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Tennis: British Veteran Evans Awarded Wimbledon Wildcard

Tennis: British Veteran Evans Awarded Wimbledon Wildcard

Former British number one Dan Evans has been given a wildcard into the men’s singles draw at Wimbledon later this month.

Evans, 35, recently regained his place in the world’s top 200 and the news comes two days after the former world number 21 earned his biggest win in two years.

Two-time women’s singles champion Petra Kvitova has also received a wildcard, which are given to players who are not ranked high enough for direct entry.

Czech former world number two Kvitova is the only non-British player named in the initial batch of wildcards announced on Wednesday.

Teenagers Mika Stojsavljevic – the US Open girls’ champion last year – and Hannah Klugman – the French Open girls’ finalist earlier this month – have also been given entry into the main draw.

Jodie Burrage, Harriet Dart, Francesca Jones and Heather Watson will join them, but French Open semi-finalist Lois Boisson is a notable omission.

The grass-court Grand Slam tournament begins at the All England Club on 30 June.

Evans rewarded after refusing to ‘ask’ for wildcard
A stalwart of the British game, Evans said last year he did not want to be “coming back to ask” for a Wimbledon wildcard.

But the world number 199 has been rewarded by the All England Club after continuing to persevere on the lower-tier ATP Challenger Tour.

Evans has insisted he believes he still has the level to break back into the world’s top 100 – which is good enough for direct entry into the sport’s four Grand Slam tournaments.

On Monday, he demonstrated his faith was well placed in an impressive win over 13th-ranked Frances Tiafoe in the Queen’s first round.

“I’m the first to harp on about the wildcards. It’s not just about one week or one match. It’s about what you do 52 weeks of the year,” Evans said after beating former US Open semi-finalist Tiafoe.

“Tennis is not just about the grass court season in Britain. It’s great that we’ve got an amazing set of events, but there is other tournaments.

“I haven’t been good enough at those other tournaments, but I’ve still been professional, still train day in, day out.”

Who else has received a wildcard?
Seven British players – Jack Draper, Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Jacob Fearnley, Cameron Norrie and Billy Harris – are all ranked high enough to receive direct entry into the 128-player singles draws.

On Wednesday, wildcards were given to seven British men’s players with one spot to be confirmed over the next fortnight.

Men’s singles wildcards: Jay Clarke, Oliver Crawford, Dan Evans, George Loffhagen, Johannus Monday, Jack Pinnington Jones, Henry Searle.

All eight wildcards in the women’s draw were announced, with a third promising teenager – 17-year-old Welsh player Mimi Xiu – joining Stojsavljevic and Klugman.

Women’s singles wildcards: Jodie Burrage, Harriet Dart, Francesca Jones, Hannah Klugman, Petra Kvitova, Mika Stojsavljevic, Heather Watson, Mimi Xu.

The wildcards are chosen at the discretion of the Wimbledon committee.

“Wildcards are usually offered on the basis of past performance at Wimbledon or to increase British interest,” the tournament said.

Bbc.com

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NSC Hails Junior D’Tigress On Winning Start At FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup

 

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has congratulated the Junior D’Tigress of Nigeria for their remarkable start to the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Czech Republic.

The Nigerian U19 Women’s Basketball Team secured a thrilling 93-88 victory over China in their opening group match.

Despite trailing 44-38 at halftime, the Nigerian girls mounted a spirited comeback in the second half, showcasing resilience, skill, and heart.

NSC Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, hailed the performance as a “victory of belief and preparation,” commending the athletes for making the nation proud on the global stage.

“This victory is not just a win on the court—it is a statement of what Nigerian sports can achieve with focus, teamwork, and the right support. Our J’Tigress U19 girls have demonstrated courage and resilience, and we are extremely proud of them,” said Mallam Shehu Dikko.

Furthermore, Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, praised the team’s fighting spirit and discipline:

“Today’s triumph is a testament to the growing strength of women’s basketball in Nigeria. The composure, technical discipline, and collective effort from the players and coaching crew speak volumes. We salute the J’Tigress and assure them of our full support as they progress in the tournament.”

The standout performer of the day, rising basketball star Nora Ezike, delivered an electrifying performance with 25 points—16 of them in the decisive fourth quarter—to help seal the memorable win for Nigeria.

The NSC extends its congratulations to the team, coaching staff, and all stakeholders involved in this success, encouraging Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to continue supporting the team as they aim for further glory at the World Cup.

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Nigeria’s Valentine Chiemelie Thinks Big Ahead CAA Athletics Championship

A dominant figure in Team Nigeria to the Confederation of Africa Athletics U-18/U-20 Championship, Valentine Chiemelie, on Saturday, expressed happiness in representing Nigeria at the event.

He made his feelings known in an exclusive interview with your authoritative and award-winning news channel, FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG’S Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye.

He stated that this is his first time representing Nigeria, and he will do everything within his power to make it count.

The terrific javelinist made his presence felt in Shagamu, during the National Trials and is very confident he can make it happen again, at the Rock City, Abeokuta, Ogun State during the championship.

“I’m happy to be representing Nigeria on the continental stage, I’m a bit nervous, it’s my first dawning the colours of my country, but I will make my presence felt,” he said.

He emphasized that he had begun training for this moment, immediately after the MTN Championship Grand Finale Season 3.

“I’ve been training for the trials for a time, after I came back from the MTN Championship Grand Finale Season 3, which I had my javelin throw there and I won a bronze medal, I was so excited and very happy, and then I started training for the National Trials, although not intensely, I thank God that I made it in this trials, God has been my backbone all the way,” Valentine stated.

He commended the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, (AFN) and the Nigeria Sports Commission, (NSC), for the pre-championship camping, stressing that it has been a platform for athletes to sharpen their skills.

He went on to add that the camp has been a memorable one for him as athletes have been given the best from feeding to accommodation.

“The camp is going great, the accommodation is excellent, the feeding is great, training has been exceptional,” he added.

Over 700 athletes will be participating in the age grade competition, slated for July 16-20, 2025.

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Wrestling: Lt Col Okou Urges Customs Comptroller General To Run For NWF Presidential Election

 

An International Wrestling referee, Lieutenant Colonel Okou Femedein Timipre, has called on the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR to present himself as the Armed Forces, Police and Paramilitary constituency’s presidential candidate ahead of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation Elections

The call became imperative considering the Customs Boss’ antecedents to sports development, particularly Wrestling

Lt Col Okou, in a statement issued out said relatively Comptroller Adeniyi, has shown distinctive attributes and characteristics, indicating how well he satisfies requirements and expectations

Lieutenant Colonel Okou, who is a member of the World Military Sports Science Commission, maintained that the impeccable contribution of CG Adeniyi to the development of wrestling is unmatched

Pleading on behalf of the Armed Forces, Police and Paramilitary constituency for the candidature of CG Adeniyi as President of Nigeria Wrestling Federation

Equally, Dr. Okou urged President Daniel Igali, Board Members, and the Nigeria Wrestling Stakeholders to accept Adeniyi’s candidature from his constituency, who has contributed immensely to the growth of the sport

Okou acknowledged that the Wrestling Federation needs a successor who has the capacity to continue the developmental policies under the leadership of honourable Daniel Igali while maintaining the standards the Wrestling Federation has attained globally.

Lieutenant Colonel Okou Femedein Timipre stressed that with the collaborative support of every stakeholder, the Nigeria Wrestling Federation has the potential to win world and Olympic gold under CG Adeniyi, adding that the current NWF Board led by Daniel Igali has laid salient foundation to consolidate upon.

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