Sports
Football Academy trains Over 100 children in Lagos
The seven-week program kicked off with a novelty match on June 21 and concluded with a vibrant championship match on July 26.
It offered structured football training and life mentorship to boys and girls from community-based teams, including participants from the Kids-Off-The-Street Shelter, the Jakande community, Lekki Soccer Academy and The Destiny Trust Foundation.
Throughout the program, participants engaged in weekly technical drills, team-building exercises, and competitive matches, while also receiving mentorship focused on leadership, discipline, and teamwork.
Programe coordinator at Pistis Foundation, Saheed Adenwkan said, “Beyond the matches and goals, our goal is transformation. These kids now see themselves as more than their backgrounds—they see possibilities.
The championship match marked the culmination of the intensive training in ball control, tactical play, fitness, and shooting.
In a thrilling final, Jakande FC Boys clinched the U-13 male trophy, while the KOTS Ladies emerged champions in the female U-13 category.
Executive Director at Pistis Foundation, Leonard Thomas, stressed their commitment to sustainable solutions.
“The Wings Academy Football Programme reflects our commitment to community transformation through youth development.
“With the support of our partners and volunteers, we’ve built more than a program—we’ve sparked dreams.”
Adequate funding is vital for Athletics to prevent the escalating trend of Nigerian athletes seeking citizenship in other countries for greater opportunities.
This call was made during a press conference addressed by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) President, Chief Tonobok Okowa, after Day 1 of the All Nigeria Athletics Trials at Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex on Friday.
In his address, Okowa made a passionate appeal to the Nigerian business community and the federal government, stressing the need for urgent funding to support Athletics and enable Nigerian athletes to remain in the country rather than seeking funding abroad for training and participation in sports
According to Okowa, Nigeria’s Athletics requires more funding for training, traveling, Welfare, sports participation and competitions both in the country and abroad.
The AFN president in particular mentioned top female athlete Favour Ofili who is seeking Turkey’s Nationality following her inability to get funds, ” Favour Ofili is almost gone, and more athletes are about to seek other nations nationality and the drift should stop through adequate funding for Athletics by the sponsors and the Federal government.
Regarding the performance of top Nigerian athletes at the ongoing All Nigeria Athletics Trials, Okowa stated that the athletes are doing well, especially the female athletes, and emphasized that the male athletes are also performing impressively.
He noted that the male athletes are achieving remarkable times at the trials. He said his goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s Relay Teams qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan in September.
He stressed that additional funding is necessary to achieve this, but assured that Nigeria’s relay teams are expected to qualify.
The AFN president thanked Arise News, Premium Trust Bank, and the National Sports Commission (NSC) for providing financial support for the All Nigeria Athletics Trials in Lagos, and urged well-meaning and sports-loving Nigerians to support athletics and athletes in Nigeria. Okowa addressed the media flanked by the AFN Technical Director Gabriel Okon, two top athletes, and Kola Aderibigbe, the federation’s honorary board member.
Nigeria’s sprinting scene witnessed a dramatic shake-up yesterday of the 2025 National Athletics Trials at Yaba College of Technology, as Israel Okon stormed to victory in the men’s 100 metres final with a blazing time of 10.04 seconds.
Okon edged past Alaba Akintola, who clocked 10.05 seconds, while Adekalu Fakorede finished third in 10.07 seconds. The final was fiercely contested, with just 0.16 seconds separating the top seven sprinters. Seye Ogunlewe (10.09), Olaolu Olatunde (10.15), James Taiwo Emmanuel (10.16), and Enoch Adegoke (10.20) rounded out the lineup in what was one of the most competitive 100m finals in recent national trials history.
An elated Okon, who is popularly known as “Aleka” by his fans, expressed pride in his performance. “I’m very happy right now to be the national champion,” he said shortly after the race.
“I think this is my second time winning a national title, I won the 200m last year, but this is my first 100m title, so it means a lot.”
When asked about the possibility of representing Nigeria at the upcoming World Championships in Tokyo, Okon remained cautiously optimistic. “It depends on my teammates and whatever decisions the government takes,” he said. “But I believe anything is possible.”
Looking ahead, Okon credited his coach, Ken, for his development and said his focus now is on preparation. “Coach Ken trains me a lot, and I’m confident I’ll be ready for Tokyo.”
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria on Saturday officially confirmed that the men’s 4x100m relay team will make a qualification push during the ongoing National Trials at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.
This effort comes after Jamaica’s blistering 37.80s performance at the London Diamond League catapulted them into 15th place in the World Athletics relay rankings, pushing Nigeria out of the final qualification slot.
The Netherlands also edged Nigeria out, taking the 16th and final qualifying spot with their 37.87s run at the 2025 European Championships in Madrid in June.
Nigeria had previously held 16th place with the 38.20s time recorded at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but now must improve on that performance before the qualification window closes.
Speaking during a press briefing on Friday, AFN president Tonobok Okowa admitted that Nigeria’s absence from the World Relays in China earlier this year has left the country playing catch-up.
“We were not able to attend the World Relays in China, so because of that, none of our relay teams have qualified,” Okowa said.
The men’s 4x100m team had qualified in the past, but Jamaica just earned their spot and knocked us out of the top 16 countries. That has left us with a serious problem.”
Despite the challenge, Okowa said there is renewed optimism among the athletes in Lagos, with all eight finalists from the men’s 100m event registered to compete in the relay trials.
They include Israel Okon, Alaba Akintola, Adekalu Fakorede, Seye Ogunlewe, Olaolu Olatunde, James Emmanuel, Enoch Adegoke, and ThankGod Igube.
These athletes will be split into two teams to compete in a timed relay event that could determine Nigeria’s Tokyo 2025 fate.
“A lot of our sprinters, 100m and 200m specialists, are determined to beat the time we currently have. We also have very fast 400m runners in the country.”
I can tell you that they are all here and eager to do the nation proud,” Okowa added. “Nobody knows what will happen, but the athletes are in high spirits and ready to bring Nigeria back into the relay picture.”
The AFN president also confirmed that Ghana’s relay teams, both the 4x100m and 4x400m men’s squads, arrived in Nigeria for the event, and Saturday PUNCH confirmed they were present at the trials on Saturday to observe proceedings.
“We will see what our boys can do to qualify,” Okowa said.
“But even if we don’t succeed here, there’s still another window. The CAA Region II Championships, which will hold from August 13 to 17 in Ghana, offer another opportunity. That meet, involving West African nations, is expected to be very competitive.”
To book their place at the World Championships in September, the Nigerian team will likely need to better the 38.20s mark currently sitting on the edge of the rankings, and possibly aim for a sub-38s performance, surpassing the national record of 37.94s set in Athens in 1997.
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