Sports

NDG: RIVERS ATHLETES EXCITED AT GAMES’ PROSPECTS, Commends NDDC

Published

7 months ago

January 28, 2026

Rivers State athletes, especially , the basketball players training for the forthcoming second edition of Niger Delta Games ( NDG) billed to hold in Edo State next month are excited over the opportunity of being at the Games once again and the prospect of defending the gold medal won in the event at the maiden edition of the NDG in Uyo Akwa Ibom State last year. In fact, the basketballers have vowed to leave no stone unturned in a bid to retain the medal in Benin City, Edo State.

Some of the players who spoke during one of their training sessions on Monday, at the Basketball Court, Niger/ Bende Streets in Port Harcourt township, said they have been training hard to ensure that they defend their title.

One of the players , Dalhati Wealth, expressed confidence that his team will emerge victorious as they are learning new techniques and tactics to ensure victory.

“As you can see every player is putting in good effort to be mentally and physically fit, including learning new tactics to be ready and maintain the level that saw the team of last year go all the way at the Games.

” We started our preparation early because we want to achieve success at the end of the day, you know that if you don’t train and do not prepare early, you can’t perform when the chips are down “, Wealth said.

He used the opportunity to commend the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC) for initiating the sports programme with the vision to develop, empower and provide and enduring platform for youths in the region.

” This competition will no doubt discover talents in the region, and it will equally expose us to both local and foreign scouts because you can never tell.

“You know we only have one Youth Games every year but this has added to the calendar towards sports development and the engagement of young people, especially, at the grassroots level” he stated.

Also speaking, another athlete, Hector Tobogu

also commended NDDC for the initiative, saying that the tournament has discovered hidden talents in the area.

“This competition has helped many youths develop interest in different sporting activities and is another way to showcase talents. As an athlete if you don’t compete in tournaments or competitions, you will not know your strength and improvement would be very difficult”, Tobogu said.

The basketball player also expressed optimism that they would make Rivers State proud at the Games in Edo.

By: Tonye Orabere

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.