technical experts and advisors.
Talks in London centred on the country’s objectives for staging the Games, as well as requirements for the final bid.
According to the NSC, issues discussed included the Code of Conduct for candidate cities, communication protocols, timelines, and the expectations of the federation.
The CGF has recently introduced new measures aimed at making the event more sustainable and affordable for hosts. Nigerian officials said the meeting was an opportunity to align the country’s vision with those reforms.
Highlighting the domestic context, the NSC said the delegation presented the reforms underway in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu, which places hosting major sporting events at the centre of national economic and cultural development.
“The NSC believes hosting the Commonwealth Games will deliver immense value to Nigeria,” the commission said, stressing that the event would contribute to wealth creation “across sports, diplomacy, economy, culture, and social development.”
Nigeria is now expected to prepare its final submission before the August 31 deadline.
Officials said the document would be forwarded subject to presidential approval, with the CGF scheduled to announce its decision before the end of the year.
Nigeria’s D’Tigers will look to seal a perfect group-stage record when they face Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in their final Group B clash at the 2025 FIBA AfroBasket on Sunday in Luanda, The Tidesports source reports.
The game at the Pavilhao Multiusos de Luanda tips off at 5:30pm Nigerian time, with victory guaranteeing Nigeria top spot and direct passage to the quarter-finals on August 20 and defeat leaving them vulnerable to dropping into the qualification placement round a day earlier.
The D’Tigers have opened their campaign in style, brushing aside hosts Angola before overpowering reigning champions Tunisia 87-66 on Friday.
Josh Okogie was the star against Tunisia, pouring in 33 points to continue his standout tournament form.
Nigeria and Cameroon have faced off three times in AfroBasket competition since 2009, with the D’Tigers leading the head-to-head 2-1.
Their most recent meeting came in the 2017 quarter-finals, when Nigeria triumphed 106-91.
Cameroon, however, arrive in Luanda with their own ambitions. The Lions have averaged 83 points per game at the tournament so far and lead Nigeria in both rebounds (46 to 42.5) and assists (18 to 15), which underlines their capacity to test the West Africans.
A win would hand Nigeria valuable rest days before the quarter-finals, while also reinforcing their credentials as title contenders in Angola. For Cameroon, toppling the D’Tigers would not only earn first place in Group B but also provide a psychological boost ahead of the knockout stages.
Nigeria forward Devine Eke expressed delight after the team’s latest victory, but maintained that the players are keeping their focus on the bigger prize. He stressed that while the result was important, the ultimate goal is to win the championship.
Eke highlighted how the D’Tigers stuck to instructions and worked as a unit, crediting the collective effort for the team’s strong display. He pointed out that every player embraced their responsibility, which made the difference in securing the win.
“We feel good about the win. The job is not done, but I feel we can win this whole thing. We feel really good. We executed well. We followed our coach’s game plan. Everyone played their role, and if everyone continues to do that, anything is possible,” Eke said.
The 31st edition of AfroBasket, hosted by Angola for the fourth time, runs until August 24. Nigeria last won the competition in 2015, and after a strong start, belief is growing that they can mount another championship run.
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