By Victor Okoye

The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) through its Women Commission, has urged women to be more involved in sports and other walks of life to inspire the next generation leaders.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this was the message at the body’s celebration of the 2024 International Women’s Day on Friday in Abuja.

The theme of this year’s event was “Inspire Inclusion.” #Strong women, strong world.

The president of NOC, Habu Gumel, said the event was very significant to the NOC, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) and the entire Olympic movement in the whole world.

He said that the month of March was always dedicated to the celebration of Women’s Day and not just March 8 alone.

“So today here in Abuja, we are celebrating the Women’s Day, and you can see the large number of gatherings of women that are here with us to celebrate.

“They are so important to us. We want as many as possible, as we cannot do without them.

“In the IOC, we always advocate for gender-balance because we believe that whatever the men can do, the women can do it also.

“The ratio of men to women in the IOC now is about 60:40, and it will even be about 50:50 with time.

“Likewise, in the NOC, we are doing our best to make sure that we have a lot of women in our schools, in our board, and everywhere else.

“Most of our programmes are tailored toward encouraging women as athletes, coaches, administrators and technical officials,” he said

Gumel said the leadership of NOC would continue to encourage and support the participation of women to come on board and take leadership positions.

The Chairperson, NOC Women’s Commission, Prof. Florence Adeyanju harped on the roles of women in making the sports industry and other sectors better.

Adeyanju who was represented by Olubunmi Oluode, the Vice Chairperson of the Commission, said that the role of the women in sports cannot be over emphasised.

“We are celebrating women, we are celebrating inclusion and we are celebrating the fact that women are still achieving, that we are breaking barriers and stereotypes.

“We have women all across the sports industry that are doing well and that is the essence of bringing out every other woman to take part in this event.

“If you look at Nigeria’s participation at the just concluded African Games, you will see that our women achieved even more than our male athletes.

“So, my message today is for more women to be included not just in sports, but also in the educational, military, health and other sectors of human endeavours,” she said.

Kemi Obidahunsi, Secretary, NOC Women Commission, said that the role of the commission was to cater for the welfare of women in sports, including athletes, coaches, officials and sports administrators.

She said that for the first time the IOC was celebrating a 50/50 representation of both male and female athletes and officials in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

“So, we are celebrating that the women are rising up to the task in the sporting industry, and we are also celebrating ourselves as women and the strength we possess.

“When we talk about women inclusion, we are not saying we want to compete with our male counterparts or rub shoulders with them.

“All we are saying is that where men are, the women can also be there. So it doesn’t have to be competition,” she said.

NAN also reports that the celebration began with a 2km walk which started off from the Ministry of Finance and ended at the Eagles Square. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Joseph Edeh

By Christian Njoku

Mr Ama-Ebi Ebikpolade, the South-South Representative on the Board of the Nigerian Table Tennis Federation (NTTF), has donated two international standard table tennis boards to the Cross River Table Tennis Federation.

Ebikpolade, who spoke while presenting the items on Tuesday in Calabar, said the gesture was to rekindle interest in the game.

”We need to groom cadet players in this game, for us to achieve this, we must provide the needed facilities,” he said.

He also promised to refurbish the floor of the play area in the state to make the game more pleasurable and competitive.

”What we have in the state is not of international standard. We shall refloor the play area and make it more conducive for players,” he said.

Ebikpolade, also the Chairman, Bayelsa Table Tennis Federation, expressed worries that serious attention was not being given to table tennis.

”Not much attention is given to table tennis in Nigeria, so this donation is a conscious intervention to rekindle the interest of younger players.

”Similar donations have been made in the other South-South states. We can’t talk about developing the game without facilities,” he said.

The ITTF official stated that the federation was committed towards providing facilities and scholarship awards to talented cadet players in the country.

Receiving the boards, Mrs Agnes Atsu, Cross River Commissioner for Sports, described the donation as a good omen to table tennis development in the state.

”We are happy to receive these table tennis boards from you. We are calling on other stakeholders to support sports development in the state,” she said.

Also speaking, Mr Usen Umoh, the Vice Chairman, Cross River Table Tennis Federation, commended Ebikpolade for the gesture.

He said that the equipment would help the state to produce more talents in the game of table tennis in future.

”One thing that is capable of keeping our youths meaningfully busy is sports, so an investment in sports is a step in the right direction.

”I urge the organised private sector and other stakeholders to support sports development in the country, this is because government alone cannot do it,” Umoh disclosed.

By Aderonke Ojo

Nigeria’s Under-20 female football team, the Falconets, on Monday reached the finals of the women’s football event at the 13th African Games in Ghana.

They defeated their Ugandan counterparts 2-0 in the semi-finals
of their match at the Cape Coast Stadium.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Falconets have therefore boosted their quest to clinch the gold medal in their event.

NAN reports that Monday’s encounter was closely contested with both teams vying for a spot in the final.

Falconets had beaten Morocco 2-0 in their first match before a 4-0 humbling of Senegal in their second group B game to qualify for the semi-finals.

Both teams had pushed for a breakthrough in the first half of the match which ended goalless.

Substitutes, Adaobi Okoh and Chiamaka Okwuchukwu, scored the goals that lifted the Nigerians over Ugandans for a place in the final of the African Games 2023.

The Ugandans fought well until Okoh, who replaced Olushola Shobowale, found the back of the net in the 74th minute with her first touch in the game.

Okwuchukwu added the second goal in the 89th minute to give Nigeria the desired victory.

The Falconets will face the winner of the second semi-final tie between hosts Ghana and Senegal.

The looser in the second semi-final match will meet Uganda in the bronze medal’s match of the women’s football event.

NAN reports that Falconets won the gold medal in the event at the 12th African Games in Rabat, Morocco, in 2019.

The 13th African Games, which started on March 8, will be rounded off on March 23.

The ongoing games are being held across three cities in Ghana – Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Dianabasi Effiong

By Kazeem Akande

Busayo Olatunji, a top ranked Nigerian Squash player, says her target is to win the 9,000 dollar grand prize at the upcoming international Squash tournament in Canada.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian player will be participating in ‘The Bee-Clean Edmonton Squash Club Women’s Open 2024 in Canada slated for March 20.

Olatunji, who stated this in an interview with NAN on Friday in Lagos, said that she was working and training hard to win the grand prize at the tournament.

“My target at the Bee-Clean Edmonton Squash Club Women’s Open 2024 in Canada is to make Nigerians proud and win the grand prize at the international tournament.

“Though playing internationally is not an easy task, playing with global professionals will give me more confidence in the game.

“I am representing my country due to my top ranked position in the game, and I am assuring Nigerians that I will come out in flying colours and make the country proud.

”I will try to give my best. Though it won’t be an easy game at all because it will involve global professionals, I believe I will make a positive impact and end strong,’’ she said.

Olatunji said that she needed to win the tournament to boost her world ranking which was at 157 currently.

“I have been training hard and focusing on possible chances of winning the female international squash tournament.

Olatunji is the current female Champion of the just concluded Professional Yellow Dots Squash Open 2024 in Lagos.

“I am not relenting on that success alone but putting more efforts to improve my performance in my next tourney,’’ she said.

Olatunji said that victory at the last tourney in Lagos made her gain more Professional Squash Association (PSA) points in her world ranking.

NAN reports that Olatunji, 24, who is ranked 157 in the world, will play Michaela Cepova, 23, of Czech Republic who is ranked 225 in the world, at the Women’s Open 2024 in Canada. (NAN)

Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Joseph Edeh

By Muhyideen Jimoh

The Nationwide League One (NLO) has signed a four-year sponsorship deal worth N964 million with New Year Mega Lottery.

NLO Chairman, Silas Agara disclosed this at the unveiling and signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Thursday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the deal makes the lottery company the official sponsors of the third-tier domestic football league in Nigeria.

Agara said the the NLO was delighted to partner with the new sponsors, considering their track record and vision for the league.

“New Year Mega Lottery is a Nigerian firm and lottery company licensed by the Nigeria Lottery Commission; they will be our Title Sponsor for the NLO.

“The sponsorship deal will run for four seasons and of N241 million annually (both Cash and Value in kind), with the annual payment totalling the sum of N964 million naira.

”This sponsorship recognises NLO not just as a football body but also acknowledges our position as the league with the single-biggest football talent base in Africa.” Agara said.

Earlier,  Emmanuella Obiorah, Head of Corporate Communications, New Year Mega Lottery, said deal was part of efforts to develop grassroots sports and empower Nigerian youths.

“We are thrilled to enter this sponsorship deal with the Nationwide League One (NLO) and engage a large audience through our brand.

“It is for the love of soccer and a prioritised social responsibility in line with our humanitarian commitments, that prompted us to sponsor the NLO.

“Through this collaboration, we are also excited to connect with the future generation of football athletes at the grassroots level across Nigeria and help them grow,” she said.

NAN reports that the event was attended by football stakeholders, international football scouts and the private sector.(NAN)(www.nanews.ng)

Edited by Dianabasi Effiong

By Babatunde Ogunrinde

Harrison Jalla, the Chairman, Professional Footballers Association of Nigeria (PFAN), has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to look inwards in choosing  the head  coach for the Super Eagles.

Jalla, who said this while addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos,  said  it was time an indigenous coach took over as the  head coach of the Super Eagles.

He said that the NFF had engaged foreign coaches for more than eight years without substantial results to show for it.

“With more than five unproductive years with Gernot Rohr and almost two years of Jose Paseiro, with Coach Austine Eguavoen making a brief stint in-between.

“It is time to engage our indigenous coaches with the same  terms and conditions given to Gernot Rohr and Jose Paseiro.

“Any attempt to treat indigenous coaches differently will be resisted,” Jalla said.

“The performance of indigenous coaches in the last three editions of AFCON is a clear indicator that African coaches are better than their European counterparts.

“Nigeria must take a cue from Morocco, Senegal and Cote d`Ivoire  who won the three last editions of the AFCON with indigenous coaches,” he said.

He said that the last two foreign coaches, Rohr and  Paseiro left no legacy other than destroying the Super Eagles traditional pattern of free flow football.

“None of these foreign coaches could attain Coach Stephen Keshi ’s 2013 AFCON record.

Jalla urged  the NFF to invest in the development of  indigenous coaches from the annual technical grants from FIFA and CAF for the benefit of our football.

According to Jalla, the nucleus of the team that won the 2013 AFCON are home based players.

“We have a legion of ex-internationals that are qualified to handle the Super Eagles, Emmanuel Amuneke, Sunday Oliseh, Finidi George, Emeka Ezeugo among others.

“Nigeria was once at the 5th position in FIFA rankings, but clueless football administrators have pulled us to where we are today by recycling visionless leaders.

“The time to break that monopoly is now and it will certainly happen in a matter of weeks,”he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

BAO/GOM/JPE

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Edited by Gregg Mmaduakolam/Joseph Edeh