Sports

AFN To Open Season With All-Comers Championships

Published

15 years ago

January 21, 2011

The 2011 Nigerian athletics season will begin with the National All Comers Championships next month, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) announced on Wednesday in Abuja.

The championships, which are in three editions, are the first on the list of major athletics events the federation has planned for the year.

According to AFN’s calendar of activities, the first edition of the All-Comers championships will hold from February 18 to February 19 in Ibadan, after the affiliation and registration of clubs, states and teams this month.

A copy of the calendar made available to Tidesports also shows that a 10km/5km road race is also scheduled for February, on a date and venue yet to be decided, while seven events have been lined up for March.

The second and third editions of the All-Comers Championships are to hold from March 4 to March 5 in Lagos and from March 18 to March 19 in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

AFN is also planning to send a team to the first African Cross-Country Championships scheduled for March 6 in Cape Town, South Africa.

Two 5km road races are also planned for the month on dates and venues yet to be fixed, while AFN is proposing a team to the 39th IAAF World Cross-Country Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain, on March 20.

According to the calendar, March 25 and March 26 will witness the Pastor D.K. Olukoya Under-16 and Under-18 National Trials at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos.

Four activities have been planned for April, including the Chief of Naval Staff/AFN Golden League scheduled for Abuja from April 15 to April 16, and the CAA Region II Junior Championships.

The junior championships, which are continental events, are to hold from April 27 to April 30 at a venue to be decided later by the AFN.

In May, two of AFN’s four activities include two editions of the AFN Golden League, with the one named after Bishop David Oyedepo will hold from May 6 to May 7 in Kaduna.

The other one named after Pastor Enoch Adeboye will hold in Warri from May 20 to May 21, while the federation will send a team to the African Youth Championships in Gaborone, Botswana, scheduled for May 12 to May 15.

The leagues will culminate in the Final Golden League from June 3 to June 4 at a venue to be picked later, with the annual Mobil championships holding in Calabar.

The event, which has been renamed the Nigeria/Cross River/NNPC/ExxonMobil Track and Field Championships, will hold from June 23 to June 27.

Similarly, the 5th Abuja CAA Grand Prix will hold on July 2, while upcoming Nigerian athletes will take part in the National Sports Festival scheduled for Port Harcourt from June 29 to July 9.

The AFN is, however, looking into the possibility of sending some Nigerian athletes to the 7th IAAF World Youth Championships scheduled for Lille, France, from July 6 to July 10.

Preparations will thereafter commence for the 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics scheduled for Daegu, South Korea, from August 27 to September 4.

According to the calendar, the 10th All-Africa Games will hold from Sept. 3 to Sept. 18 in Maputo, Mozambique, and the Commonwealth Youth Games from Sept. 7 to Sept. 13 at the Isle of Man, a former British colony.

Those preparations, as well as attendance of the World Mountain Running Championships and Congress in Albania from September 8 to September 12, will thus keep the AFN busy later in July and August.

The National Obudu Mountain Race is to hold in Cross River on Oct. 8, ahead of the 7th Obudu International Mountain Race and 3rd African Challenge at the same venue on November 26.

The Lagos Marathon, of which no date has been fixed, will round off the country’s athletics programme for the year in December.

Sports

AllStars Club Renovates Tennis Court… Appeal to Stop Misuse

Published

6 days ago

December 12, 2025

The Tide

Port Harcourt AllStars Tennis Club, old Port Harcourt township, has renovated and commissioned its training court at Niger/Bende Street, No.5 field popularly known as Information centre, in Port Harcourt.

The court was officially declared opened by Commander Abdul Qadir Yumusa (rtd), President of Police Tennis Club, after it undergone total renovation.

Speaking at the occasion, the President of Port Harcourt AllStars Tennis Club, Engr. Ifiesimama Omineokuma, decried the intentional misused of the sports facilities which Rivers State Government built for the purpose of grassroots sports development.

According to him, the centre which accommodates two tennis courts and one volleyball court has become burial and wedding centres on weekly basis thereby obstructing sports activities.

“The Exco of the club normally renovate and maintain these facilities because most times we organise grassroots tennis programme for primary and secondary school children in the State.

“No doubt we have discovered some talents through our programmes but it is disheartened to note that most times when we come, we can’t access the tennis courts following wedding, burial programmes etc.

“Consequently, we are appealing to the appropriate authorities to regulate these activities on sporting facilities, as the club has taken the responsibility to maintain the facilities, hence we are equally using it to train”, Engr. Omineokuma said.

He advised members of the tennis club to conduct themselves very well anytime they come for training.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

New W.White Cup: GSS Elekahia Emerged Champions

Published

6 days ago

December 12, 2025

The Tide

Government Secondary School ( GSS) Elekahia has won the second edition of the New W.W. White all Secondary schools football competition in Rivers State, sponsored by Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The Elekahia boys (players) thrashed one of the highly rated teams in the competition Government Secondary School Rebisi 4-1 to emerged champions.

The final encounter which took place at Sharks Football Club Stadium, in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, was well attended by some important dignitaries in the State, including the Managing Director of NDDC Dr. Samuel Ogbuku.

Speaking at the event Dr. Ogbuku, assured that NDDC will continue to engage youths in region meaningfully and support school activities, arts and culture, including music, saying that talents discovery is not limited to only sports alone.

According to him NDDC provided this platform to showcase their talents and become valuable to themselves and society.

“I want to assure you that NDDC will always support such events, school activities, not only W.W.White cup, we are also supporting secondary schools in the region, in the area of arts culture, including music because talent is not limited to only sports”, Dr. Ugbuku said.

He advised teams that lost to go back to the drawing board, know the reasons why they lost and improve, and those that won should equally work hard to defend their trophy in next edition, saying that sports is a healthy competition, it is not for bitterness.

” For me all the teams that participated are all winners, sports is healthy competition, it is not for bitterness. We will keep on engaging youths so that we discover new talents”, he stated.

At the end of the event winners, GSS Elekahia goes home with the sum of N2.5M, while second place GSS Risbisi pocketed the sum of N1.75 , as third place Pabod model Secondary School also goes home with the sum of N1.25M as they beat Government Secondary School Azuabie 1-0.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Players Battle For Honours At PH International Polo Tourney

Published

6 days ago

December 12, 2025

The Tide

Players from within and outside Nigeria will from January 11-17, 2026 gather in Rivers State for the 2026 NPA Port Harcourt International Polo Tournament with the theme: “United By The Game.”

Among the trophies to be contested for are Rowland Cookey-Gam, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, King T.J.T Princewill, T.Y Danjuma, Armed Forces Remembrance, President and Governor cups, in addition to a special memorial cup in honour of late former president of the club, Rowland Cookey-Gam.

The President of Port Harcourt Polo Club, Prince Henry Agbodjan, at a media briefing, stated that this year’s edition seeks to deepen unity and inclusiveness.

According to him, “Like the theme of this year’s tournament said, it’s united by the game. So for us as polo club, it’s a diverse group of people. Polo in itself is played in very diverse manners, and we believe in diversity, equity, and inclusiveness as well. So for us both, male and female, no matter where you come from, we are in a united front to ensure that next year’s tournament will be a major success.

“And if you see again clearly, as part of preparations for this tournament, we have one of our own who we lost 20 years ago in a plane crash. Rowland Cookey-Gam and you can see him clearly in the part of the emblem for this year’s tournament. So, we’re going to use this tournament to eulogize him, remember him, and of course, appreciate his work for polo within the Harcourt Polo Club and polo in general around the world.”

Agbodjan noted that the club was able to achieve its goals during the last tournament, especially in the area of catching them young and taking polo to the grassroots, adding “So we commenced our Catch Get Young program and it was very well received by the public and are going to intensify the program.”

“And we hope that this whole thing will yield the right dividends in the next four to five years where we see great polo players all from Port Harcourt and the Niger Delta at large, contesting and competing against the best in the country and of course around the world as well,” he stressed.

He commended the Rivers State Government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), alongside other private and corporate sponsors for their continued support to the club over the years, whilst assuring that the flagship polo tournament in the country would continue to draw people from all walks of life.

The club president assured of adequate security before, during and after the tournament, as well as entertainment that will feature varieties of local and national artistes, among others.

Also speaking, the captain of Port Harcourt Polo Club, Dr. Ikenna Nebolisa disclosed that players from Iran, Mexico, England, Argentina, among others would be participating at the tourney, in addition to entries from Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Jos.