Sports
NSF: We’ve surpassed our expectations in swimming – Bayelsa coach
The coach of Bayelsa’s swimming team, Gentle Offoin, says the team has surpassed its expectations at the ongoing 20th National Sports Festival (NSF), Edo 2020. Offoin told newsmen in Edo on Friday, that nobody could stop Bayelsa in any swimming event after this NSF. The coach said the team’s success so far at the ongoing Edo 2020 was not magic, but due to hard work and the support of the state government. “Our success here is not magic, it is the training. We spent a lot of time training and training, even when the festival was postponed. “We kept training and at the end we got the result. “Our expectation for the festival was to win 10 gold medals, so far, we have nine and this is just the fifth day of the NSF and we hope to surpass our expectation,” he said. He added that the team hoped ...
Nasarawa committed to sports development – governor
Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa has reiterated his administration’s commitment to sports development in order to positively engage youths in the state. Sule stated this when he hosted members of National Super Bike Clubs’ Association of Nigeria who paid him a courtesy call in his office, on Friday in Lafia. The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Alhaji Othman Bala-Adam, thanked members of the association for the visit, assuring them of a fruitful stay in the state. “My administration remains committed to harnessing youths’ sporting potentials and tackling restiveness in the state. “I appreciate your decision to choose Lafia for your maiden Super Bikes Clubs competition and assure you of my support. “This is a timely initiative and a call for invest...
Troop arrests 23 ‘bandits’ in Plateau
The Operation Safe Haven also known as the Special Task Force (STF) has arrested 17 suspected kidnappers and five Armed robbers for attempted kidnapping and robbery in at Lishin village, in Pengana Chiefdom in Bassa and Lamingo in Jos North Local Government Areas of Plateau State. Commander, Operation Safe Haven, Major General Dominic Onyemulu stated this while parading the suspects at the Command headquarters in Jos and vowed to make his area of operation uncomfortable for kidnappers and other criminal elements. “On the 16 of March, troops of Operation Safe Haven responded to a distress call on an attempted kidnap of one Alh. Gambo Yawurp from his residence at Lishin village in Pengana Chiefdom Bassa LGA. “Troops in collection with vigilante members and locals foiled the attempt kidnappin...
NSF: Borno to participate in 13 sports – official
Borno is to participate in 13 sports in the coming National Sports Festival (NSF) scheduled for April 2 in Benin. The Information Officer of Borno Sports Council, Mr Ibrahim Tukur, made this known on Wednesday in an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri. Tukur said the sports comprised football, handball, badminton, tennis, cycling, volleyball, taekwondo, wrestling, Kunfu, Karate and traditional sports like langa, local wrestling and dambe. Tukur said that the state is sending a contingent of 150 people, including sportsmen and officials. “In compliance with directive, samples have just been taken from all those going to for the Festival including the Commissioner for Sports for COVID-19 test,” Tukur said. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are look...
LOC: Nigerian government yet to release funds for 20th National Sports Festival
The Federal Government is yet to release the funds it promised Edo for the hosting of the 2020 National Sports Festival (NSF) with less than a week to its commencement. Musa Ebomhiana, a Project Manager in the Media and Communications Sub-Committee of the festival’s Local Organising Committee (LOC), disclosed this on Sunday in Benin. He told newsmen however that, while the Edo State Government still remained hopeful the fund would be released, an early release would be better. “This will ensure smooth planning for the nation’s number one sports fiesta,” he said. Ebomhiana pointed out that the need to have a smooth planning was the reason the state’s Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, had last week appealed for the funds’ early release. “We are taking seriously the promise by the Minister of Y...
US state bans transgender athletes from women’s sports
Mississippi became the first US state on Thursday to ban transgender athletes from competing on girls or women’s sports teams, a move denounced as discriminatory by LGBTQ groups and likely to face legal challenges. Governor Tate Reeves said the “Mississippi Fairness Act” would “ensure young girls are not forced to compete against biological males.” The bill requires public schools in the conservative southern state to designate sports teams based on biological sex as for “Males,” “Females” or “Coed.” “Athletic teams or sports designated for ‘females,’ ‘women,’ or ‘girls,’ shall not be open to students of the male sex,” it states. Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a group which defends LGBTQ rights, described the bill as “discriminatory anti-transgender legislation” and said it would be challeng...
He Said What He Said: Kyrie Irving Stands Firm On Push For Kobe Bryant To Become NBA Logo
Source: Harry How / Getty It’s been a year since the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other passengers in a helicopter crash, and the world is still memorializing Bryant in many ways. Kyrie Irving is pushing for one fitting tribute that will last forever if it happens and is proud to lead the charge. The Brooklyn Nets All-Star point guard has had NBA fans talking since sharing on his Instagram account that he feels that his idol and good friend, Kobe Bryant, should replace Jerry West as the NBA logo. In the post, he defiantly wrote, “Gotta Happen, idc what anyone says. BLACK KINGS BUILT THE LEAGUE.” Thursday night (Feb.25), following the Nets 129-92 victory over the Orlando Magic, securing their 8th win in a row, Irving double-downed on his stance and proudly to...
LeBron James & Kevin Durant Named NBA All-Star Game Captains, Damian Lillard & Donovan Mitchell Snubbed As Starters
Source: Kevork Djansezian / Getty The 2021 NBA-All-Star Game starters have been announced, LeBron James and Kevin Durant will be the captains. Thursday night (Feb.18), the NBA revealed which superstars will start next month’s All-Star Game going down in Atlanta. Kicking things off, Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets Kevin Durant, who led in fan votes in their respective conferences, will have the job of choosing their team from the other remaining stars as captains. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are the 2021 #NBAAllStar Game captains 🙌@KingJames 🤝 @KDTrey5 pic.twitter.com/0Vs0YCa3P1 — ESPN (@espn) February 19, 2021 Joining Bron from the Western Conference in the frontcourt are Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, Los Angeles Clippers Kawhi Leonard, Dallas Mavericks...
Naomi Osaka Throws Cold Water On Serena Williams’ Quest For Grand Slam Title No. 24
Source: DAVID GRAY / Getty Without a doubt, Serena Williams is the GOAT, but Naomi Osaka’s legendary status is quickly rising. Serena Williams was in rare form during her run through the 2021 Australian Open after knocking off former world No. 1 Simona Halep, 6-3, 6-3 to set up Thursdays (Feb.18) semifinal matchup with Noami Osaka. The showdown between the professional tennis titans would be Williams’ 40th Grand Slam semifinal. Osaka extinguished Williams’ fire defeating her in straight sets 6-3, 6-4. The tennis phenom efficiently took down Williams with 20 winners compared to Serena’s 12. Williams looked good on the court but couldn’t keep pace with Osaka, who was clearly on her game during the matchup. Following the match, Osaka praised Williams during her post-game interview stating, “J...
Naomi Osaka Throws Cold Water On Serena Williams’ Quest For Grand Slam Title No. 24
Source: DAVID GRAY / Getty Without a doubt, Serena Williams is the GOAT, but Naomi Osaka’s legendary status is quickly rising. Serena Williams was in rare form during her run through the 2021 Australian Open after knocking off former world No. 1 Simona Halep, 6-3, 6-3 to set up Thursdays (Feb.18) semifinal matchup with Noami Osaka. The showdown between the professional tennis titans would be Williams’ 40th Grand Slam semifinal. Osaka extinguished Williams’ fire defeating her in straight sets 6-3, 6-4. The tennis phenom efficiently took down Williams with 20 winners compared to Serena’s 12. Williams looked good on the court but couldn’t keep pace with Osaka, who was clearly on her game during the matchup. Following the match, Osaka praised Williams during her post-game interview stating, “J...
Power to the People: Amanda Gorman Honored Pandemic Heroes During Super Bowl LIV
Source: Rob Carr / Getty Super Bowl LIV‘s performers are being championed for “setting the tone” of the highly anticipated showdown and among those who graced the stage, was 22-year old Amanda Gorman. On Sunday (Feb 7), the world watched the battle of the titans go down as the Tampa Bay Buccanneers faced off against the seemingly unstoppable Kansas City Cheifs but it was the artistry of the performers that stole the show, including Inaugural poet Amanda Gorman, who once again made history as the first person to ever perform an original poem during the game, chose to share her spotlight with the hard workers on the frontline of the pandemic. “Poetry at the Super Bowl is a feat for art and our country because it means we’re thinking imaginatively about human connection even when we feel silo...
China joins calls for IWF to publish list of election candidates
Nations from around the world have written to the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) to express their dismay at the governing body’s failure to publish the list of candidates for forthcoming elections. There have been complaints of poor governance, a lack of transparency, and giving an unfair advantage to certain candidates on the current IWF Executive Board who have the information that is denied to others. For the last elections in 2017 the list was published five days after the nominations deadline. This year, eight days have passed already and there is no sign of the IWF naming the candidates for President, first vice-president, vice-president, and a place on the Executive Board. The IWF is entitled, under current regulations, to wait until 30 days before the elections – Febr...
