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Paralympics Round-Up: GB win Paralympic triathlon, badminton medals

Triathlete Dave Ellis opened Great Britain’s medal account on day five of the Paralympics, taking gold in the men’s PTVI event in Paris.

It did not take long for Megan Richter and Hannah Moore to add gold and bronze respectively in the women’s PTS4 event as crowds flocked to the banks of the Seine, with 11 triathlon events taking place on one day.

Tokyo 2020 medallists Claire Cashmore and Lauren Steadman won silver and bronze respectively in the women’s PTS5 event, while Dan Bethell took badminton silver in the SL3 singles, losing a tight match to India’s Kumar Nitesh.

Ellis and Richter took GB’s gold tally to 25 and their overall medal count to 48 – second only to China (78 medals, including 37 golds), who have topped the table at the past five Games.

Ellis and guide Luke Pollard made up for heartbreak in Tokyo by winning gold in the men’s PTVI event.

They went in as favourites three years ago but suffered a mechanical failure on the bike leg which ended their race.

There were no such issues in the French capital, with Ellis and Pollard putting in a dominant final run leg to move up from third and finish in a time of 58 minutes 41 seconds.

Paralympic debutant Richter swiftly followed with victory in the women’s PTS4 competition, finishing in one hour 14 minutes 30 seconds.

Alison Peasgood took fourth in the women’s PTVI alongside guide Brooke Gillies, having returned to the sport after the birth of her son Logan last August.

Steadman and Cashmore go head to head
There were some familiar faces at the front of the women’s PTS5 event, with all three Tokyo medallists returning to the podium.

Three years ago it was GB’s Steadman who took the title, finishing ahead of team-mate Cashmore, who took bronze, and American Grace Norman.

This time it was Norman who triumphed, coming ahead of Cashmore and Steadman.

The trio share a strong bond – Steadman and Claire Cashmore were schoolmates in Devon, while the Tokyo gold medallist was Norman’s bridesmaid when she got married.

It has been a tough few years for Steadman, who has suffered with long Covid and returned to triathlon after a spell in winter sports, but she now has a second Paralympic medal.

Cashmore’s haul now stands at 10, with a podium place at every Games since Athens 2004.

Badminton silver for Bethell
Bethell was edged out for gold in the men’s SL3 singles.

Having lost the first game 21-14, Bethell fought back to level the tie, taking the second game 21-18.

The two athletes went right down to the wire, reaching 21-21, but Nitesh won successive points to close out the match.

It will fall on Krysten Coombs to try and bring home a first GB gold in the sport when he face Charles Noakes of France in the men’s SH6 singles final at about 21:00 BST on Monday.

Can Peacock bounce back?
At the Stade de France British attention focuses on Jonnie Peacock, who will be attempting to win his third Paralympic gold in the men’s T64 100m final at 18:50.

Peacock finished on top of the podium in London and Rio, but finished with a bronze medal in Tokyo three years ago.

Meanwhile, six-time gold medallist David Weir will be in action in the first round of the men’s T54 1500m (20:25).

In the morning session, Tunisia’s Walid Ktila failed to win a fourth consecutive men’s T34 sprint title, finishing second to Thailand’s Chaiwat Rattana.

In the first round of the women’s T12 400m, Italy’s Valentina Petrillo, the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the Paralympics, qualified from her heat after finishing second with a time of 58.35 seconds.

Petrillo, won bronze in the World Championships last year, will race in the semi-finals at 19:43.

Two of the three GB competitors qualified for the final of the women’s T54 1500m – Melanie Woods and Samantha Kinghorn both set qualifying times, but Eden Rainbow-Cooper, whose medal hopes were ended by a collision in the 5,000m final, missed out with a seventh-place finish in her heat.

Ellie Challis was Britain’s youngest medallist at the Tokyo Games when she won silver in the S3 50m backstroke at the age of 17.

She will hope to go one better in Paris (17:05) after winning Monday morning’s heat in 53.86.

Louise Fiddes is also in with a chance of winning a medal in the women’s SB14 100m breaststroke final (17:20), after she finished second in her heat in 1:17.46.

Team-mate Olivia Newman-Baronius will join her, claiming the final qualification spot with a fourth-place finish in her heat, while Harry Stewart will race in the men’s SB14 100m final after finishing third in his morning race.

BBC

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NRFF Participates in the Sports Africa Investment Summit held in Lagos

The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation (NRFF) participated in the inaugural SAIS With the theme “Unleashing Africa’s Potential: Investing in Sports Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future,” SAIS 2025 brought together policymakers, investors, and industry leaders to explore transformative strategies that unlock significant opportunities across Africa’s sports ecosystem..

Led by NRFF COO; Tunde Delu , General Manager; Azeez Ladipo and Wold Rugby Educator (Coaching); Wuraola Hussain, the NRFF delegation joined other invited participants from across Africa at this significant event.

The event, held on February 17 and 18, 2025, was the first-ever investment summit in Africa dedicated to sports and saw the signing of a landmark agreement between Sport Nigeria Ltd and the Abia State government.

A major highlight of the summit was the breakout session titled “National Sports Federations as “Business Drivers” of their Sport- Alignment of interes to facilitate collaborations and partnerships between the private sector and Federations”.

This session brought together key industry experts to discuss strategies for leveraging sports to drive social and economic growth within communities.

The panel featured:
– Ms Vanessa Obi (B&I) Moderator

– Olanrewaju Ogunjobi, Technical Assistant to the National Sports Commission Chairman

– Adeyinka Samuel – President, Nigeria Fencing Federation

– Azeez Ladipo – General Manager, Nigeria Rugby Football Federation President,

The event had the distinguished presence of His Royal Highness, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha, who served as the Royal Father of the Day, further elevating the significance of the summit.

The Presidency’s National Sports Commission partnered with Sport Nigeria Ltd. to host the groundbreaking event, underscoring the government’s commitment to using sports as a tool for economic transformation.

Through their participation in this conference, the NRFF and other Stakeholders are committed to strengthening their capabilities, forming effective partnerships, and contributing to the overall growth and success of sports across the continent.

The agreement signed with the Abia State government is expected to usher in a new era of sports equipment manufacturing development, youth empowerment, and economic opportunities in the state.

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NBBF President Kida Hails D’Tigers On Victories Over Libya and Uganda

The excitement and joy in the Nigerian basketball community is infectious. And it is not for nothing, as Nigeria’s senior male national basketball team, D’Tigers roaring loudly and tearing their opponents to shreds.

Against all odds, the team led by Coach Abdulrahman Mohammed started their campaign for the Afrobasket championship ticket in the ongoing 3rd Window qualifiers by beating host nation Libya 75-70 in the first game. And on Saturday, D’Tigers showed more determination in the second game with a win over Uganda, that saw the Nigerian boys record an astounding fourth quarter comeback to claim an impressive 87-67 victory.

Ahead of Sunday’s all-important clash against Cape Verde, the President of Nigeria Basketball Federation, Engr. Ahmadu Musa Kida, has sent a congratulatory message to the team.

On behalf of the Board, Kida thanked the entire team of players and officials for their determination and resilience in the two matches so far. He also believes that at their best, the Nigerian team can hold their grounds against the very best in the world.

Kida went ahead to urge the team to go into the last match with confidence and determination to make Nigeria proud and qualify for the Afrobasket. He added that basketball stakeholders and lovers of the game, are all behind them and rooting for them to complete the job by winning the last match.

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Dunamis Icon appoints Aisha Falode as NDSF Special Advisor on Communications

Aisha Falode has been announced the Special Advisor on Communications to Dunamis Icon, project consultants to the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF).

Lead Consultant and Co-Chairman of the Main Organising Committee of the festival, Itiako Ikpokpo announced the appointment and said his company is looking forward to adding value to the festival from her rich and extensive knowledge in working with the media departments of the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) and Federation of International Football (FIFA).

A dynamic leader and accomplished journalist with over 25 years of industry expertise, Falode has a proven success in sports media marketing, business ownership, and strategic leadership.

According to Ikpokpo, “the Niger Delta Sports Festival is not just about sports, it’s about our culture, our people and the Youths essentially. Bringing Falode on board will boost our strategic communication of these values because beyond her professional attainment, she is also from one of the Niger Delta states”.

Ace Sports Journalist, Mitchel Obi is one of the earliest sports personalities to endorse the appointment and congratulate Falode.

“It is the right fit. She ticks all the boxes for the role, firstly in her professional capacity and in her extensive media reach and secondly, she understands the Niger Delta story”, Obi told the NDSF Media.

Pamodzi Sports Marketing boss, Mike Itemuagbor lent his support to the appointment and commended Ikpokpo for the foresight in selecting her.

“I must commend my good friend, Ikpokpo for this step. I have worked with Aisha from her days at Africa Independent Television (AIT) in my role as the CEO of Pamodzi, the official marketing partner of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). She is a thorough bred and has come a long way from her work in Television to working with the NFF, CAF and FIFA in different media capacities at tournaments”, itemuagbor noted.

Falode is also the CEO of MSports which specialises in delivering exceptional sports content and impactful marketing campaigns.

She was elected into the Executive Committee of the NFF in 2022 and served as the Director of Competition for the Aisha Buhari six nation Cup.

From 2017 to 2022, Falode served as the Chairperson of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL).

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