By Victor Okoye

It was a tension-soaked Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight night in Abuja on Saturday, as Cameroon’s Octave Ayinde defeated Nigeria’s Vincent Ebenezer in the event’s main card.

This was after Nigeria’s Yahaya Yahuza had defeated Christopher Moly of DR Congo in the -84kg weight class.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a total of 16 fighters slugged it out for honours in eight blockbuster bouts at the Mo Arena, Abuja.

The Abuja Mixed Martial Arts Fight night was organised by Akala Spirit of the Warrior in collaboration with the Nigerian Mixed Martial Arts Federation (NMMAF).

Cameroon’s Ayinde wasted no time to assert his dominance as he quickly grappled and wrestled Nigeria’s Ebenezer to the ground, unloading a torrent of elbows to the head to secure the finish.

The effect of the strikes made blood gush out from the head of Ebenezer as the referee had to intervene and calling the attention of the medics.

The referee subsequently awarded a Technical Knockout (TKO) decision in favour of the Cameroonian, barely three minutes into the first round of the -77kg weight class encounter.

It was, however, joy for Nigeria in the 84kg weight class as Yahuza remained unbeaten in his MMA career, forcing erstwhile undefeated DR Congo’s Moly to submit early in the first half of a pulsating encounter.

Moly was quite energetic at the onset as he looked for an early take down, using his wrestling and his physicality to get the better of Yahuza.

But, in a quick turn of events, the Congolese found himself being beaten to his own game when Yahuza wriggled free and tried to execute the Brazilian jujitsu technique as he went in search of the winner.

He flipped his opponent backwards to the canvas and then timed a well executed rear-naked choke which forced the Congolese to tap out with less than one minute left in the very first round

The co-main event of the evening also saw Nigeria’s undefeated female sensation, Terlumun Gertrude, aka “the woman king,” successfully defended her belt in the Bantam weight category.

Gertrude had earlier dispatched compatriot Immaculata Nelson, with a successful takedown before landing some devastating strikes to her head.

The referee had to intervene and eventually awarded a TKO decision to Gertrude early in the first round as Nelson continued to defend and receive a lot of punishment without any response.

Results of other bouts saw Ephraim Onwuania defeat Ernest Ugwuanyi in a boring one-sided encounter by way of TKO in the middle weight class.

Peter Onuh defeated Dilli Ohabuire by TKO in the -71kg weight class, while Jeb Philemon humbled Osoba Peleja by split decision in the -75kg weight class.

Stanford Ebere defeated Felix Ncheta by a split decision in the Bantam weight class, while Swande Christopher also defeated David Ezekiel by a split decision in the -65kg weight class

NAN also reports that some dignitaries at the event include James Christoff, the Canadian Ambassador to Nigeria, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 7, Ogundele Ayodeji who was represented by CSP Kalu Chijioke, Chairman, Police Mixed Martial Arts Association.

Others at the event were Ebere Benard, the Youth Director, NMMAF and CEO, Akala Spirit of the Warrior, as well as Chris Nwokolo, the Vice President, Akala Spirit of the Warrior.

Also present at the event were Faridah Wada, the wife to the former Governor of Kogi State, Israel Inwang, the Secretary General, NMMAF, as well as some members of the diplomatic corps. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Emmanuel Afonne

By Victor Okoye

The Nigerian Mixed Martial Arts Federation (NMMAF) says it is organising an International Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event to promote peace and unity in the country.

Ebere Benard, the Youth Director of NMMAF, said the event was geared towards promoting peace and safety of lives and property in the country through sports, dialogue and entertainment.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event will witness 16 professional martial artists trading blows and kicking against each other in eight intense bouts on Saturday at the Mo Arena in Abuja.

Benard who doubles as the CEO, Akalaka Spirit of the Warrior, an MMA Organisation and sponsors of the event said the Abuja MMA Fight Night tagged “The Battle of Paikokun Mountain” was inspired by one of the mountains located in the FCT.

He noted that recent happenings in the country in the last few months have not been pleasant, ranging from one issue of insecurity to the other.

“So, as an organisation, we thought of how best to reach out to the public and send out a positive message in spite of all the challenges being faced by Nigerians.

“It happens that Abuja is surrounded by a lot of fortresses and mountains, one of which is the Paikokun Mountain.

“Historical narrative has it that the first settlers in the Bwari area of the FCT were warriors and hunters who came from Maiduguri and found peace and refuge at the Paikokun Mountain.

“But due to civilisation, they now live on the plain lands. So, our goal is to re-echo and invoke the spirits of our ancestors to ensure that peace permeates the whole of Abuja and its environs.

“The event thus has a hastag #a safer Abuja together and last week as a build up to this event, we organised a hiking exercise that featured over 500 participants,” he said.

He thanked all the major hiking groups in the FCT who participated in the exercise, as well as the Police whom he noted played a vital role.

He also commended the IG of Police, Kayode Egbetokun as well as AIG Zone 7, Ogundele Ayodeji who received the group in his office and promised to be a special guest of honour at the Abuja Fight Night.

“Indeed his presence will really add colour to the event as combating crime is a collective effort. Everybody has to be involved and whatever you see you report.

“That is why the event taking place tomorrow is very important to every well meaning and peace-loving Nigerian, not just in the FCT alone, but across the country,” he said.

He added that the Ministry of Sports had been very supportive of the organisation’s activities, noting that just last year the Minister granted recognition to MMA as a Federation.

He also said that MMA featured at the just concluded African Games in Ghana with the Nigerian contingent giving a good account of themselves.

Agamaye Rowland, President, Apex Fighting Championship (AFC) and a consultant for the event, said the female fighters were not left out, as two of the best fighters in the country were in the event’s cards.

He said the event was coincidentally taking place in the month of March which is dedicated to celebrate the women internationally and to advocate for more inclusiveness as well as equal pay.

He added that the organisers have ensured that the female fighters would receive equal pay equivalent to those of their male counterparts.

Chuma Mencity, the Public Relations consultant for the event said that the Fight Night would feature two international bouts pitting Nigeria against Cameroon and DR Congo.

He explained that the idea behind involving other African countries was to showcase Nigeria as a strong MMA powerhouse.

He stressed that the goal was also to send a strong message to the rest of Africa that we are ready to take the lead and drive the game in the continent.

NAN also reports that the main and co-main events of the evening will see Nigeria’s Vincent Ebenezer a.k.a “the Iron Fist” do battle against Octave Ayinde of Cameroon, in the -77kg weight class

Nigeria’s Yahaya Yahuza will engage Christopher Molly of DR Congo in the -84kg weight class. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

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Edited by Emmanuel Afonne

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