Sports

Sharks Management Hails Coach, Player Over Award

Published

12 years ago

May 19, 2014

Management of Sharks
fc has congratulated Gbenga Ogunbote and Christain Pyagbara for winning the League Bloggers Awards LBA for manager and player respectively for the month of April.
General Manager of Sharks, Okey Kpaluku who sent the congratulatory message onbehalf of the management of the club from Kenya described the award as timely and well deserved by the coach and player.
Kpaluku added that the award will go a long way to motivate the team to break more ground this season and consolidate on its good run so far in the league by not dropping point at home and picking valuable point on the road.
“Let me congratulate you on the award which did not come to us as a surprise because you truly worked for it and am sure this honour will spur you (coach and players) to do more in the field of play,” Kpaluku said
Responding, technical adviser of the club and coach of the month of April Gbenga Ogunbote who was excited with the award commended the League Bloggers Awards for recognising the input of coaches on the growth of the game in the local scene.
He, however, attributed the award to the commitment and dedication of the entire team to duty and used the opportunity to call on fans of Sharks fc to come out in their numbers and support the team to victory, stressing that the ugly incident after the match against Enyimba fc would not repeat itself again.
I’m am very happy with this award, it goes to show that somebody somewhere appreciates what we coaches are doing in our team’ and I commend the initiators of this award for doing a great job,” Ogunbote said
And player of the month of April Christain Pyagbara who expressed shock after he was singled out of the lots in the elite league for the award assured fans of the team that the award will ginger him to channel his energy into achieving the ambitions of the team this season.
“ I was shocked when I got wind of the award for the month of April and the much I can do now is do the best I can to ensure that Sharks FC wins a major silverware this season,” Pyagbara said
Gbenga Ogunbote emerged the manager’s award by edging out Kelechi Emeteole of Heartland, Salisu Yusuf of El-Kanemi Warriors and Paul Aigbogun of Warri Wolves, who were also shortlisted for the monthly award.
Ogunbote was honoured for guiding Sharks to the top spot of the league table and also masterminded their away win at Kaduna United while they went unbeaten in five matches from Match Day 7 to 11.
In the players category Pyagbara beat Saibou Badarou of Heartland, Osaguona Ighodaro of Enugu Rangers, Gbolahan Salami of Warri Wolves, Emem Eduok of Dolphins, Nnamso Edo of Akwa United and his teammate and goalkeeper, Danladi Isah to emerge winner.

Traditional wrestles, Yakubu Adamu (right) and Yellow Tuwon (middle), slugging it out in Port Harcourt.

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.