Sports
Company To Spend N500m On Polo Club’s House
The Chairman, Lubrik Construction Co. (LCC) Ltd. Nasiru Dano, has said that the company will soon embark on the construction of a befitting N500 million ultramodern club house for the Guards Polo Club (GPC), Abuja, as part of its commitment to give back to the society.
The project, according to Dano, who also doubles as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Nigerian Army Polo Association (NAPA) said the gesture was part of LCC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and commitment to continue to support the Nigerian Army.
“Beyond the Guards Polo Club in Abuja, we have also supported almost six or seven different polo clubs in the country.
“So, we are looking at between 8 -12 months to complete the building and finishing of a world class club house here at the Guards polo club,” he said.
Tidesports source reports that the ground breaking ceremony for the proposed club house was held on the side lines of the ongoing Nigeria National Carnival Polo tournament at the club yesterday.
Maj. Gen. Haruna Momoh, the Deputy Chief of Policy and Plans/Director Staff duties at the Nigerian Army Headquarters, who represented the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt Gen Tukur Buratai and performed the ceremony, described the project as ‘a legacy that will stand the test of time.’
Momoh expressed gratitude to LCC for their support and commitment, saying, “On behalf of the COAS, officers and men of the Nigerian Army, I want to thank LCC most graciously for choosing to embark on this great project.
“This indeed is a legacy that will remain in our memory for a long time to come. We look forward to the manifestation of greater things and partnerships in the years ahead,” he said.
Chairman of Guards Polo Club, Amb. Sani Bala expressed gratitude to the company, saying that it was a great milestone for the club.
“We are very delighted that the appeals we have been making to well-meaning Nigerians and corporate bodies alike to support the game of polo are yielding fantastic results.
“LCC is coming with a lot of groups, companies and banks to build this wonderful club house. It is indeed going to be one of its kind in the country and we are really very happy’’, Bala said.
The chairman also revealed that plans were underway to bring about more developments in the club within the shortest possible time.
“There are a lot of developments coming through. In addition to the new club house, we intend to have at least one or two more polo pitches so as not to put too much pressure on the existing one.
“This is something that is going to happen with the collaboration and assistance of the NAPA.
“We are very grateful to Gen. M.S. Aliyu who has been giving the push for the Nigerian Army to really participate fully in the game of polo,” he said.
According to the chairman, there would be other recreational and sporting facilities in the club, such as squash and tennis courts, as well as a playing area for kids and a polo school to teach young players and organise a lot of other grassroots programmes.
“The game of polo requires skill and horsemanship and, therefore, one must have drive and passion to learn the basic rules and rudiments of the sport,” he said.
Only Denmark, ranked 21st globally, sits higher among nations that failed to qualify for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England and Chelsea legend John Terry was among those to voice his disappointment, describing Nigeria as a significant loss to a tournament that features 48 nations for the first time.
“Nigeria will be a big miss. This is a World Cup for participants who haven’t had the opportunity to play in the tournament. I would have loved to see a top team like Nigeria there because they’ve got some great individuals. They’re a great nation,” Terry said during a virtual roundtable session organised by SuperSport.
“I think they are a big miss because Nigeria probably would have gone further in the competition, but unfortunately, one side’s loss is another’s gain,” the former England captain added.
Eric Chelle’s side finished second in Group C of the CAF World Cup qualifiers behind South Africa, who secured automatic qualification. Nigeria kept their hopes alive with a playoff semi-final victory over Gabon before falling to the Democratic Republic of Congo on penalties in the decisive playoff final — their second successive absence from the World Cup after also missing the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
The Nigeria Football Federation later challenged DR Congo’s qualification, alleging the use of ineligible players during the campaign, but the appeal was dismissed.
Despite missing the World Cup, the Super Eagles remain Africa’s 3rd highest-ranked team behind Morocco, who sit seventh in the world, and Senegal. Algeria and Egypt complete the continent’s top five.
Defending champions Argentina enter the tournament as the world’s top-ranked side, ahead of Spain, France, England and Portugal. Brazil are sixth, followed by Morocco, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
The next FIFA World Ranking will be released on July 20, a day after the World Cup final.
Chima Akachukwu and Miracle Akhigbe are among the 16 notable stars picked by the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) for the forthcoming Namibia Tour, where the YellowGreens will compete in a T20 and 50-Over Tri-Series, featuring hosts Namibia and Hong Kong China.
Both players make their way back into the YellowGreens fold after periods away from the side and will be eager to contribute their experience and quality as Nigeria pursues success in Namibia.
The NCF said yesterday that the squad, which departs Nigeria today, forms part of the national team’s continued preparations for future international assignments as the YellowGreens seek to build on recent performances and strengthen their standing on the global stage.
Leading the squad is Captain Sulaimon Runsewe, who will spearhead Nigeria’s campaign against two formidable opponents in what promises to be a highly competitive series.
The selected squad combines experienced internationals with emerging talents, providing the technical crew an opportunity to assess player development and team combinations in both the T20 and 50-over formats.
The team will be led on tour by Coaches Leke Oyede and Tamuno John, who will oversee preparations and match operations during the opening phase of the series.
Joining the squad later in Namibia will be the newly appointed Head Coach and High Performance Manager, Stephen Magongo, whose arrival marks another significant step in the Federation’s commitment to strengthening the national team structure and enhancing player development pathways.
Supporting the coaching staff are Team Analyst Jamal Okechukwu, Strength and Conditioning Coach Seye Olympio, and Team Physiotherapist Timothy Adesomowo, forming a well-rounded technical crew focused on maximising player performance and welfare throughout the tour.
The NCF views the Namibia Tri-Series as an important platform for the continued growth of the national team, offering valuable international exposure and competitive match experience against quality opposition. The series will provide the players and technical crew with another opportunity to evaluate progress, fine-tune strategies, and build momentum ahead of future international competitions.
The YellowGreens will face Namibia and Hong Kong China in both T20 and 50-over contests, with the matches expected to test the team’s adaptability, discipline, and resilience in challenging conditions.
Blessing Otu on Monday overcame hard-fighting Kelvin Bebe- Emmanuella in two sets of 6-1, 6-3 to qualify for the second round of the women’s singles of the ongoing 47th Central Bank of Nigeria Senior Tennis Championship, held at the Tennis Courts of the package “B” of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Speaking after the round of 32 game, Otu, who will be 19 years old in September, said she capitalised on her opponent’s weaknesses to gain victory, having studied her game very well.
“Bebe is a very good and tough player. But I studied her game and did the job well.
“Although she tried to come back in the second set, I punctured all her tricks to win the match and move on. I wish I could continue like this in the rest of my games,” she said.
Another member of the Otu family, John Out, was also victorious as he defeated Mohammed Abdusalam 2-1 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) in the men’s singles category to advance into the round of 32.
But the third Otu in the game, Thomas, was not that lucky as he lost by 6-0, 7-5 in two straight sets to Danjuma Isaac.
In other matches, Michael Emmanuel defeated Ibrahim Aminu to advance, while Drimiya Mevi outclassed Seyi Ogunsakin by beating him 2-1 (6-7, 6-3, 6-1). Action continues tomorrow when other top players, including the men’s singles top seed, Abua Cannice, join the chase for honours.