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Gauff Wins First WTA Title In Nine Months With China Open Triumph s

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Coco Gauff won her first WTA Tour title since January with a straight-sets victory in the China Open final against Karolina Muchova.

Gauff took three weeks off from tennis after she surprisingly lost in the fourth round of the US Open at the start of September but has played some of her best tennis in Beijing over the last week.

She had the upper hand over Muchova for most of the final to race to a 6-1 6-3 win and secure her biggest triumph since that memorable maiden Grand Slam title in New York over a year ago.

“It’s almost like a Grand Slam as the facilities are great. This is as good as it gets,” said Gauff, who has made the perfect start to life with new coaches Jean-Christophe Faurel and Matt Daly after she parted ways with Brad Gilbert following this year’s US Open.

“I would like to thank the fans. Almost every match has been filled to the brim, so thank you guys for supporting women’s tennis.”

Watched on by her parents, Gauff was hitting the ball more harder and more accurately from the get-go than her opponent as she took a 2-0 and 3-1 lead.

The American won three consecutive games and continued to serve well, winning 94 per cent of points on her first serve, to wrap up the first set in half an hour.

Muchova surprisingly broke Gauff early in the second set to go 2-0 ahead, but lost the next four games and soon trailed 4-3.

Another comfortable hold and a break of serve from Gauff gave her an eighth career WTA Tour title, having only lost one final since turning professional as a 14-year-old in 2018.

Gauff will turn her attention to the Wuhan Open, where she will be in action mid-week. Britain’s Katie Boulter and top seed Aryna Sabalenka will also be competing in the WTA 1000 tournament.

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Champions Emerge At Lagos Individual Boxing Club Championship 

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The Lagos Individual Boxing Club Championship has been concluded on Sunday at the Bishop Aggey playing ground, Ilassamaja, Mushin, Lagos.

Boxers from different boxing clubs in the state assembled for the week-long tourney designed to churn out more talents, eliminating juvenile delinquency and in preparations for the forthcoming “Gateway Games” in the neighbouring Ogun State.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Director General, Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, reiterated the commitment of the state in propagating grassroots sports development, noting that the commission would continously bringing initiative that will encourage the youths to take active part across different sporting areas.

He noted that the identified boxers will be presented to the sport association in state so that their talents can be properly nurtured to further shape their career in their choosing discipline.

“We realized that their is a need for us to further engage the community, particularly the young people in productive activities and also to help them harnessed their hidden sporting talents”, said Fatodu.

However, Abeeb Adekunle, who fought under the badge of Owonikoko Boxing Club, won a gold medal in the 80kg category, following his winning streak at the championship. Omotajo Semiu won a gold medal after dominating the 75kg weight category, while Lawal Ismail grabbed a gold medal in the 71kg.

Also, in the female weight categories, Adura Patience from Owonikoko Boxing Club, Divine Emmanuel, Owonikoko Boxing Club, and Jinadu Ikimat, Star Boxing Club, clinched gold medals in 70kg 86kg and 61kg respectively.

Director, Sports Development, LSSC, Nunayon Travih, stressed that the identified boxers at the championship would be monitored and guided to achieve their potential in the course of their discipline.

Travih added that with their ability and dexterity in the boxing ring they would be expose to proper guidance and routine training in order to continue to hone their skills.

Director, Technical Department, Usman Okunnu, posited that the championship is part of the lineup activities of the LSSC to put the state’s athletes in proper positions for the forthcoming national competitions and to also catch them young at the grassroots level.

He said apart from boxing there are other events like blind sports, cricket, softball among others coming up in different locations.

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Pro Wrestling Training In Benin Republic: World Wrestling Approval Thrills Olukoya

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Secretary General of Pro Wrestling Africa (PWA), Olusesan Olukoya, has expressed his happiness over the approval given by the Alliance of Independent Wrestling Federation to the zone to host a professional wrestling training sessions in Benin Republic.

Olukoya, who is one of the resource person at the expected training said with the approval, the aim and objective of promoting professional wrestling across Africa and especially Benin Republic, has begun in earnest.

“The world wrestling body already given us approval for the training taking place over two days; November 16 and 17, in Cotonou, Benin Republic,” he said.

“There are so many talents in Benin Republic and we just need to give them necessary training about what and what professional wrestling entails.”

In the approval letter from AIWF and signed by the Executive Director of the body, Matt Creed, it was stated that their goal is to provide aspiring wrestlers in Benin Republic with a platform to enhance their abilities and to grow the local wrestling community in a positive and sustainable manner.

The statement added: “We are pleased to inform you that the Alliance of Independent Wrestling Federation has granted approval for professional wrestling training sessions to be conducted in Benin Republic.

“These sessions, which are part of our ongoing commitment to expanding the global reach of professional wrestling, will focus on skill development, safety, and professional standards in the sport.

“The training programme will be overseen by the President of AIWF Africa and Secretary General of Pro Wrestling Africa (PWA), Olusesan Olukoya, who has extensive experience in managing and promoting wrestling activities across various regions.”

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African Champion Esther Kolawole Wins Medal At U23 World Wrestling Championships In Albania

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Reigning African champion Esther Kolawole has secured a bronze medal in the 62kg weight class at the 2024 u23 World Wrestling Championships in Tirana, Albania.

Kolawole in the 16th round, lost to USA Macey Kilty 3-3 on criteria.

However, the 2024 Paris Olympian in a Repachage match, defeated Tynys Dubek of Kazakhstan by a 10-0 superiority score, having beaten Venezuela’s Astrid Montero with same scoreline 10-0.

Undeterred, Esther Kolawole secured the bronze medal with an emphatic 10-0 superiority win over Viktoria Vesso of Estonia.

Reacting to the win in Albania, the President Nigeria Wrestling Federation, Hon. Daniel Igali applauded the motivated reaction of Esther Kolawole after she lost in the 16th round.

Daniel Igali, who, alongside Coach Akuh Purity, led Esther Kolawole to the championship, expressed confidence that the experience will shape her for future international events. “Esther was unlucky not be in the finals of this event. Our goal is to start the preparation for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in earnest. Getting on the podium at the U-23 world championships is a step towards that goal”.

Kolawale is expected to return back to Nigeria in readiness for the 3rd Gov. Diri National Championships from 5-9 November in Yenagoa.

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