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Nigeria Promises Epoch U20/U18 African Junior Championship In Abeokuta

Following the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta titled Ogun Gateway 2024 which was adjudged the best in the history of Nigeria, the National Sports Commission leadership has once again expressed its optimism and financial capacity to host another epoch making event called Conference of African Athletes (CAA) U20/U18 African Junior Championship in Abeokuta, come July 16 to 20, 2025.

Speaking during a World Press Conference at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Media Center in Abuja, the Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade who is also the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) said, when the Chairman of the National Sports Commission Mallam Shehu Dikko appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he was clear on his intention.

“To empower young people through sports; creating sports economy within sports, and also creating wealth for young men and women through small scale businesses and to harness and develop young talents”, he stated.

He said the forthcoming championship in Abeokuta is a one of the interventions of Mallam Shehu Dikko when he traveled to Algeria, where he solicited that Nigeria has the capacity to host the championship.

The DG told the media men that the sponsorship of the junior athletic championship is a public service/private sector partnership.

“The public service are standing up to be counted and the private sector are also standing to be counted. We cannot give you the figures, but we will do the final accounting and it will be left for Mallam Shehu Dikko to approve the final figure.

“Some corporate bodies trust us and are ready to support us”, he stressed.

So far, Hon. Bukola said the Conference of African Athletes (CAA), has contributed $300USSD to the event. He mentioned other corporate institutions such as the MTN, the Bank of Industries, etc. who also indicated their willingness for sponsorship too.

He mentioned emphatically that”we have enough money to host this championship.”

He emphasized that for this coming championship, “we have a strategy which is for capacity building, to discover young talents and develop them for both local and international championship.”

Talking to the leader of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN), the DG said, “Your mandate is simple: produce new athletes that can compete with established athletes because I am sure, that is what the whole country wants to see.

“Let AFN go and churn out new talents that will become world beaters in readiness for Commonwealth wold games at Los Angeles, in November 2028”, he added.

He charged them also to ensure that they create a system where money can be in the pockets of, not just the athletes alone but other stakeholders as well.

He mentioned that the total numbers of the contingents so far will participate in the championship are 583 from thirty countries.According to CAA, about 50 countries are expected to participate in the games but only 34 countries have shown entries.

On OfiliGate, the DG said the news about Ofili defection to Turkey is still an allegation.

“There is no official communication from Ofili or from AFN.I personally love her, and I am speaking the mind of Mallam Dikko. She is our daughter and want her to continue to represent Nigeria.

The DG finally charged the journalists to ensure they always promote Nigeria well in their reportage.

According to Gabriel Okon, that it was in a championship the likes of Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume where captured and now they are world breakers.

“I encourage everybody to come out and encourage these young athletes. It is not a do or die affairs; we are trying to encourage them to compete, to come up and to pick them and nurture”, he emphasized.

Okon assured that his team is ready.

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Related Topics:Conference of African Athletes (CAA) U20/U18 African Junior Championship

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Boxing: Crocker-Donovan Rematch Gets World Title Status

The rematch between Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan has been officially upgraded to a world title fight with the vacant IBF welterweight belt now on the line.

Promoters Matchroom Boxing confirmed on Thursday that the title previously held by American Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis would be the prize for the winner of the rematch.

The bout will be the first time two boxers from the island of Ireland have met in a world title fight.

A date and venue has yet to be confirmed but Saturday, 13 September has been floated as a potential date with Windsor Park, the home of the Northern Ireland football team, the preferred venue.

Speaking to BBC Sport NI in June, Matchroom Boxing chief executive Frank Smith said things were “moving the right direction” for the fight to take place at the football stadium and that talks with the Irish Football Association had been “positive”.

The first meeting between the pair on 1 March was a final eliminator for the IBF title and ended in controversial fashion with Crocker taking the win by disqualification in front of a 8,500 crowd at the SSE Arena in Belfast.

Donovan, who had twice previously been deducted points, was thrown out at the end of the eighth round for punching after the bell.

An appeal from Donovan’s team resulted in the IBF granting a rematch which would again serve as a final eliminator for the world title but with champion Ennis moving up to the light-middleweight, the belt became vacant.

Bbc.com

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Ahead Federation Election: Judo President, Oshodi Receives Support From Nasarawa Stata

The Nasarawa State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has assured President of the Nigeria Judo Federation, Dr. Musa Oshodi, of its support for his re-election bid.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu Alhassan, gave the assurance when he received the National President of the Judo Federation and his entourage who were in Lafia, the State capital, on Thursday, to solicit support.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary said, “We heard about your coming, and, and we have also heard about the good things you have done for us as a State, ranging from donations of sporting equipment to other supports, particularly to one of the aspiring daughters of our State, Esther Obile Allu, who is currently a certified International Judo Referee and Financial Secretary of the Nigeria Judo Referees’ Association.

“These are, indeed, proud moments for us as a State.

“As a State, we like continuity and advancement. We kindly request your further supports for our coaches and athletes to be at par with their counterparts around the world.

“On behalf of my principal, the Honourable Commissioner, who has directed me to receive you on his behalf, I want to thank you for the numerous pledges you have made to develop our Judo activities and personnel which align with the blueprint of the current administration of Governor Abdullahi Sule for sports and talent development in the State.

“Kindly consider Nasarawa State in your developmental programmes once you assume the function of your second tenure.

“Your leadership has supported and stood for Nasarawa State in sundry ways. It’s now only right to reciprocate the gesture by supporting your desire to vie again for the position of the President of the Nigeria Judo Federation.

“Rest assured that you have our full support for the next Federation’s election. We will also use our contacts and networks across other States to campaign for you so that you will emerge victorious at the end of the contest.

“Only by your victory can we benefit from your myriads of programmes for our State”, the Permanent Secretary remarked.

Speaking earlier, President of the Nigeria Judo Federation, Dr. Musa Oshodi, revealed the essence of his visit to Nasarawa State.

“Nasarawa is an important State to me, not because I am seeking re-election but because of things we have done together in the past and still doing today.

“The State has contributed immensely to judo development in the country, particularly to talent development, where one of your great ambassadors, Mrs. Esther Obile Allu, has continued to distinguish herself in the sport as she is about being the only female Nigerian recognized by the International Judo Federation as a certified referee – she is the latest and most up-to-date referee we have in the Nigeria Judo Federation today.

“In an ideal situation, a State with such passion for Judo development should be a stop-over spot for anyone who desires the best in this sport.

“I want Nasarawa State to benefit more under my leadership, which is why I have come to reveal some of the lofty packages I have for the State and its judo community.

“I kindly solicit your support to enable me emerge victorious next month when our election will hold”, the Lagos State-based Judo Federation President appealed.

Oshodi who is seeking a second, four-year tenure added that his second tenure would be characterized with massive infrastructural development, capacity building, and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships with organisations and individuals around the world to move the Judo Federation in Nigeria to Category A from its current Category C in the league of the International Judo Federation.

He said he would ensure a National Judo Tournament is held in Nasarawa State in honour of Governor Abdullahi Sule in appreciation of his massive support to Judo development in the State and Nigeria.

Oshodi assumed office as President of the Nigeria Judo Federation about four years ago.

Directors and a few staff of the Ministry joined the Permanent Secretary in receiving the President and his team.

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Cycling: Healy Claims First Tour Stage; Van Der Poel Regains Yellow

Ireland’s Ben Healy produced a stunning solo break to win stage six of the Tour de France while Mathieu van der Poel regained the race leader’s yellow jersey.

Healy and Van der Poel spent most of the 201.5km hilly stage in an eight-man breakaway before the former attacked with 42km remaining.

The EF Education-EasyPost rider then pulled away to claim his first stage win on the Tour, crossing the line in Vire Normandie almost three minutes before Quinn Simmons and Michael Storer.

Dutchman Van der Poel came in about four minutes after Healy, followed by Tadej Pogacar at the front of the peloton, and the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider had done enough to take the yellow jersey back from reigning champion Pogacar by one second.

Healy was in the breakaway several times last year, when he finished 27th on his debut, and the 24-year-old said he targeted this hilly stage when the route was announced.

“Last year was a real eye-opener and it really made me believe that I could do it,” he said.

“It’s really incredible and [down to] hours and hours of hard work by so many people. To pay them back today is really amazing.”

Pogacar claimed the yellow jersey from Van der Poel after Wednesday’s time trial

There were six categorised climbs on the route from Bayeux, with the temperature rising to 27C, yet the peloton maintained a ferocious average speed of 47km per hour (29mph) over the first three hours.

Healy and Simmons were the first to go clear, with the likes of Van der Poel, British rider Simon Yates and Irish debutant Eddie Dunbar soon joining them in the lead group.

They were clear of the peloton for more than 100km and had a gap of almost four minutes when Healy made his move on the flat before the final three climbs.

By the start of the next climb, Healy led by 47 seconds, and he gradually increased his lead on his way to what was ultimately a comfortable win.

“Once I was in [the break] we really had to work for that gap,” Healy added.

“I knew I needed to get away from the group and picked my moment. I think I timed it well and hopefully caught them by surprise.”

It was Ireland’s 15th Tour stage win, by seven riders, and the country’s first since Sam Bennett won the last stage of the 2020 edition on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

Dunbar made it two Irish riders in the first four on the stage while Van der Poel sat up and came in eighth, potentially saving energy for stage seven.

It is another hilly stage, covering 197km from Saint-Malo to Mur-de-Bretagne Guerledan, where Van der Poel claimed his first stage win in 2021.

Stage six results