Nigeria’s national team, the Super Eagles arrived Cuiaba, in Central Brazil, venue of its next group encounter against Bosnia Herzegovina on Thursday afternoon, for the game scheduled for Saturday evening in the city.
The team which left the Campinas Airport at about 12:15 local time arrived Cuiaba at exactly 1:10 pm after a one hour and 45minutes flight. Cuiaba operates a different time zone from Sao Paulo, which is an hour ahead. The city was warm at the arrival of the team, with temperatures standing at 33 degrees celcius. Pockets of soccer loving Brazilians dotted the route and the front of the hotel to welcome the African champions.
The team was immediately checked into its Hits Pantanal Hotel, which is less than ten minutes drive from the airport. On the team’s entourage were some members of the Nigerian National Assembly, noticeable among them, Alhaja (Hon) Ayo Omidiran, who is the Deputy Chairman of the House Of Representatives Committee on Sports and a former Executive Committee member of the Nigeria Football Association.
Speaking on arrival in Cuiaba, Lazio of Italy midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi, said he can’t wait for Saturday to show how important the game is to him. “One of the players of the Bosnian side is my teammate at Lazio, he plays from the left side of the attack and I want to prove to him that I am a great player at the world stage”, he said with Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, beaming with smiles.
The team will have its first training session in Cuiaba later on Thursday at 5:30pm local time, before taking a rest and preparing for the activities of Friday.
UNIQLO and the International Tennis Federation (ITF) today jointly announced that they have signed a three-year sponsorship agreement for the ITF’s major wheelchair tennis properties.
The agreement sees UNIQLO become the title sponsor of the ITF Wheelchair Tennis Tour and Wheelchair Doubles Masters, as well as an international sponsor of the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Masters.
The partnership will start on 24 June at the BNP Paribas Open de France wheelchair tournament in Paris.
Commenting on today’s announcement, ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti, said: “It is great news for wheelchair tennis that a high profile global brand like UNIQLO has become the title sponsor of the Wheelchair Tennis Tour.
We have been impressed with UNIQLO’s enthusiasm, creativity and vision, and we believe that they will be an outstanding partner for both the ITF and wheelchair tennis, one of the fastest growing Paralympic sports. We welcome their involvement and look forward to working with UNIQLO over the next three years.”
Fast Retailing Chairman, President & CEO Tadashi Yanai said, “We are extremely pleased to have partnered with the International Tennis Federation as the title sponsor of the Wheelchair Tennis Tour.
Shingo Kunieda, Japan’s two-time Paralympic champion and wheelchair world No. 1, six-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and Japanese No. 1 Kei Nishikori are already UNIQLO Global Brand Ambassadors, and we wish to use the sponsorship of the Wheelchair Tennis Tour to help increase the popularity of the sport worldwide.”
The UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour comprises over 160 tournaments in more than 40 countries, including wheelchair tennis events at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
The UNIQLO Wheelchair Doubles Masters is the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis doubles event, and in 2014 will be held in Mission Viejo, California on 5–9 November.
First staged in 2000, the season-ending event currently features the world’s top eight men’s pairs, top six women’s pairs and top four quad pairs.
President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari has insisted that the Super Eagles must keep their discipline and elan as they seek a place in the World Cup’s Round of 16 on Saturday against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Victory against the debutants will most likely guarantee a place in the knock –out rounds for the African champions, who are determined to bring to an end the unflattering record of the championship’s longest winless streak. But Maigari exhorts that even that must be done with great honour and with discipline.
“Football is an amazing game that plays a huge role in international relations, and we must at all times, be conscious of how far our attitude on the field will go in portraying our nation and the people we represent,” Maigari said in Campinas on Wednesday, while visiting the African champions.
Nigeria has not won at the FIFA World Cup since defeating Bulgaria by a lone goal on June 19, 1998 at the Parc des Prince, when Victor Ikpeba finished off a marvelous move by slotting into the net to send the Eagles into the Round of 16 in France, even before their clash with Paraguay.
NFF Chairman Aminu Maigari
A win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, the only European team in the group, will also send Nigeria into the knock –out rounds, and Maigari wants the players to bring out the famous Nigerian spirit as they contest the ball at the Arena Pantanal on Saturday.
“We are a never-say-die people, and we have done it several times in the past. Our people still talk about the Damman Miracle till this day, and we all saw how the Dream Team, led by Nwankwo Kanu, swept aside Brazil and Argentina to win Olympic gold, from position of disadvantage each time.
“Most recently, yourselves were involved in the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, where many people thought we didn’t have a chance after drawing with Burkina Faso and Zambia in our first two matches, only to go all the way and win the Cup.
“I have fervent belief that you will conquer on Saturday and go even further in the competition, but we must all remember to honour our nation and the African continent in the way we behave on the field and off it.”
Maigari wants the usually unflappable Nigerians to maintain their integrity at the biggest stage.
“We have a name to protect and that is to go out there and conduct ourselves with honour and win well, while behaving in a way that our people and our continent will be proud of.”
The Nigerian Basketball Federation has selected 24 players to compete in the first ever Female All Star game. This is part celebration of the 10th anniversary of Zenith Bank’s unbroken sponsorship of the National female basketball league.
The All Star game which will be aired Live on SuperSport is slated for 3pm on Friday June 20, 2014 at the indoor sports hall of the National Stadium.
Two teams Sea Waves and Ocean Breeze will compete for the giant All Star game trophy in the much anticipated exhibition game.
For the Sea Waves team we have:
Atosu Upe (First Deep Water);
Amaka Nwakamma (Dolphins);
Nkechi Akashili (First Deep Water);
Juliet Currency (Dolphins);
Nana Ayisha (FCT Angels);
Christiana Isaac (IGP Queens);
Tinuke Arowosafe (Dolphins);
Uju Nweke (Delta Force);
Kojo Nadege (Dolphins);
Esther Igben (Delta Force);
Nkem Akaraiwe (First Bank) and
Korede Bello (Sunshine Angels) .
The Sea Waves will be coached by First Bank’s Adewunmi Aderemi and assisted by Sunday Asisah of FCT Angels
The Ocean Breeze have all stars:
Patience Whyte (First Bank);
Ebere Okeke (FCT Angels);
Naomi Jonathan (IGP Queens);
Eva Atunuwa (Sunshine Angels);
Theresa Samuel (Customs);
Oluchi Nweke (First Bank);
Rebecca Iritei (Sunshine Angels);
Magdalene Ukato (First Deep Water);
Chioma Udeaja (First Bank);
Abimbola Olumodeji (Customs);
Nancy Irabor Romeo (IGP Queens);
and Fatou Diabate (First Deep Water).
Ocean Breeze will be coached by First Deep Water head coach Lateef Erinfolami and assisted by Dolphins Ochuko okorogwu.
The All Star game will also have a 3 points shootout contest and skills challenge that will involve celebrities, veterans and coaches competing against each other.
Some of the big names expected to take part in the event include Nollywood actor, producer and film maker Kunle Afolayan, Founder and owner of First Deep Water Basketball club Tunde Babalola, national team coaches Abdulrahman Muhammed, Lateef Erinfolami, and some former female league stars Taiye Adeniyi, Shola Ogunade, Ochuko Okworogun and Gloria Edward.
Five of the players who represented Nigeria in the Milo African Under-13 championships have been invited to the Nigeria under-15 national team.
The coach of the victorious team, Seyi Oyinloye, made this disclosure when the players were hosted to a reception by Nestle Nig PLC and the Kwara State government.
Coach Oyinloye implored the state government to send all the players to the famous Kwara Football Academy to hone their skills and so they can continue to combine their football with education.
The reception which took place at the boys’ school, St. Barnabas LGEA Primary School, Sabo Oke Ilorin also had in attendance the boys’ parents and SUBEB representatives.
One of the parents at the reception and the mother of the team captain, Mrs Abi Olakunle was excited about the leadership qualities that she had seen manifesting in her son, Olusegun Olakunle since the campaign started at the state level.
She said her son and the others blossomed and seemed to mature quickly as they progressed to the national and African levels. Mrs. Olakunle said, already, the boys are living a life the parents could only dream about as they are being celebrated as champions and she encouraged other parents to support their children in their desire to play sports.
The Nigerian team defeated Ghana U-13 boys in a keenly contested final at the Campos Square in Lagos to win the coveted trophy.
Nigeria had also won the maiden Milo U-13 African Championship which held in South Africa in 2010.
The Milo African U-13 Championship is aimed at bringing out the innate talents of under 13 school children as well as inculcating healthy values, like discipline and respect for others, which will help them in life.
It also provides a potent opportunity for networking and interaction thereby building a united Africa through the discipline of sports.
Players from the 14 countries including host – Nigeria and International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) officials will start arriving Lagos on Friday June 20, for the Lagos World Tour tagged Nigeria Open.
According to the itinerary of the teams, Singapore’s Jing Yuan Yin will be the first player expected to touch down in Lagos for the four-day tournament.
Others expected are Luxembourg’s Ni Xialian as well as Russia’s duo of Vasilij Filatov and Irina Ermakova.
The eight-man Egyptian team will arrive on Saturday June 21, while others will arrive Lagos on Sunday.
Also, ITTF officials led by African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy as well as his deputy, Henri Djombo from Congo Brazzaville will be in Lagos by Sunday.
ITTF Marketing Director, Australia’s Mr. Steve Daintom will also be in Lagos.
The draw for the championship will hold on Sunday, while some top players will be seeded for the competition.
Meanwhile, winners in the men and women singles event will get N.8m each while players that make it to the round of 16 will get cash reward for their efforts.
Semifinalists in the U-21 event will also be rewarded for their efforts.
As a Challenge Series in the ITTF World Tour, players are expected to amass points for their world ranking at the tournament.
Preliminary matches will kick off on Monday June 23, while the main draw will commence on Tuesday June 24.
Nigerian players aiming to be part of the main draw event are now sweating it out across the country with the intention of playing in the elite stage of the championship.
Some of the Nigerian players already in the country for the tournament are Germany-based Funke Oshonaike, Portugal-based Ganiat Olatunde-Aruna, as well as Italy-based Olajide Omotayo.
Over 15 countries including Nigeria will compete in the N8.5m prize money tournament holding at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of the Teslim Balogun Stadium from June 23 to 26.
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