The stage is set for the grand finale of the 9th Zenith Bank NBBF female basketball league play-offs at the National Stadium in Lagos. The battle for supremacy draws two Lagos teams, reigning champions, First Deepwater, who are seeking a fourth straight title and Dolphins, who are inkling to have a first taste of the title.On one hand, Dolphins became strong title contenders after beating perpetual finalist and former champions, First Bank 72-64 in the semi finals to break from past practice that had First Bank and First Deepwater as finalists..
On the other hand, Deepwater had it easy beating hard-fighting Sunshine Angels 80-46 in another semi-finals and stamped an intent to grab a fourth straight title.
It is not out of place to predict an easy win for First Deepwater over Dolphin, afterall the Oil and Gas ladies have maintained an unbeaten run this season besides setting a 100% record performance in the past three years.
However, as history beckons, Dolphins go into the game with an above average performance in all three legs of the league, Abuja, Asaba and now Lagos.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/06/women-basketball-dolphins-battle-first-deepwater-for-the-crown/#sthash.I5aezvTy.dpuf
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World University Games: NUGA groans over lack of funds
Top officials of the Nigeria University Games Association, NUGA, are having sleepless nights because of their inability to realise budgeted funds for the country’s participation in the 27th World University Games scheduled to take place in the Russian city of Kazan, July 6 to 17.
A top official of NUGA who pleaded anonymity, told Saturday Vanguard sports that lack of funds was the reason the body was yet to make public it’s intentions for the Universiade especially the events that athletes have been duly registered . “We are still scouting for funds,” said the official in Lagos shortly after the South West zonal qualifiers held at the University of Lagos recently. He revealed that NUGA had tentatively shortlisted judo, athletics, swimming, chess basketball, badminton, taekwondo, and tennis to enter athletes.
It was also revealed that both cricket and hockey were removed from zonal qualifiers, saying " these would be played out directly in the games proper. NUGA may also have been holding back a decision hoping to use the nation Games which holds at the University of Ibadan in June as official platform to decide the sports that would be entered for the Kazan Games, the official hinted to Vanguard.
“When qualifiers have been concluded in the zones, we will look forward to the Games proper coming up in June as the platform to ratify sports to enter for the the Kazan Games. Our position again would depend on funds. This is where we are calling on Nigerians for help so we would be able to participate in the Games,” he added.
The Summer Universiade, organised by the World University Games, FISU consists of 10 compulsory sports with 13 compulsory disciplines and three optional ones chosen by the host country.
“We decided to hold the qualifiers in order to be ready because the association feels it is important that athletes who have been training within campuses should not be to waste but that we should make real their dreams to participate in the games would come true." "in the event that we receive some assistance from any source, be it from philanthropists, corporate bodies and government before Games time in July we will attend,” he said.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/05/world-university-games-nuga-groans-over-lack-of-funds/#sthash.Sn4JY6Li.dpuf
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Eaglets can win the cup again, says Howard
Former national Under- 20 captain, Franklin Howard has charged the Golden Eaglets to beat Ivory Coast in today’s final of the youngest cup competition in Africa.
With their World Cup tickets already in hand, this could be battle of wits, ego and pride given that each side strives to give their all in any meeting no matter the category. Speaking with our correspondent in Lagos, Howard, who also starred for the defunct Lagos ACB FC said “the players are capable, they have scored well in this competition and I would only urge them to go further and beat the opponent.
They have shown a capacity and determination like past generations of the team who won the cup in 1993 , 2005 and 2007 had and they have what it takes to win,” he said, adding “I would be expecting a challenging encounter between Africa’s best two in this level. However, I feel the odds favour our team, going by team spirit I have noticed.”
Though both teams had battled each other fiercely in the competition during the group round with the young Elephants running away with a 1-0 win, a wind of change had since set in, turning things around for the Eaglets after that meeting hence they thrashed Tunisia 4-2 in the semi finals.
Although he refused to be drawn into making a prediction, Howard noted that the team he saw in the semi final was much more an improved one.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/04/eaglets-can-win-the-cup-again-says-howard/#sthash.QAo1qJXI.dpuf
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Why our boxing is down – Ossai
Olympian, Christopher Ossai has rated the standard of boxing showcased at the recently concluded 18th National Sports Festival tagged Eko 2012 low, saying the reason was because all the boxers were rusty owing to the dearth of competitions in the country.
"Quality of boxers and boxing standards to me was regrettably low, deplorable and despicable,” he said.
Ossai, who is the chief boxing coach of Delta State Sports Commission, pointed to the fact that “boxers had long gone rusty because the last time they were in a competition was in 2011 during the 17th National Sports Festival in Port Harcourt. "If that is used as yardstick, it is practically impossible to get boxers fighting fights that matter in a competition as the festival.”
Besides, the Los Angeles’84 Olympics veteran pointed out that poor officiating and favoritism took the shine off boxing. “As the only event we had in 2012, we all agreed to give it the best, use the festival to have fun. The first surprise that struck us was the various reports from states about lack of preparation. We learned that some states boxers and coaches were given gloves and head-guard about a week to the festival besides the fact that states did not have boxing rings,” he disclosed.
Ossai however, said there is still hope for boxing to thrive as he urged administrators of the sport to plan better in 2013. “If we can have three or four competitions of different classes in a calendar year and some equipment provided to allow boxers train under a conducive atmosphere, they will pick up in no time,” he concluded.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/12/why-our-boxing-is-down-ossai/#sthash.3Pzet9qe.dpuf
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Women basketball: Dolphins battle First Deepwater for the crown
The stage is set for the grand finale of the 9th Zenith Bank NBBF female basketball league play-offs at the National Stadium in Lagos. The battle for supremacy draws two Lagos teams, reigning champions, First Deepwater, who are seeking a fourth straight title and Dolphins, who are inkling to have a first taste of the title.
On one hand, Dolphins became strong title contenders after beating perpetual finalist and former champions, First Bank 72-64 in the semi finals to break from past practice that had First Bank and First Deepwater as finalists..
On the other hand, Deepwater had it easy beating hard-fighting Sunshine Angels 80-46 in another semi-finals and stamped an intent to grab a fourth straight title.
It is notout of place to predict an easy win for First Deepwater over Dolphin, afterall the Oil and Gas ladies have maintained an unbeaten run this season besides setting a 100% record performance in the past three years.
However, as history beckons, Dolphins go into the game with an above average performance in all three legs of the league, Abuja, Asaba and now Lagos.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/06/women-basketball-dolphins-battle-first-deepwater-for-the-crown/#sthash.I5aezvTy.dpuf
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Make Rio 2016 preparation top priority–Owoseni tells Elegbeleye
Former Nigeria Tennis Federation, NTF, vice president Yemi Owoseni has urged Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, the new Director-General of the National Sports Commission, NSC to make preparations for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games a priority as soon as he settles down.
He said that the new helmsman must immediately put in place, modalities for Nigeria’s participation in Rio2016, but also the strategies for athletes and coaches’ development so they do well in the Games. “Hon. Elegbe-leyes antecedents of having worked in various sports committees are a plus for the sector, but I would enjoin him to try to evolve a strong sports policy that will foster rapid development in a way that national federations would be more functional, more result oriented and responsive to the yearnings of Nigerians for higher performance. He should also concentrate on grassroots sports development because it is the basis of sports growth in any country of the world,” he said in an interview.
Owoseni, who is also the Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) Zone Two Vice President expressed confidence that the new D.G would bring his wealth of experience to bear in the discharge of his duty.
“ Hon. Elegbeleye is a well known face in the sports sector, being the former chairman of Ondo State Table Tennis Association at which level he made reasonable contributions towards the development of the game in the State besides being also Permanent Secretary, Ekiti State Civil Service Commission.
"He also must realise that there is an urgent need to properly coordinate Nigeria’s participation at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and one only hopes the D.G would see to it that all the National Sports Federations are well coordinated and put in the right frame to face challenges ahead,” he said.
- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/05/make-rio-2016-preparation-top-priority-owoseni-tells-elegbeleye
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