It is no longer news to most observers and fans of the WWE that former members of the Shield are being fast tracked by the company to become the main center of attraction in the WWE.
With the aging of the likes of Kane and near retirement of The Undertaker and Triple H, the company is in desperate need of new attractions to carry on with the tradition of the WWE being the Mecca of professional wrestling.
Of course the likes of John Cena and Randy Orton still have some years of active competition in them but it is important that the company injects new and exciting athletes into the main roster.
This has informed the rise of Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose into prominence. The three started off as members of the Shield but since the group broke up, all three have recorded massive strides in their singles career.
Seth Rollins currently holds the WWE World Heavyweight title but before his championship win at WWE Wrestlemania earlier in the year, former members of the Shield have stared in the main event of WWE in the last five months at least.
The progression will continue at WWE Elimination Chamber in two weeks when Seth Rollins defends his title against his former partner Dean Ambrose, as for Roman Reigns, it is generally believed that the Samoan is being primed to take over from John Cena as the face of the company in the near future.
The first quarter-finals stage of the AIBA Women’s Junior/Youth World Boxing Championships Taipei 2015 was held today at the Xinzhuang Stadium, where many winners on Day 4 advanced through to the semi-finals stage of the competition, and earned a guaranteed bronze medal in the process.
Bout of the day
Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien Chin began these Championships as one of the biggest gold medal hopes for her country after winning major medals in the 2013 AIBA Women’s Junior World Boxing Championships, and the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games.
High expectations surrounded Chin to win the Youth Middleweight class (75 kg) in front of a home audience, and her first opponent in Taipei was Zheng Lu, who had replaced Chen Simin in the Chinese squad just before this competition started.
Chin began their contest well with accurate punches breaking the defence of her opponent, but as the fight progressed, Lu improved immensely, and her energy and determination enabled her to control the rest of the rounds.
The final verdict of a hugely entertaining and meaningful contest was a split decision success for Zheng Lu, who delivered the biggest surprise so far of the AIBA Women’s Junior/Youth World Boxing Championships Taipei 2015.
Day 3 produces many surprises in the AIBA Women’s Junior/Youth World Boxing Championships Taipei 2015
Team of the day
The United States of America had an excellent day in Taipei, beginning with Heaven Garcia who dominated her quarter-final contest with Nepal’s ‘AIBA Road to Taipei Program’ member Kusum Tamang.
Garcia was far too powerful for her tough opponent, and her lethal punches caused the fight to be stopped in round two.
US Women’s Junior National Champion Zhane Crockett then defeated Ireland’s Orla Garvey in a ferocious battle, before Yarisel Ramirez also advanced to the semi-finals in Taipei.
The American victories kept coming as Ariel Arismendez eliminated Thailand’s Rewadee Phonok from the Youth Light Welterweight class (64 kg), while Iesha Kenney stopped Canada’s Taylor Ross.
Surprises of the day
England’s EUBC European Women’s Junior Continental Champion Ebonie Jones lost her first match since September 2013 in Taipei as she was defeated by Korea’s Lee Suk Yeong, while Russia’s Junior National Champion Anastasia Selina was shocked by US Junior National Champion Yarisel Ramirez.
Selina opened with effective punches in the first round, but the 16-year-old US hope did not give up their battle easily, and eventually defeated the main gold medal contender of the Junior Bantamweight class (54 kg).
Despite being a newcomer in Kazakhstan’s national team, Guzal Sadykova is proving her skills at international level, and the 15-year-old Middleweight class (75 kg) boxer earned a guaranteed medal after knocking down and beating Poland’s EUBC European Women’s Junior Continental Championships silver medallist Weronika Plawecka.
AIBA Women’s Junior-Youth World Boxing Championships Taipei 2015
Ones to watch
Russia’s two-time Junior National Champion Liudmila Vorontsova defeated India’s Ani Lama in the Nations Women’s Junior Cup four months ago, and excelled in their rematch as well.
Lama could not compete with the onslaught of Vorontsova, who displayed her power by knocking down her Indian opponent in the opening round.
The Russian star continued the pressure in round two, and her aggressive style saw the referee stop the bout in the second frame.
China’s Yu Lisai celebrated her 15th birthday in March, and arrived in Taipei with an undefeated record, which continues in this tournament after an impressive victory over Chinese Taipei’s two-time National Champion Shao Yi Yun.
Stat/Fact of the day
After the fourth competition day of the AIBA Women’s Junior/Youth World Boxing Championships Taipei 2015, the following nations have earned guaranteed medals:
Kazakhstan: 9 medals
Russia: 8 medals
United States of America: 4 medals
China, India, Mongolia: 3 medals
Poland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine: 2 medals
Azerbaijan, Chinese Taipei, Dominican Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Korea: 1 medal
Quote of the day
“I felt really good and confident today. My Nepali opponent tried to achieve her rhythm, but I did not let her get it. In the semi-finals I hope I can follow whatever my coach tells me and get that win as well. Of course my target is to win the gold medal in Taipei, and to take it back home,” said US Junior hope Heaven Garcia after her quick victory on Day 4.
Today’s program
The second part of the quarter-finals will be held today in the AIBA Women’s Junior/Youth World Boxing Championships Taipei 2015, where 21 Junior and 28 Youth bouts take place on the fifth competition day.
Ilupeju Grammar School Lagos and Yejide Grammar School Ibadan, Oyo State have emerged champions in the boys and girls categories respectively in the western conference of 17th edition of Nestle Milo Secondary Basketball Championships concluded at the indoor sports hall of liberty stadium Ibadan.
To emerge victorious in the boy’s category, Ilupeju Grammar Lagos, out dunked Don Domingo Secondary School Warri, Delta State by 37-28. Coach Olayinka Oyewunmi of Ilupeju Grammar School revealed after the victory that his team had proven its capabilities by qualifying for the National finals.
YEJIDE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, GIRL’S CHAMPION
In the girls final, Western conference Defending Champions, Yejide Grammar School Ibadan, confirmed their berth in the national final after beating Zeal College Otta Ogun State by 37-21 to confirm themselves as worthy champions.
Captain of Yejide grammar school, Ibadan, Mattew Busayo, speaking after the match said that they are very happy to have made it to the national finals in Lagos, “the next step for us is to prepare well, correcting our mistakes and strategising our game plan because, This is where the champions of each conferences meet, we are ready and very optimistic of our chances”. Busayo said.
ILUPEJU GRAMMAR SCHOOL, BOYS CHAMPION
Speaking exclusively after the final game, Mr dairo Jacob, who Represented the National President of the NSSF, expressed his delight with the standard of the tournament and thanked Nestle milo the sole sponsors of the championship.
Meanwhile, nestle Nigeria plc, Category Business Manager Mr femi Akintola has reiterated his company’s resolves to continue to contribute its quota to the development of basketball in the country.
According to Akintola, Nestle believes that sports serves as a suitable platform for the youths to learn values such as honestly, teamwork, fair play, respect, adherence to rules, discipline , perseverance, resilience, and a strong sense of purpose and that is the motivating factor behind his company’s commitment.
Russian-Nigerian Melissa Ifidzhen made a winning debut playing in Nigeria as she eased past Henrietta Ogude 6-1, 6-1 to set up a second round clash with number two seed Sarah Adegoke as the 37th Central bank of Nigeria Open Senior Tennis Championship hots-up at the National Stadium, Lagos.
The 16-year-old made light work of her opponent hitting series of winners but admits she had to raise her game if she will have to go all the way.
37th Central bank of Nigeria Open Senior Tennis Championship
“I’m happy I won because historically this is my first match in Nigeria. I hope to play better in my next game,” she said.
Standing between the former Russian U-12 champion and a place in the third round is Adegoke who brushed aside Ebere Fortune 6-1, 6-2. Adegoke, incidentally, is Melissa’s doubles partner and the pair was scheduled to complete their doubles match a tie-break decider against Christy Agugbom and Blessing Samuel on Tuesday evening.
Joining Ifidzhen and Adegoke in the second round is Aminat Quadri, who recovered from a set down to beat Christie Mbadiwe 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 while Afolarin Akosile also matches on following a 7-5, 6-2 winner over Ngozi Dirisu.
37th Central bank of Nigeria Open Senior Tennis Championship
Other players that progressed to the second round of the women’s singles are Kelechi Njoku, Aanu Aiyegbusi, Omotayo Osewa and Agugbom who will meet Angel Mcleod, a fast-rising teenager in the second round.
In the men’s singles, Albert Bikom defeated Jonathan Okwudili 6-2, 7-5 to move to the second round just as Ikechukwu Iloputa made a strong finish to beat Emmanuel Paul after losing the first set. Iloputa won 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
Emmanuel Sunday, Joseph Imeh and Mohammed Mohammed also advance after recoding wins on Tuesday.
Bordj Bou Arreridj, Algeria, May 18, 2015- Algeria Women’s Volleyball team beat their neighbours Tunisia twice to capture Zone I tickets to All Africa Games finals slated in Congo Brazzaville in September 4-19.
The matches were held in Omnisport Saad Boubaia Hall in Bordj Bou Arreridj, Algeria May 14 and 15, 2015.
The host team fought for more than 2 hours to beat Tunisia in a spike tiebreaker 3-2 (27-29, 21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 15-10).
Safia Boukhima (Algeria) attacking against Tunisia
In the second day Algeria confirmed their qualification as they overwhelm Tunisia 3-1 (25-20, 25-21, 23-25, 25-22)
Now the 2011 gold medallists Algeria will join the already qualified Senegal, Cape Verde (Zone 2), Cameroon, Congo RD (Zone 4), Kenya, Egypt (Zone 5), Botswana and Mozambique (Zone 6).
The finals of All Africa Games feature 12 teams in both Men’s and Women’s genders, which are a team from zones 1 and 7, beside 2 teams from the other zones 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
In an effort to improve his game as well as to rub shoulders with the world’s best, Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri has signed for a French Club in the lucrative France Table Tennis Federation (FTTF)-organised elite league.
Quadri, who started his professional career in Portugal in 2010 and thrice named the best player in the Portuguese League, will play for Jura Morez TT next season.
Before joining GD Toledos two years ago, Quadri started with AR Novelense and with the two Portuguese clubs he won the league, super cup and the Mediterranean trophy.
Aruna Quadri with former GD Toledos teammates after winning the Portuguese Cup title
Being one of the best leagues in the world, the French league has some of the world’s best players like World number 10 and Portugal’s Marcos Freitas plying their trade in the league.
Jura Morez TT emerged champions during the 2013/2014 season in Pro B to gain promotion to the top division and they retained their place in the elite league where Quadri will be playing his trade.
The deal was formally concluded during a recent trip by Quadri to Paris, where he met with the management of the team and also used the opportunity to inspect the club facilities.
Quadri was well received by the management of the club led by its chairman and Secretary, G. Philippe and M. Gilles.
With this development, Quadri will join his compatriot and Africa’s most decorated player, Segun Toriola who has been plying his trade in the French league for years.
Meanwhile, Quadri will return to the ITTF World Tour this week in Zagreb, when he takes part in the Croatia Open.
Quadri and Mawussi Agbetoglo are Africa’s representatives at the five-day tournament and the Oyo State-born athlete will partner Portugal’s Andre Silva in the men’s doubles event, which serves off Tuesday May 19.
The Multiple Award winning table tennis player as also recently signed an improved deal with Germany-based table tennis kit giants JOOLA. This event took place in Frankfurt recently.
Quadri Aruna (left) with JOOLA Managing Director, Michael Bachtler during the signing of an improved contract with the Germany-based kit giant in Frankfurt…recently
Quadri is pictured here with JOOLA Managing Director, Michael Bachtler during the signing of an improved contract with the JOOLA
National junior champion, Tosin Oribamishe and Lagos Open revelation, Nurudeen Hassan will lead Team Nigeria to next month’s International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Junior Circuit (WJC) holding in Egypt.
Oribamishe, who won the Aso tournament recently in Abuja, will be joined by southpaw, Halimot Ayinla, Muibat Bello and two others in the girls’ event.
Hassan, whose performance at the 2015 Lagos Open is still a point of reference will be tasting his first international tournament outside the shores of Nigeria when he spearheads the boys’ team which includes, African Youth Games champion, Olasunkanmi Oginni as well as teenage sensation, Abayomi Animashaun.
Nigeria junior players will be returning to the world stage after missing the Mauritius Open last April and their presence in Egypt will surely give teams like Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria a tough challenge at the competition holding from June 8 to 12.
However, the President, African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy is excited about the presence of Nigeria in Egypt. He was particularly thrilled by the new ultra modern hall that will host the five-day championship.
HASSAN Nurudeen of Nigeria
“Playing in a brand new venue “6 October” in Giza – Egypt quite closer to the Pyramids which will add some special taste to the event, and I am expecting bigger number of entries,” he said.
El-Salhy admits that this event would serve as a platform to unearth new stars for the continent.
“This kind of ITTF sanctioned event for sure is the main factory to build up our African players and to present them to the World scene. I have to thank the African countries hosting such events this year (Nigeria WT, Tunisia JC, Mauritius JC & now Egypt JC) while in the previous years we had also Morocco WT & Algeria JC,” he added.
“Till now, I know that Nigeria and the host – Egypt already sent entries, I am expecting more entries from the northern parts (Libya, Tunisia & Algeria) plus possible entries from Congo Brazzaville & Angola. Also, as I said Egypt and Nigeria could get some good exposure, and I am looking out for Youssef Abdel-Aziz (EGY) in Cadet Boys & Tosin Oribamishe (NGR) in Cadet Girls,” he said.
Olympic Champ Jin Jongoh (KOR) won the last gold medal of the ISSF World Cup in Fort Benning at today’s 10m Air Pistol Men event.
More than 600 athletes coming from 76 countries competed in the 2015 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup held in Fort Benning (USA) – the fifth world cup leg of the season – from the 13th through the 18th of May. They arrived there to compete in the 10 Olympic Rifle and Pistol events, trying to secure one of the 24 Rio 2016 Olympic Quota places, and to collect world cup points.
Korea’s five-time Olympic medallist Jin Jongoh won the last match of the event, today’s 10m Air Pistol Men final, collecting his second world cup gold back to back. Jin’s final score of 202.0 points turned out to be unreachable for today’s Silver medallist, the 2004 Olympic Bronze medallist Vladimir Isakov of Russia, who scored 199.9 points finishing in second place 2.1 points behind the Korean winner. The Bronze medal went to Portugal’s 50-year old Joao Costa, a four-time Olympian, who scored 178.4 points, claiming an Olympic pass for Rio.
FORT BENNING – MARCH 28: 5th placed Peter SIDI of Hungary competes in the 10m Air Rifle Men Finals at the Shooting Range of the United States Army Marksmanship Unit during Day 1 of the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol March 28, 2014 in Fort Benning, Georgia, United States of America. (Photo by Marco Dalla Dea)
Earlier today, Kazakhstan’s Yuriy Yurkov – ranked 50th in the world – beat world’s #2 Zhu Qinan of the People’s Republic of China at the last shot of a thrilling 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men event, winning Gold and a Rio 2016 Olympic Quota Place. Yurkov – who had never compete in an ISSF world cup final round before – scored 456.3 points, leaving behind him two Athens 2004’s Olympic Champions: China’s Zhu Qinan – second with 455.3 points – and USA’s Matthew Emmons, third with 445.0 points.
After ten finals conducted in Fort Benning, it was the Serbian team that finished atop of the medals standings table, thanks to the three Gold medals collected by Stefanovic and Arsovic at the 10m Air Rifle Men and Women event, and by Mikec at the 50m Pistol Men competition.
The People’s Republic of China followed in second place, with a total of four medals, including one Gold, two Silver and 1 Bronze medals. The host country, USA, ended up in seventh with 1 Gold (won by Michael Mcphail at the 50m Rifle Prone Men event) and 1 Bronze medal secured by Matthew Emmons at today’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions Men final.
“We are very happy about this world cup event, and especially that we were able to get a new finals hall here in Fort Benning. That makes the difference.” Mr. Gary Anderson – ISSF Vice-President and member of the USA Shooting’s Board of Directors – said after the last final.
“This falls into the ISSF development strategy: to get attractive fields of play, that highlights the athletes and focus the attention on their performances.”
FORT BENNING – MARCH 28: 5th placed Peter SIDI of Hungary competes in the 10m Air Rifle Men Finals at the Shooting Range of the United States Army Marksmanship Unit during Day 1 of the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol March 28, 2014 in Fort Benning, Georgia, United States of America. (Photo by Marco Dalla Dea)
“The quality of this world cup is so much better than all we had before here. We’ve always been proud of our officials, we think they do a good job and they work really hard, but the new finals hall was the highlight of this competition. Yesterday, a new final world record was scored on the new range, at the 50m Rifle 3 Positions Women final.” Mr. Anderson said, speaking about the new finals hall that was added to the well-known venue of Fort Benning, which hosted 9 different ISSF World Cup Stages since 1994.
The ISSF World Cup Series moves now on to Munich, Germany, where the next world cup leg will be hosted from the 26th of May through the 2nd of June. The first medals will be assigned on the 28th of May, when the 10m Air Rifle Men and Women finals will be held. Follow the next events live on http://www.issf-sports.org
Russian-born Nigerian tennis star, Melissa Ifidzhen will be the centre of attraction this morning as she confronts Henrietta Ogude in a first round match at the ongoing 37th Central Bank of Nigeria Open Tennis Championship holding at the National Stadium, Lagos.
37th Central Bank of Nigeria Open Tennis Championship
The former Russian National junior champion started playing for Nigeria in March when she featured at the ITF/CAT U-18 Junior Championship in Egypt and is expected to scale the hurdle before her despite being a wild card entrant.
Melissa, born of a Nigerian father and a Russian mum, is aiming to go a step better than Elizabeth Garos-Pam, a London-based player who lost in the final on her first attempt last year.
Meanwhile, men’s singles defending champion, Abdulmumuni Babalola booked an easy passage to the second round with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Uche Okparaji.
In some other first round results, Moses Michael got the better of his Tombim teammate, Christian Paul 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 while he (Moses) is joined by Martins Abamu and Thomas Otu, who respectively defeated Jinadu Owolabi and Taiwo Owolabi 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 and 6-4, 6-4 to progress to the second round.
37th Central Bank of Nigeria Open Tennis Championship
Other players that secured their passage into the next round are Chukwuma Abba, who defeated Bala Musa 7-5, 7-6; Monday Igbinovia also kept his dream to go all the way alive by beating Nnemeka Achisium 7-5, 6-4.
Also, 2013 men’s singles winner, Henry Atseye proved too much for Joseph Iyeruobe with a 6-2, 6-1 win.Hassan Yakubu outlasts Emma Dickson 7-6(6), 6-3 and Austin Nwokedi dumped Dauda Ayuba out with a 6-0, 6-3 win.
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