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I won’t bow to blackmail – Commission Chairman 

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Chairman of Delta State Sports Commission, Onoriode Oborevwori, says he won’t bow to any form of blackmail in the discharge of his duty.

Oborevwori, who spoke with Tidesports source on Friday, alleged that some coaches were being used by a former chairman of the Commission to cause disunity among the athletes and management staff in the build up to the 2026 National Sports Festival in Enugu.

His claim followed allegations that he was involved in a physical assault of a Kickboxing coach, Steve Momah, over a reimbursement of money.

Oborevwori said: “Some people are bent on tarnishing my image by circulating false story that I beat up coach Momah in my office. In the first place, where do I have the energy to beat up a kickboxing coach? It is mere blackmail, and I won’t bow to it.”

Narrating what transpired between he and coach Momoh, Oborevwo said: “I led Delta Sports contingent to the last National Sports Festival, which we won in Abeokuta. Shortly after the Games ended, I left for Portugal for an international assignment. While I was waiting to catch my flight in Lagos, I got a call from the Acting Director General that there was the need to hire more buses to take all the athletes to Asaba at once. I gave the approval and everyone left for Asaba happily. I returned from Portugal a few days later to pursue the monetary reward for our athletes and officials, which they got. The festival in Abeokuta took place more than 10 months ago.

It became so intense, and I waded in. Momoh did not stop, rather, he started insulting me, calling me all sorts of bad names. I was confused because as far as I am concerned, everything concerning transportation and payment of allowances for the Gateway Games was sorted out over 10 months ago.

“I called the Chief Security Officer (CSO), telling him that a coach wants to beat me up in my office. The CSO immediately contacted the police. But before the police arrived in my office, Momoh had apologized to us, pleading for forgiveness. When the police eventually came, I told them that the man is my staff, and that he had apologised. The matter ended, and I left the office to attend to some other issues. I was shocked to see messages being circulated that I beat up the kickboxing coach in my office. That is not true. These are cheap blackmail, and I see the hand of a former chairman of the Sports Commission in all these. He has been looking for a way to pull me down. I won’t fall to it. We are one united family, and I won’t allow anyone to cause division in our midst, particularly now that we have three major events before us,” Oborevwori stated.

Meanwhile, the kickboxing coach, Momoh, has petitioned multiple government authorities, alleging that he was beaten and threatened by Oborevwori in his office in Asaba.

According a letter made available to The Guardian, Momoh claimed the incident occurred on March 10, 2026.

He said that he visited the chairman’s office to demand repayment of personal funds he spent during the 2025 Ogun State Sports Festival.

In the petition signed by his legal counsel, Mr. K.C. Chibo of Watchers Chamber, Momah alleged that the situation degenerated into violence, adding that the chairman “resorted to beating and rough handling” him.

“One of the chairman’s personal aides, called “ONE BELLE,” also assaulted me in the process,” Momoh stated.

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Football Pundit Lauds Chelle’s Effort In Monitoring Nigeria League Players

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A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.

Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.

“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”

He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.

“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”

“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.

“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.

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LGA Boss Pledges To Reintroduce School Sports 

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The chairman of the Khana Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, Bariere Thomas, has revealed that plans are underway to commence school sports at the primary and secondary school levels in the area.
According to him, school sports that were primarily used to discover young talents had become a thing of the past, adding that one of the ways to discover young talents is to organize programs that will expose talents at the grassroots level.
Thomas said this on Saturday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after a novelty football match between Khana All-Stars and council appointees.
The match was held to mark the birthday of Felix Ibor, the Supervisor for Education in Khana LGA, at the Bori Police Station field.
The LGA boss reiterated that organizing competitive sporting events in primary and secondary schools is one of the best ways to bring out the best in young people and help to achieve their potential.
“What we are doing in the Khana Local Government Area is to consolidate on the sports we know, which are wrestling, cycling, football, and others,” he said.
He added that he is concerned about the competitive nature of wrestling on the global stage; at Khana LGA, for instance, they are focusing on how to consolidate the sports they know more about.
Thomas described Felix Ibor as an academic whom he has known and worked with since before he became LGA chairman.
He commended both teams for the novelty match, saying that it was held to celebrate Ibor’s birthday.
Ibor thanked the chairman and both teams for celebrating with him, and he prayed that God would also bless them.
Meanwhile, Ibor also presented a set of Jessy to the chairman for the council team.
Kiadum Edookor
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Ezechukwu Eyes Double Gold In African Champs

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Teenage Nigerian sprinter Miracle Ezechukwu has set her sights on winning both the 100m and 4x100m relay titles at the 24th African Athletics Championships in Accra, while also targeting a new personal best in the process, Tidesports source.

Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.

The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.

“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.

“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.

Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.

She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.

“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.

The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.

Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.

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