Sports

AWC: Nigeria’s Female Wrestlers Win 10 Medals

Published

9 years ago

February 9, 2018

The Nigeria’s female wrestlers have begun to prove their dominance in wrestling, having won 10 medals at the ongoing Africa Wrestling Championships holding at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Sports Complex, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
Each of the 10 wrestlers, who represented the country in the cadet freestyle, won a medal in this category which ended late on Wednesday night.
The wrestlers clinched five gold, one silver and four bronze medals.
The gold medalists are: Yetunde Olatunji (40kg), Christian Ogunsanya (46kg), Mercy Adekuoroye (53kg), Simisola Olatunji (65kg) and Cecilia James (68kg).
The only silver medalist was Natasha Essien (73kg) while Esther Asaolu (43kg), Aina Ohida (49kg), Jumoke Adekoye (57kg) and Esther Kolawole (61kg) clinched bronze medals.
Team Nigeria Female Coach at the competition, Purity Akuh, said that this record tells a lot about Nigeria and the Nigeria’s Wrestling Federation.
Akuh told Tidesports source that it showed that they were putting so much effort into training and that it was producing good wrestlers.
“This result shows that we are on the right course and we will keep striving to record more success.
“The Youth Olympic Game is coming up later this year and this championship is also a qualifier to it.
“In this championship, our athletes took part in four of the weight categories that will be featured at the Youth Olympic Games,” Akuh said.
He added that prior to the championships he was thinking that each of all the 10 wrestlers would win a gold medal.
“With my assessment of them, I had boasted of 10 gold medals. I’m very sure what affected them all is lack of exposure.
“This championship is actually their debut at international competition. With more exposures, they are all good to go and will conquer at future competitions,” he said.
NAN reports that the championship with contingents from 16 countries participating in different events will end on Feb. 11.
The countries are: Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Namibia, Kenya, Burundi, Senegal, Ghana, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Central Africa Republic (CAR), Madagascar and the host, Nigeria.
Also, contingents from some other countries were still being expected at the championship.
NAN also reports that 90 wrestlers, comprising males and females are representing Nigeria at the championship.

Sports

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

Published

5 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

5 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

5 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.