GLO NPFL Game week 33: Sharks Recount Ordeal In Jos

Injured Sharks Player Gabriel Olalekan
Injured Sharks Player Gabriel Olalekan

The match between Giwa FC and Sharks FC in week 33 of the Nigeria Professional Football League was called off due to violent conduct by fans Giwa Fc.

The game could be described as a game of two halves. In the opening minutes the home team controlled the game, putting sharks to more defensive duties.

The duo of Madaki Chris–Young and Usman Nura Deenee were a thorn in the flesh of the sharks defence but the pair of Gabriel Olalekan and Jamui Alimi were able to keep the Blue Angels in the game.

Sharks goalkeeper James Aiyeyemi who made his debut since joining the team in mid-season was not left out as he made key saves ending first half goalless.

However when the players and match officials were going back to their dressing rooms, some angry Giwa fans blocked referee Akinwale K. S. on the way and started beating him up for not awarding a penalty to them and gave him an ultimatum that if they do not get a penalty in the second half, he will not go unpunished, It even took the intervention of two military officers to rescue the referee from the Giwa fans.

On resumption of play in the second half, Sharks re-started the game with their brilliant passing style which left the Giwa players searching for the ball.

The Blue Angels continued to press hard thereby causing some section of the supporters to turn their allegiance to the away side because of their brilliant passing game.

injury sustained by Gabriel Olalekan in Jos against Giwa fc.The (missile) stone that thrown at his face that gave him the injury is right on the match commissioner's table
injury sustained by Gabriel Olalekan in Jos against Giwa fc.The (missile) stone that thrown at his face that gave him the injury is right on the match commissioner’s table
injury sustained by Gabriel Olalekan in Jos against Giwa fc.The (missile) stone that thrown at his face that gave him the injury is right on the match commissioner's table
injury sustained by Gabriel Olalekan in Jos against Giwa fc.The (missile) stone that thrown at his face that gave him the injury is right on the match commissioner’s table

Just after the hour mark the referee awarded a magical penalty kick to Giwa FC.

The penalty scene happened when Gabriel Olalekan of Sharks jumped to head out a lobbed ball from the Giwa half in the process a big stone was thrown at him by a Giwa fan and while trying to call for the referee’s attention with blood all over his face a Giwa player threw himself against Gabriel and the Referee wasted no time in awarding a penalty to the homers, no thanks to the slap and death threat he received from angry home supporters during the interval.

Sharks players however protested against the penalty which was never played by refusing to continue play while on the field of play. They also called for the attention of the match commissioner and security operatives and it did not take long before the centre referee went to the centre half and called off the game due to the insecurity in the stadium while the injured Gabriel Olalekan was still lying on the pitch.

injured Sharks Player Gabriel Olalekan
injured Sharks Player Gabriel Olalekan

Sharks players and officials were guarded out of the stadium by security men and could not stay in Jos that night due to security concerns.

Meanwhile earlier in the day during the pre-match meeting, some angry Giwa fans came to the venue of the meeting and delayed proceedings for minutes threatening the referee’s and also promising the kidnap of the match commissioner Pastor Mike Adeyemi’s daughter who came with her father if three points does not come their way.

2014 ITTF Women’s World Cup About To Take Off In Linz

ITTF
ITTF

20 of the world’s best table tennis players have arrived in Linz, Austria for the 2014 ITTF Women’s World Cup, which starts tomorrow 17 October until 19 October 2014.

Linz has the honor of hosting the first ever ITTF Women’s World Cup outside of Asia in its 18-year history.

The 20 players competing here in Linz had to qualify for the prestigious ITTF World Cup through their respective Continental Cups, which means only the best of the best can compete.

The only other players to receive the golden ticket to play in the 2014 ITTF Women’s World Cup are the current World Champion LI Xiaoxia (CHN), and the lucky player Elizabeta SAMARA (ROU) who received a wildcard into the event.

SAMARA looking to capitalise on her wildcard entry at the 2014 ITTF Women's World Cup.
SAMARA looking to capitalise on her wildcard entry at the 2014 ITTF Women’s World Cup.

The wildcard, SAMARA, who recorded her best result of her career with silver at the Volkswagen 2012 ITTF Women’s World Cup, stated: “It was an awesome feeling to get the wildcard, and it has given me a lot of confidence. I hope I will play my best table tennis. I will never forget my performance from 2012, this is the moment that my table tennis career really took off.”

Two weeks ago DING Ning returned to number one in the world and will be favorite to lift the ITTF Women’s World Cup again on Sunday. The 2011 champion was in a hopeful mood on the eve of the event, commenting: “I am happy to be number one in the world again, this gives me a real boost. My goal here is to make the final, hopefully against LI Xiaoxia, whom I have had some great battles with over the years at the World Cup, World Championships and Olympic Games.

“Anything can happen in a knockout event like this. I will have to be at my best to achieve my goal. I am also focusing on the new plastic balls. I have to adjust my playing style and mentally to cope well.”

Kicking off the event are seeds nine to 20 playing round robin in four groups of three players (two matches each). The top two players from each group progresses to the second round of the competition. This first round draw can be found here: http://bit.ly/1DforMu.

The second round, which starts on Saturday, is a straight knockout with the eight players that progressed from the first round and the top eight seeded players. The players play the round-of-16 and quarterfinals on Saturday, with the semifinals and final on Sunday.

The LIEBHERR 2014 ITTF Men’s World Cup begins next Friday 24 October and runs until 26 October 2014.

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP QINGDAO – DAY 3 VIDEO ALERT

It was a light wind day at ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao with many ups and downs across the six fleets competing on the Beijing 2008 Olympic waters.

After a short early afternoon delay the sailors headed out onto the water with a shifty breeze and strong current that would once again test them to the max.

One race was completed in the Men’s and Women’s 470, Laser and Laser Radial whilst the Men’s and Women’s RS:X packs, sailing shorter races, completed two.

2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao – Day 3 Highlights
On water action from the third day of racing at the 2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao.
URL – http://youtu.be/KJInHko0j5Q
Embed –

TIGHT, TACTICAL RACING AT ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP QINGDAO

ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP
ISAF SAILING WORLD CUP

It was a light wind day at ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao with many ups and downs across the six fleets competing on the Beijing 2008 Olympic waters.

After a short early afternoon delay the sailors headed out onto the water with a shifty breeze and strong current that would once again test them to the max.

One race was completed in the Men’s and Women’s 470, Laser and Laser Radial whilst the Men’s and Women’s RS:X packs, sailing shorter races, completed two.

2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao
2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao

Men’s and Women’s 470

Home nation sailors Mengxi Wei and Yani Xu (CHN) have been head and shoulders above the rest in the Women’s 470 across five completed races. The Chinese pair were bang on form again on the third day of the competition in the single Women’s 470 race.

With a great start Wei and Xu took the lead from the off. At the first mark they held a five second advantage over Ai Kondo Yoshida and Miho Yoshioka (JPN). The Chinese leaders slowly extended the gap to 11 seconds at the end of the first downwind. The Japanese pair kept Wei and Xu within their sights but pushed a little too hard and received a penalty that relegated them down the pack. After racing a disappointed Kondo said, “The current was very strong and close to the shore. It was really difficult for racing and I got a penalty. The wind was down and difficult today.”

Whilst Wei and Xu had lost the Japanese pair they had new company. China’s Shasha Chen and Haiyan Gao managed to read the conditions well and moved up from tenth to second. However Wei and Xu showed their strength and took the bullet ahead of Chen and Gao.

Wei and Xu sit pretty at the top of the pack on five points whilst three points separates Xiaomei Xu and Ping Zhang (CHN), Chen and Gao and Japan’s Kondo and Yoshioka.

There were several big up and downs in the single Men’s 470 race as the current made life tough. The fleet of 17 were forced to sail above the layline to take the current into account. Several teams read the situation well and flourished whilst others fell back in a game of snakes and ladders.

Henrique Haddad and Bruno Bethlem (BRA) took their chances and rounded the first mark ahead of South Africa’s Asenathi Jim and Roger Hudson who just missed the layline. The Brazilians were able to extend their advantage as the race played eventually taking the bullet.

Behind them the fleet were up and down. Panagiotis Mantis and Pavlos Kagialis (GRE) and Jordi Xammar and Joan Herp (ESP) held a joint lead coming into the day. There was very little separating the teams early on in the race but the Greeks were penalised and dropped down the pack eventually finishing 14th, which they discard.

Xammar and Herp were more fortunate and worked their way to a solid second which Xammar explained at the end of the day, “Well it was a difficult race. We are very happy with our result. Going into tomorrow we are first and we are really happy. It was really hard racing, a lot of current, a lot of changes in pressure and shifts.

“We had to really concentrate and watch the next mark all the time to see the pressure. We were a bit lucky but we managed to finish second.”

The young Spaniards hold the lead on nine points. Mantis and Kagialis are second on 13 points whilst Pavel Sozykin and Denis Gribanov (RUS) maintain third overall.

2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao
2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao

Laser and Laser Radial

An intriguing battle is developing within the Laser Radial with small margins separating the top four sailors.

2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao gold medallist Dongshuang Zhang (CHN) has the lead on nine points following victory in the single Radial race.

Zhang displayed excellent tactical nous in the light winds at the 2013 edition of the regatta and she thrived in the conditions on the third day of the 2014 regatta, taking the bullet by eight seconds over Croatia’s Ana Zelic.

Zhang has a four point lead over Tatiana Drozdovskaya (BLR), Tina Mihelic (CRO) and Sara Winther (NZL) who are all tied on 13 points. With three races scheduled on the penultimate day much can change with ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao honours on the line.

Tonci Stipanovic (CRO) is the Laser master of Qingdao’s light winds and strong current. The Croatian picked up his fourth bullet of the regatta in the only Laser race and holds a six point lead over Pavlos Kontides (CYP) heading into the penultimate day.

Just nine points separate third to eighth in the Laser with three races remaining.

2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao
2014 ISAF Sailing World Cup Qingdao

Men’s and Women’s RS:X

Byron Kokkalanis (GRE) continues to lead the Men’s RS:X despite a less than convincing day in the lighter breeze. The Greek sailor’s overnight 16 point lead was reduced to 11 points following a fifth and a discarded ninth.

Aichen Wang (CHN) enjoyed one of his best days of racing posting a bullet and a third to subsequently reduce Kokkalanis’ advantage. Max Oberemko (RUS) remains third overall but Michael Cheng (HKG) is piling on the pressure as he sits just four points behind.

Olga Maslivets (RUS) Women’s RS:X lead stands at nearly 20 points heading into penultimate day. With a redress of 4.4 points and a fifth she is on 19.4 points. Jiali Sun (CHN) stole the day with a light wind master class. Many Chinese sailors are known for being strong in the lighter breeze and Sun exemplified that by taking a bullet and a second. As a result she moves to second overall, sitting on 37 points.

Hongmei Shi (CHN) is third overall on 47 points.

Racing is scheduled to commence at 12:00 local time on Friday 17 October.