Sports

Wheelchair B’ball Federation Holds Coaching Clinic, March

Published

11 years ago

February 23, 2015

The Nigeria Wheelchair
Basketball Federation is set to organise a two-day coaching clinic.
Captain, National wheelchair basketball team, Mohammed Audu, told newsmen in Lagos that the clinic would hold from March 18 to March 19.
The training programme is tagged “Tope Ogunyemi Wheelchair Basketball Foundation Clinic’’.
He said the clinic will train participants on the skills and rules governing the game.
Audu also said that the two-day clinic would serve as an opportunity for stakeholders in the game to deliberate on a proposed league for the nation.
“We are organising a two-day clinic on wheelchair basketball where participants are expected to come from across the country.
“The federation also wants to use that opportunity to deliberate on the proposed national wheelchair basketball league that can be sued to develop the sport.
“Wheelchair basketball has come to stay in Nigeria because a lot of youths are showing interest in the game.
“We intend to organise a clinic to educate them about the rules and regulation governing the game,’’ Audu said.
According to him, a functional league is important to the development of the sport in the country.
“Hence there is need for a running league in the country even if we have to start with four clubs.
“We have to take off from a point and with time the league can develop and attract sponsors. We just need to give ourselves the opportunity to play and develop.
“We will not wait for sponsors to come before we start the league though to run the league, there is need for sponsorship.
“The federation will continue to do our own thing rather than wait,’’’ he said.
Meanwhile, a wheelchair basketball player, Taiwo Durowoje, has said that players are ready for the exhibition match scheduled for today at the Yaba College of Technology.
Some selected national team players will feature in the exhibition game which will herald the 2015 Rector’s Cup.
“We were happy when we got the invitation to feature in the opening of the Yaba College Technology Rector’s Cup coming up today.
“This is a good development because we hardly get invitation to play in any major competition.
“So, it is an honour to play a friendly match as an exhibition match to commence the football and basketball events of the Rector’s Cup,’’ Taiwo said.
He said the opportunity provided by the exhibition match will help to promote the sport.

Sports

Rivers-born Chess Player Clinches Third Position At World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship

Published

4 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

A veteran Rivers State chess player, Apollos Akomaka, has finished in joint 3rd place at the just-concluded World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship held in Abuja.

Akomaka, who is the director of physiotherapy at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, overcame a shaky start to secure a podium finish in the 11-round rapid event that began on August 2.

The tournament featured top chess players from several countries.

After losing his opening game, the defining moment for Akomaka came between Rounds 7 and 11.

He raised his game and began defeating some of the top-ranked players in the event.

The Rivers-born player ended the championship tied for 3rd place in the U2000 category with 6.5 points out of 11, alongside Cameroon’s national champion, Noumbo Vidal.

His final game was against Vidal, with the Nigerian playing the black pieces.

Vidal opened with a queen’s gambit but quickly transposed into an English opening with a double fianchetto attack.

Akomaka responded sharply with a king’s Indian defense and soon launched a kingside attack from a defensive position.

The pressure paid off, resulting in an immediate material gain, a knight for a rook, and leaving Akomaka with a strong attacking advantage.

Vidal fought hard to avoid mate and managed to steer the game into an endgame, where he found some respect. At that point, the Cameroon champion offered a draw, which Akomaka accepted.

Speaking after the event, Akomaka said that he is resilient and determined after the poor start but happy that he finished on the podium.

He expressed optimism that in subsequent competitions he will make Rivers State proud and Nigeria at large.

Akomaka has won both local and national chess championships in recent times.

He is passionate about chess; besides, he has equally sponsored several national chess tournaments in Nigeria.

The World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship concluded with Akomaka of Rivers State,

Nigeria, battling back from an early loss to end among the top three in his category

Tonye Orabere/Kiadum Edookor

Sports

Team Nigeria Secures Women’s 4x100m, 4x400m Finals at World U20 Championships

Published

4 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

Team Nigeria continued its impressive showing at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, securing places in both the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay finals after strong performances in the heats.

The Nigerian quartet of Becky Ebiyadi, Jecinta Lawrence, Tejiri Praise Ugoh and Faith Ezechukwu booked their place in the women’s 4x400m final after clocking a season’s best of 3:35.28.

Nigeria finished third in the heat behind Italy and Great Britain, doing enough to advance to the final and remain firmly in contention for a medal.

In the women’s 4x100m, Ugoh joined Lucy Nwankwo, Chigozie Nwankwo and Oluebube Ezechukwu as Nigeria produced another season’s best, clocking 43.65 seconds to secure an automatic ticket to the women’s 4x100m final.

The qualification was sealed by a sensational anchor leg from Ezechukwu. Receiving the baton nearly 20 metres behind the United States, the Nigerian launched a determined charge down the home straight, rapidly closing the gap before edging the Americans at the line to claim the third automatic qualifying position.

Nigeria stopped the clock at 43.65 seconds, just 0.02 seconds ahead of the United States, who finished in 43.67 seconds.

The performances mean Nigeria will now contest both women’s relay finals, further strengthening the country’s medal prospects at the championships.

In Saturday’s evening phase of the event, Success Uyibo will compete in the 200m women’s final while the 4x100m compete in the women’s final.

Sports

Poor welfare forced me to dump Delta for Enugu, says world – Nwachukwu

Published

4 days ago

August 10, 2026

The Tide

World Record holder and Commonwealth Games champion, Goodness Nwachukwu, has revealed why she dumped Delta State for Enugu State.

The sudden departure of Nwachukwu, a multiple gold medallist, from Team Delta to the Coal City, Enugu , sparked controversy within the sports family, with officials of Delta State Sports Commission accusing the president of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria, Sunday Odebode, of manipulating the system for the athlete to dump the state.

But Nwachukwu, who broke the World Record to win a gold medal for Team Nigeria in the Women’s Discus F42 event at the just-concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, has cleared the air on the circumstances that led to her movement to Enugu State.

Speaking with The Tidesports source report, shortly after winning the gold medal, Nwachukwu said: “It is not true that anybody aided my movement from Delta State to Enugu. Rather, it was Delta State that forced me to leave because of poor remuneration.