Other Sports
WIKE PRAISES DALUNG
Governor Nyesone Wike of Rivers State has praised the Minister of Youth and sports, Solomon Dalung for the new direction he has given to the sports sector The governor showered encomiums on the minister at the opening of the Wike National Wrestling Championship on Monday at the Diete Spiff Civic Centre, Port Harcourt Rivers State.
The Governor also thanked the minister for the support and encouragement given to the people of Rivers State to host the African Wrestling Championship billed for February next year.
“When the President of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation Daniel Igali told me that Rivers State will host the African Championship, I asked him if he’s sure that Rivers State would be allowed to host.
“He said that this minister was different and believes in the unity and development of this country. I want to say categorically to Mr President, that if we have more of this type of minister, Nigeria will move forward.
“When the minister paid a courtesy call on me, he said sports was one and the only unifying factor. He said that one activity that brings all Nigerians together irrespective of your religion, whether you’re a Christian or a Muslim, whether you’re in APGA or APC or PDP is sports.
“When Nigerians are taking part in any competition, if Nigeria wins, even your so called enemy will hold you.
“It is to tell you that sport is one thing that brings everybody together and we must have to support those who are at the helm of affairs of this particular field or sector.”
Gov Wike promised more support for sports and called on the Youth and Sports Minister to feel free to approach the state for any support to sports development.
“I want to assure the Hon Minister of Youth and Sports that he can call on Rivers State any day, anytime. We will continue to support you to move sports development as far as this country is concerned.
“The Rivers State Government will support the Nigeria Wrestling Federation to host the African Wrestling Championship in February next year.
“I will like the Hon Minister to come back and commission some other sporting projects and centres so that more people can come to Rivers State.
“This minister has proved that sports has no language, tribe or political party. This Minister has brought the African championship to this state irrespective of political undertones. This is the kind of Minister we need to support the President and unite the nation. This is one Minister that I have seen who has shown that development in Nigeria is key irrespective of your political party,” Wike said.
Earlier, the minister had thanked the Governor for hosting the National Wrestling Championship featuring 24 states, 12 Clubs and over 700 wrestlers in attendance.
“There is a genuine spirit and love for sports in Rivers state. You can be fake politically but you cannot be fake in your commitment to sports.
“This National Championship is setting an agenda for the preparation of Nigeria to compete in two months time for the African championship where we will be hosting over 54 African countries here in Port Harcourt .
“Opinions may differ as to why the choice of Rivers State, but permit me to say that sports has no language, no religion and no political party. Sports only need passion.
“In sports we have decided to restore the glory of Nigeria.
“In sports, we have resolved to partner with anybody who will support sports development in Nigeria. We have decided too to return Nigeria to the map of the comity of sporting nations therefore, our windows are quite open for partnership, support and friendship.”
Dalung also urged the athletes to compete favourably as this will serve as a yardstick for picking wrestlers for the African championship.
The Minister later unveiled the mascot and logo for the African Wrestling Championship while an honorary medal for distinguished excellence and development of sports in Nigeria was presented to him.
Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has unveiled a full-size stadium and an Olympic-size 50-metre swimming pool at the Peaceville International Academy, located within the Redemption City of God, Ogun State.
The esteemed cleric was accompanied by his wife, Pastor Folu Adeboye, along with top church leaders including Pastor Joseph Obayemi; RCCG National Overseer, Pastor Sunday Akande, and the management of Peaceville International Academy led by Head of School Dolapo Fatoki.
The event was graced by several board members of the school, including Leke Adeoye, Olugbenga Omojola, Ayoola Jolayemi, Noah Osato, and Mrs Busola Ogunsiji.
Reflecting on his past, Pastor Adeboye lamented the lack of such facilities during his university days and the general scarcity of quality sports amenities across the country.
“This kind of well-grassed stadium and serene environment were not available in universities during our time. Remarkably, God has made this possible in a secondary school, showing that He is on our side,” he remarked.
He offered prayers for those who contributed to the realization of these facilities and expressed his vision for the school to become a global brand.
In her welcome address, Pastor Mrs. Adeboye, the founder of the college, described the institution as a legacy made possible by God’s support.
She thanked her husband for his unwavering support in making the school a reality and emphasized the importance of the sports facilities in moulding Godly champions.
The unveiling ceremony also featured a novelty match to celebrate Pastor Adeboye’s 83rd birthday, with him performing the ceremonial kick-off for the match between Redemption City FC and Region 1 FC. The home team triumphed with a 4-0 victory.
Head of School Dolapo Fatoki highlighted that the facilities would be judiciously used to enhance the physical well-being of students and position the school as a hub for sports development in Ogun State and Nigeria.
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Championship promotion chasers Burnley clocked up 1,000 minutes without conceding a league goal as they drew 0-0 at Preston North End on Saturday to stay third in the table.
It was Burnley’s 24th Championship clean sheet of the season and their 11th in a row — a new English second-tier record.
In 33 Championship games their miserly defence has been breached only nine times and no opposition player has scored against them in the league since Dec. 21.
Burnley keeper James Trafford has faced only 21 shots on target in achieving his 11 successive clean sheets — including two penalties which he saved against Sunderland.
Scott Parker’s side need just one more clean sheet to match the Championship record of Queen’s Park Rangers in 2010-11.
“It’s something we pride ourselves on. We’re proud of being hard to beat and if you can’t win games, don’t lose them,” Burnley midfielder Josh Cullen told the club’s website.
“We come away with a point thanks to that defensive record and being solid again here at a tough place.”
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A UK-based sports recycling charity, Lord’s Taverners has donated sports kits and equipment worth over 30 million naira to the CSED (Community Sport and Educational Development) Initiative.
The donated kits and equipment weighed 998 kilograms. It is not the first time such a donation was made.
It would be recalled that since 2019, this is the fifth batch of sports kit donations that Lord’s Taverners have donated to CSED Initiative.
In total, CSED Initiative has received sports kits weighing over three thousand kilogrammes from Lord’s Taverners.
Most of this batch of donated sports kit items are for cricket, netball, badminton, football, casual sportswear and tracksuits.
Some of the prominent institutions that have benefitted from the kits that were donated by Lord’s Taverners in the past are Edo State Cricket Association, the cricket team of ABU Zaria, the cricket team of IDPs Uhogua, Cameroonian refugees in Ogoja (Cross River State).
Furthermore, some selected schools in Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom and Taraba States have benefitted from the free cricket kits that were donated by Lord’s Taverners to CSED Initiative.
In a recent email correspondence between a Trustee of CSED Initiative, a Project Manager of Lord’s Taverners, a representative of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) acknowledged the role the kits that Lord’s Taverners donated to CSED Initiative played in the development of some of the cricketers who recently played in the Nigerian female cricket team at the recently completed T20, U-19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia.
Nine out of these fifteen cricketers are players from Edo State whose cricket Association received 250 kilogrammes of donated cricket kits from CSED Initiative in April 2019.
Furthermore, CSED has also donated cricket items to a cricket project that has supported the development of the two cricketers from Akwa Ibom State who featured for Nigeria in the Malaysian tournament.
During an interview with sports reporters, a representative of CSED Initiative stated that the new batch of donated equipment from Lord’s Taverners will enable them to empower three thousand children and youths in respect of supporting some of their basic sports kit needs. The donated kits will enable CSED Initiative to train three hundred P.E. Teachers in 2025. “So, it is going to be a win-win situation for grassroots sports.”
However, CSED Initiative have been informed that the Lord’s Taverners sports kits recycling project is going to close in March 2025, as a result of financial constraint. The National Coordinator of CSED Initiative stated that this news was a huge shock to them, and the sports recycling community all over the world.
Lord’s Taverners has a global base of sports for change NGOs that they have supported in the past few decades. Though Lord’s Taverners was mainly set up as a cricket charity, it has over the years supported other sports at the grassroots level.
“We in CSED Initiative will forever remain grateful for the support we have received from Lord’s Taverners. Especially in respect of the sport of netball.
They have supported us with balls, bibs, netball jerseys, T-shirts and skirts.
These donated netball kits gave us the courage to strive to revive the game of netball in Nigeria through our ongoing: “Project 2027” drive where we have trained and equipped more than three hundred and seventy P.E. Teachers and community leaders.”
While receiving the donated items in their Niger Delta base, the National Coordinator of CSED Initiative assured Dave Pemberton (Project Manager of Lord’s Taverners) that the sports kits will be distributed for free to selected schools and vulnerable community groups (IDPs and asylum seekers/refugees) they currently work with, as well as new sets of schools and communities who will be expected to put the donated kit into good use.
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