Nigeria Boxing Federation suspends Azania Omo-Agege over insubordination

The board of Nigeria Boxing Federation has indefinitely suspended it's Vice President, Azania Omo-Agege.

In a letter signed by the Secretary General of Nigeria Boxing Federation, Akinyele Oladapo; Azania Omo-Agege impersonated as President of  NBF which was confirmed by various African Boxing Federation Presidents.

According to the statement, the suspension was taken at the board meeting held on 11th November 2023 in which he was able to defend his actions concerning the unauthorised press release/letter to the International Boxing Association (IBA) that embarrassed the Nigeria Boxing Federation, Nigeria Olympic Committee, Federal Ministry of Sports and the entire country.

The statement revealed that Azania Omo-Agege forged and printed letterhead of the NBF without approval.

The statement read; "At no time has Azania Omo-Agege briefed or written any report on the outcome of meetings at AFBC and IBA for the action of the President.

"That you failed to utilise the opportunity provided by the board to reconcile you and the President at the last zoom meeting.

"That you constituted yourself as one man parallel body against the majority of the board who affirmed the decision to join the World Boxing body as a step in the right direction for the growth of boxing.

"Your claim to IBA that President of Nigeria Boxing Federation Lieutenant General Kenneth Minimah has ceased to be President according to constitution is null and void as well as embarrassing.

The statement requested Azania Omo-Agege to withdraw the letter written to IBA on Nigeria, the suit against the World body, issue a press release denouncing the earlier release, write an apology to the President as well as board within 21 days.

2020 Tokyo Olympics : Kida Lauds Sports Minister support

The Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Caretaker Committee Chairman Engineer Ahmadu Musa Kida has expressed  appreciation to the Minister of Youth and Sports Development Chief Sunday Dare for the supportive role he played during the Tokyo Olympics  Games. 

 Engr Kida who spoke in Abuja said the Minister worked assiduously to ensure that the he lapses created on the Nigeria Basketball teams by the International Olympic Committee through the Nigeria Olympic Committee were corrected

"I commend the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Chief Sunday Dare on his role in ensuring that the Basketball teams have a full complement of their officials at the Olympics games in Tokyo ".

The NBBF boss said with the incident that happened at the Olympics, both the IOC and NOC can be accused of tactically sabotaged the efforts of the Nigeria Basketball teams from getting to the podium at the games. 

The Chairman further  described the wrong instruction given to the Nigeria Basketball Federation by the  International Olympic Committee through National Olympic Committee (NOC) before the event as assumed sabotage that became a cog in the wheel of acceleration of Nigeria  teams at the  2020 Olympic games in Tokyo.

 

According to him, "we were always entitled to a full complements of our officials  in the Games, but after our preparations, and getting to the Olympic proper, the NOC came with the a directive that we are only entitled to only 3 officials which included only two technical officials. 

" I was very sad to understand that they are only going to allow  three of our technical officials, instead of the eight or nine which we are already used to. This actually affected the team immensely and cost us the first two games". 

“We became more suspicious when the games began, we discovered  that other countries were carrying full complements of their coaches and officials, even countries that do no have as many athletes as we did". 

"From there, the players became demoralized no doubt, as they could not have their coaches that could be giving them  the needed technical talks. What NBBF did though, was to make sure that everybody was on ground. That hurt us so badly, no doubt about it."

"We interrogated the Basketball governing body FIBA who actually claimed ignorance on why such an instructions came from the IOC at the Olympics. It was the same situation for the men and the women teams " Kida stated 

 

Kida said, "seeing the situation on ground, the Minister rallied round to see that there were increase in the number of our officials for the teams". 

“The Minister really helped us in all out by ensuring that we had an increase in the number of officials, by then, we had lost the first two matches at the Olympics. 

It was through the efforts of the Minister that the camp was finalized without any issue . This was enough boost for us, we can't thank the Minister enough". 

“Nigerians should be proud of us, for us to go to the Olympics, there were many basketball nations that could not make it but as for Nigeria, both Men and Women teams participated, I take pride in that and I would like us to build on that, and want Nigerians to Commend the Minister for his support" Kida concluded.

19 medals in Six Weeks - Sunday Dare marches on as Sports Minister

In just over two years in office, Nigeria sports minister Sunday Akin Dare has broken many performance records and is looking more like a man on the pedestrian to more successes. 

History will remember him as one man who defied the odds to excel where his predecessors failed. 

At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Team Nigeria won 3 Silver and 2 Bronze medals to finish 57th on the overall medals table. Between 2008 and 2016, Nigeria has performed woefully at the games but in 2020, Dare led team Nigeria to two Silver and One Bronze medal to help erase the sad memories of the last 13years.

It is very important to state here, that the outbreak of the Corona Virus Pandemic negatively affected team Nigeria's preparation for the games as most of the sporting Federations couldn't travel out in good time, to commence preparation ahead of the games, however, they athletes and the ministry were able to put behind them these setbacks to make history in Tokyo

Dare and his team were able to motivate the team, morally and financially ahead of the games. That perhaps explains the reason why the 'gallant team Nigeria defied all the odds to excel beyond all expectations. 

In less than 6 weeks, the Sports Ministry under the able leadership of Sunday Dare have also gone ahead to silence it's critics with a sterling performance at the Under 20 World championship in Kenya. 

Nigeria’s U-20 track and field athletes have made at the biennial World Athletics U20 championships after finishing third on the overall medals table with an unprecedented haul of four gold and three bronze medals.

The highest Nigeria has achieved on the medals table prior to the just-ended event in Kenya, was her seventh-placed finish at the third edition of the championships in 1990 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, where they won two gold, two silver and two bronze medals.

The four gold medals won at the just ended championships in Nairobi, Kenya is the highest Nigeria has won, two more than the country has ever won in any edition of the championships.

Nigeria’s 4x400m mixed relay team began the unprecedented haul with its historic, championships record-setting performance (3:19.70CR) on the opening day of the championships.

To cap it all, Team Nigeria's contingent to the Paralympic games have continued to perform wonders. 

With four gold, one silver and three bronze medals, Nigeria maintains 3rd spot in Africa and 32nd on the overall medals table.

These laudable achievements only goes to show that the dedication and passion the Sports Ministry under the leadership of Sunday Dare is putting into achieving success at all levels of sports is gradually yielding dividends. So far, Nigeria has won over 20 medals from 3 global sporting events and have also succeeded in breaking existing records at all levels. 

It will be recalled that the sports Ministry under Sunday Dare, set up the Athletes Welfare scheme, which is the first of it's kind in the history of sports administration in Nigeria. This programme is designed to help retired and tired Nigeria athletes with financial grants. That singular move, has further made present Nigerian athletes to have confidence in the ministry and has increased their level of dedication and patriotism to National service. 

Beyond that, the ministry also provided scholarship for four young Nigeria athletes to study in the United States of America. 

According to Nigeria sports minister Sunday Dare, the intention is to encourage budding talents to add education to sports. 

It is also important to state here that the minister have always emphasized on equal attention to youth and sports development. Unlike his predecessors who concentrated more on the sports sector, Dare has done excellently well in the youth ministry. Some of his notable achievements include

1. Training over 100,000 youths in diverse digital skills under the IBM, Google and Microsoft programs.  

2. The ministry supported 6,000 youth entrepreneurs and SMES with direct soft loans under the National youth investment fund program. 

3. The ministry also offered work internships to over 5,000 youths, under the WEP initiative

4. The sports Ministry under the leadership of Sunday Dare developed and implemented a Private Public Partnership model for sports, under the 'Adopt an Athlete' initiative that has delivered over 4million dollars or close to 2billion naira to sports and youth development. Under this initiative, the ministry was able to secure direct financial support for about 22 Nigerian athletes to support their training for the Olympics and the Under 20 World championship 

  In the area of infrastructure renovation, the ministry is almost at the final stage of renovation work at the Moshood Abiola international Stadium in Abuja, while work at the National stadium in Lagos is also at a good pace. 

Let's not also forget that it is under the leadership of Sunday Dare, that the Daura stadium in Katsina state got total renovation. 

In just over two years, Sunday Dare has left tongues wagging as Athletes, officials and key stakeholders who once questioned his choice as sports minister when he was first appointed, are now singing his praises to the heavens, hoping that in four years, he would have taken Nigeria sports to that enviable height we all have always dreamt of.

Tokyo 2020: Igali wants private sector investment in sports, says 'there are no shortcuts to success

 

By Akin Bolarinwa 

Bayelsa state Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Honourable Daniel Igali has called for private sector to invest more in sports development. 

The Caretaker boss of the Nigeria Wrestling Federation advocates for a private driven sports environment because government alone can not fund sports. 

"I only wish the private sector will be more motivated and involved in our Olympic preparations and multi sport games and the preparation of our athletes". 

The Former Olympian stated that, Nigerians must also provide the needed manpower to support the federations both in administration and on the technical level ground.

 

"Why can’t we individually and collectively donate to support these athletes all through the 4 years," Igali asked rhetorically? Adding that "if we do then we should be expecting medals at every Olympics."

The former member of the Bayelsa state house of assembly declared that, there are no shortcuts to success except provision of sufficient funds and proper planning and that should be our main focus immediately after the conclusion of this event.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics: 'You are indeed a blessing to Nigeria', Sports Minister hails Oborodudu

Blessing Oborodudu's feat of qualifying for the final of the  68 kg female wrestling  event of the 2020 Olympic  has been  described  as a blessing that  wiped away the pain of the near misses in other events.

Minister  of Youth and sports Development Mr Sunday said " This is Real Blessing to  Nigeria. Thank you blessing for wiping  away the pain of the near misses  recorded in other events. 

Nigerians are proud of you. The display is typical  of the never say die Nigerian  spirit. Keep the tempo going until we reach the ultimate  which is the gold. Dont give up the fight until you re-write Nigerian Olympics  history  with a gold medal in the kitty"

Blessing becomes Nigeria's first medalist in Wrestling.

 Her  qualification for the finals  guarantees a  gold medal or silver. 

 Odunayo Adekuoroye , Ese Brume and Grace Nwokocha are still in the running for medals.

Oborodudu defeated Azerbaijan's  Elis Manolova  and  Meerim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan to advance to her first Olympic semi finals.

Signed

*Media Office of the Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports Development*

Video: Blessing becomes Nigeria's first medalist in Wrestling

 

Oborodudu has indeed brought blessing for Team Nigeria at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Blessing who defeated her opponent in the Semi final category of wrestling where she won convincely to the delight of the coach and as well the scanty spectators. 

She has qualified for the finals she will either pick up the gold medal or silver which means Team Nigeria has finally secured the first medal in Tokyo2020 Olympics while waiting for the likes of Adekuoroye Odunayo, Ese Brume and host of medals to do the magic by picking up medals for Team Nigeria and Grace Nwokocha is not left out.

She beat Azerbaijani Elis Manolova & Meerim Zhumanazarova of Kyrgyzstan to advance to her first Olympic semi finals.

Tokyo 2020: Are commends Minister's effort in managing athletes ineligibility challenges

Former Director Of Grassroots Sports  Development  Dr Ademola Are has commended Sports  Minister Mr. Sunday Dare's efforts in charting a new course for the future of Nigerian  athletes.

Dr Are urged  the Minister to remain strong and  focused despite some let down, insisting  that the athletes have  proudly represented the country to the best of their abilities.

"The positive results of your determined efforts would be manifested in no distant future".

Anyone running their mouths should compare Nigeria's placements in sports with other government  Ministries and Department Agencies (MDAS)in the world rankings despite all the challenges. 

"The Lord is your strength and he will  reward  your efforts".

As a former athlete, I know how it feels, but your investment  will bring great reward  in the nearest future.

The future of Nigerian  sports is very bright" Are affirmed.

Tokyo 2020: Nigeria's Mixed 4x400m team excited by African Record set on debut

Although they would have been hoping to at least make the final of their event at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics, Nigeria's Mixed 4x400m quartet comprising Emmanuel Ojeli, Imaobong Nse Uko, Samson Nathaniel and Patience Okon-George will leave the competition with their heads held high after storming to a new African Record of 3:13.60 to finish 5th in their semi final race.

Speaking after the race, Okon-George revealed that the squad is consoled by the African Record they set while competing at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. 

She said, "The last race we ran back in June was 3:14.09 and the 3:13.60 we ran today is good. We are happy with the new African Record. It was not easy running with 43second runners on the anchor leg. Now that we haven't made it to the final, I'm just going to be focused and get ready for the 400m. I think I'm good to go". 

Teammate Emmanuel Ojeli also revelled in the fact that the quartet made history by becoming the first African team to qualify for and compete at the Olympics. 

"We have been trying so hard to qualify in the 4x400m men and women so when we heard that the Mixed Relays was going to hold, we just needed to put ourselves together to qualify for the event. We are the first African team to qualify for the event at the Olympics and ran an African Record as well", he said.

The quartet will now set their sights towards qualifying for next year's World Championships in Oregon. 

Medical expert advocates CPR training for athletes

 As the Tokyo 2020 is about to begin, a medical expert Dr Adedamola Mosuro has advocated for an immediate chest compression training for all participants in the games. 

Dr Mosuro who was the Guest of the Ex-University of Ibadan Footballers Association virtual interactive program at the weekend said the training is very important for everyone, and every sportsman and woman should be able to carry it out. 

Quoting his words, the medical expert said "Everyone should register for a basic life support course and learn how to do CPR. It's nothing fancy. This basic support is what they did to Erikson on the field recently. Anyone can do it, anyone can have what Erikson had on any field. Considering, how fit Erikson was as a professional player, he still had heart attack. If nothing was done when they were done, and the way they were done, the guy would have died. So, knowing basic life support is very crucial, not just you, the children as well. It should be made compulsory for everyone participating in sports. 

"The children at home, should be able to administer it. They can be a life saver at any point in time . They should be well trained on it, so that they can do chest compression immediately and rescue the life of the affected person. If you have something choking your throat, they can do a manouvre to bring out those things. Don't think it's only a doctor that can do this. You are the first treatment. Let everyone know how to do CPR. It's not something fancy, it's what we need to know" the Canada based medical practitioner said.

He further advised that when there is an injury, especially a musculoskeletal one, that one should avoid trying to pull or push the joints (as we usually do on the pitch). "Reduce mobility of the joint and get an xray as soon as possible".

 He advised for regular exercises, about 3 days per week for 30- 45 minutes of moderate  depending on the person's ability.

Fidelity Bank Boosts Basketball Teams with N15 Million

Nigeria's National Basketball Teams D' Tigers and  D' Tigress quest for Olympics medal has been given further boost  by  another corporate organization Fidelity Bank.

The bank has extended support  to the male and female  National Basketball teams by doling  out USD30,000 (about N15 million). 

Following a pitch by the Minister of Youth and sports Development Mr. Sunday Dare,  Access Bank, Zenith Bank and Guarantee Trust Bank  had collectively given USD200,000 to the team last week.

The Banks gesture followed appeal by the Minister for corporates Bodies  to adopt athletes and teams, even as the male team, D’Tigers climbed to world’s number four position following  their impressive win over top ranked United States.

The USD30,000 is to be jointly shared by D’Tigers and the female team, D’Tigress.

The Minister said the gesture  will spur the teams to perform well in Tokyo.

The Minister had also intervened to secure the release of the team's kits at the Port.

Signed

Media office of the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development

Tokyo 2020: Sunday Dare raising the bar with special attention on Team Nigeria

It is not by coincidence that President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Mr Sunday Akin Dare as the Minister of Youth Sports in his second term administration.

The President may have seen what we didn't see and its now manifesting with how the minister has been taking care of happenings that concern youth and sports in Nigeria. 

Sunday Dare's immense focus, attention and support to the Team Nigeria that will be hoisting the country's flag in Tokyo, Japan for the Olympics is another first of its kind. 

The minister did not only provided the needed logistics for the Team Nigeria, he made himself available to inspire the athletes and officials.

He will be seen around the team at the training grounds, preparatory tourneys as well as well adopting many of them to his 'adopt an athlete' initiative.

The Minister having a breakfast with Nigerian athletes preparing to go to Tokyo 2020 Olympics is another of his passion for sports and zeal to achieve greatness with the Team Nigeria.

It is a also a prove that Mr Sunday is a Minister with vigour, zeal, passion and one with the interest of the gladiators at heart.

It is no doubt that, with the kind of motivation, moral and financial supports he's made available to the Team Nigeria, the country is bound to record more success in Tokyo.

Saraki Tasks MTN over Sports Development in Nigeria

Lhttps://www.today.ng/news/nigeria/185884/saraki-tasks-mtn-sports-development-nigeria

President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday challenged MTN Nigeria to play an increased role in sports development in the country.

Aruna Quadri Leads in Olympic Icon Electoral Process

.... As Nigeria Olympic Fund’s voting details emerge

As part of the new private initiatives to make a difference in the funding of sports in the country, the joint programme of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) and the Nigeria Sports Development Fund Inc (NSDFI) in setting up the Nigeria Olympic Fund has yielded some great surprises.

Rio 2016: Mikel Obi Inspires Nigeria to Book Semi-Final Place

Goals by captain John Mikel Obi and Aminu Umar steered African champions Nigeria past Denmark in the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016 quarter finals in Salvador on Saturday.

Rio 2016: Sports Minister, NFF Wade into U23 Issues

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung and NFF President Amaju Pinnick have moved quickly to douse feelings of discontent in the Nigeria U23 team camp, ahead of Saturday’s Men’s Olympic Football Tournament quarter –final clash with Denmark.