Gibraltar will host a professional snooker tournament for the first time when the fifth event on this season’s Kreativ Dental Clinic European Tour series takes place in December.
The televised stage of the Gibraltar Open will run from December 11 to 13 at the Tercentenary Sports Hall.
The tournament, which will run for the next three years, is supported by the Ministry of Sports, HM Government of Gibraltar and will receive extensive live coverage from Eurosport.
Many of snooker’s top players are expected to enter and they will compete from the last 128 stage. There will also be qualifying rounds for amateurs on December 9 and 10.
The 2015/16 Kreativ Dental Clinic European Tour is a series of six events, with the others staged in Latvia, Germany, Bulgaria and Poland. The top 24 on the final Order of Merit will qualify for the Players Championship in March.
World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are delighted to stage a professional tournament in Gibraltar for the first time. The European Tour has taken snooker to a host of different territories across the continent, helping us to develop as an international sport. We’re excited about the new Gibraltar Open and it’s the perfect chance for fans in the area to see the world’s leading stars.
“I have staged darts events at the Tercentenary Sports Hall so I know it is a cracking venue. We look forward to working with the Ministry of Sports in Gibraltar on delivering another fantastic sporting event.”
A spokesman for the Ministry of Sports in Gibraltar said: “It is great to have yet another tournament of world standard in Gibraltar. Snooker is a very popular sport and followed by millions around the world. This will further promote Gibraltar as an events destination and it is a further example of promoting tourism.”
Ticket details for the Gibraltar Open will be available shortly. The entry deadline for players is November 5th, with the draw and format to be published after this date.
– According to Sky Sports sources, Roma have agreed a £14million fee with Manchester City for striker Edin Dzeko.
– Genoa and Sampdoria are reportedly set to battle it out for the signature of Atalanta striker German Denis.
– Newcastle are ready to declare their interest in Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard, according to ESPN.
– West Ham are set to offer £12million to Manchester United for striker Javier Hernandez, according to reports.
– Fiorentina are considering signing Liverpool forward Fabio Borini, according to reports.
– Galatasaray President Dursun Ozbek admits Felipe Melo’s Inter situation is ‘not clear’ and wants Gary Medel in exchange.
– Napoli have reportedly raised their offer for Torino defender Nikola Maksimovic to €18m including bonuses.
– Axel Witsel’s Italian intermediary says Juventus and Milan are both still in the hunt for the Zenit St Petersburg midfielder.
– Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has made two £100m bids for Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale this summer.
– Napoli midfielder Gokhan Inler has reportedly rejected a move to Leicester City, opening the door for a Fiorentina switch.
– Cagliari confirm talks with Juventus and Chelsea for Godfred Donsah, but “he needs to grow up with us.”
– According to L’Équipe, Marseille remain in the race for Internacional’s Chilean midfielder Charles Aranguiz.
– Juventus have reportedly prepared a €24m bid for Schalke 04 midfielder Julian Draxler.
– Everton defender John Stones should join Manchester United instead of Chelsea, according to Rio Ferdinand.
– Chelsea have reportedly told Tottenham to name their price for left-back Danny Rose, with the Blues prepared to pay £15m for the 25-year-old.
– According to reports, Lazio have told Mario Balotelli’s agent they will take the 24-year-old Liverpool striker on loan this
season but only if they qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.
– According to L’Équipe, Lyon manager Hubert Fournier has told striker Alexandre Lacazette to leave the club if he is unhappy.
– According to reports in France, Ghanaian attacker Majeed Waris is set to join Rennes after an agreement between the French side and Trabzonspor was reached on Monday.
– Oscar’s agent insists negotiations with Juventus “were only in the media” and Chelsea have no intention of selling.
– According to reports, Georgios Samaras has failed a medical with Sampdoria.
– Augsburg defender Baba Rahman is ready to join Chelsea, says his agent, with just a fee left to be agreed between the two clubs.
– Luca Toni will “evaluate my future with Verona” next summer
– According to reports, Manchester United have told Anders Lindegaard that he can leave on a free transfer.
– According to reports, Arsenal have joined the hunt for Real Madrid’s Russia international winger Denis Cheryshev.
– Manchester City are eyeing a move for Real Madrid playmaker Isco, according to reports.
– Torino deny reports Roma are close to signing Bruno Peres. “We heard from Porto a while back, but there’s no Giallorossi offer.”
– According to reports, Alessandro Diamanti is considering his next move, including Watford, Aston Villa and a return to Bologna.
Football tit bits:
– A non-league Russian football match ended in chaos on Sunday, with the referee in hospital and players from both
sides questioned by police.
– The Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema risks missing the start of the season after being diagnosed with a thigh injury.
– Legia Warsaw have been declared 3-0 winners over Kukesi after last week’s Europa League qualifier in Albania was
abandoned early in the second half following crowd trouble. The second leg will be played in Warsaw on Thursday.
– Uefa has dismissed Fenerbahce’s protest against Shakhtar Donetsk fielding a player in a Champions League qualifying match who previously tested positive for doping at the Copa América.
– Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss Paris Saint-Germain’s season opener at Lille on Friday because of a knee injury.
Jose Mourinho photo credit uefa.com
– Jose Mourinho has told Sky Sports News he is happy with his professional relationship with club owner Roman Abramovich.
Kazan is definitively an inspiring location for Rachelle Simpson! After winning the first edition of the FINA High Diving World Cup, last year also in the beginning of August, the 27-year-old North American promised to also shine at the 16th FINA World Championships in the capital of Tatarstan.
The promise was kept and after the three rounds of dives in the final, Simpson got the gold in 258.70, getting the first world title of her career. The silver went to the first champion ever, two years ago, in Barcelona, her teammate Cesilie Carlton. The bronze went to a newcomer at this level, Yana Nestsiarava from Belarus.
The youngest competitor of the field (nine divers participated in this final) has been fourth last year in the same Kazanka venue, but had already upgraded to third in the 2015 World Cup in Cozumel (MEX).
After a not so successful first dive (5161B), Simpson appeared more inspired in her second attempt (5262B) and climbed from the sixth to the first position.
RACHELLE SIMPSON (USA) GETS FIRST WORLD TITLE IN KAZAN, photo credit FINA.ORG
Thanks to a very solid final round, where she presented one of the most difficult combinations (5163B, forward 3 somersaults 11/2 twists pike, worth DD 4.0), the US star had no problems in securing the gold. Carlton, with a 3.9 attempt (back 3 somersaults tuck), was also consistent and assured the silver in 237.35, more than four points ahead of the Belarus champion (233.10).
The US athlete, who caused sensation in 2013 by saying after her victory that she was afraid of heights, was third in Kazan in 2014, but was out of the podium at the 2015 rendezvous in Cozumel.
The IAAF takes the allegations published by The Sunday Times and ARD very seriously and has investigated them thoroughly.
• The published allegations were sensationalist and confusing: the results referred to were not positive tests. In fact, ARD and The Sunday Times both admit that their evaluation of the data did not prove doping.
• Professor Giuseppe d’Onofrio, one of the world’s leading haematologists working as an expert in the field of the Athlete Biological Passport, commented: “Ethically, I deplore public comments coming from colleagues on blood data that has been obtained and processed outside of the strict regulatory framework established by WADA which is designed to ensure a complete and fair review of ABP profiles. There is no space for shortcuts, simplistic approaches or sensationalism when athletes’ careers and reputations are at stake.”
• The data on which the reports were based was not ‘secret’ – the IAAF published a detailed analysis of this data more than four years ago.
• The Sunday Times’ story is based on the allegation that 6 specific athletes recorded suspicious results which we did not follow up. In fact, as the newspaper was told before publication, each test led to intensive follow up, as a result of which the 6 athletes were subsequently caught cheating and banned.
• The IAAF wants to stamp out all doping in sport and welcomes greater public debate. There is no perfect system for catching drug cheats, but the IAAF has been at the forefront of drug testing for many years. Under its pioneering Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) system, more athletes have been banned for cheating by the IAAF than all other sports federations and national anti-doping agencies put together.
It is important to be very clear that a large proportion of these blood samples were collected in a period before the implementation of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) and cannot therefore be used as proof of doping. The IAAF quite rightly operates within an anti-doping framework, provided by WADA, where suspicion alone does not equal proof of doping. Any reporting or insinuation of such is wholly irresponsible on behalf of these media outlets and we refute outright any allegation that the IAAF did not appropriately follow up suspicious profiles which had been proactively identified through its world leading blood profiling programme. The IAAF condemns in the strongest possible terms the distribution, sharing, and publication of private and confidential medical data that was obtained from the IAAF without consent. The IAAF retains the right to take any action necessary to protect the rights of the IAAF and its athletes.
In their reporting, the ARD and The Sunday Times made allegations against the IAAF regarding the level of blood doping in the sport, and accused the sport of doing nothing to act upon this data. While the ARD and The Sunday Times may wish to pretend they have a “scoop” by reporting on suspected prevalence of doping, their efforts are in fact over four years behind those of the IAAF. The IAAF has already publicly published (in 2011) a review of its blood profiles in a peer reviewed journal. Far from hiding from these statistics, to our knowledge the IAAF is the only sport in the world to have openly reported, reviewed and analysed the statistics available in its long-term blood profiling database.
The 2011 IAAF study, which indicates a similar overall level of suspected doping as has been recently reported, found that there are clearly some nations who account for the largest percentage of suspicious blood values. The IAAF does not shy away from this fact. The IAAF also notes that those countries who are reported by the ARD and The Sunday Times as having among the highest percentage of abnormal samples are the very same countries who currently lack a history of implementing a strong, robust and Code compliant national anti-doping program backed with government support. WADA is responsible for national compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code, and the IAAF remains available as always to provide assistance wherever possible to ensure these nations are implementing effective anti-doping controls. In that regard, the IAAF is surprised by WADA’s comments, particularly given how closely it has worked with WADA over the entire period to try to advance the fight against blood doping, notably in assisting in the development and implementation of the Athlete Biological Passport.
The IAAF is responsible for working with its Member Federations to ensure they are also complying with the Code and its requirements, and acknowledges that there is work still do in some nations. The IAAF is however very encouraged that those countries that are actively implementing serious and Code complaint anti-doping programmes have a much smaller level of suspected doping.
Any reporting by the ARD and The Sunday Times that the IAAF was negligent in addressing or following up the suspicious profiles is simply false, disappointing, and misinformed journalism. To the contrary, in an attempt to catch and sanction the cheats in our sport, the IAAF has used every means available to it within the anti-doping framework it operates in. We believe that our targeted out-of-competition (OOC) testing programme during this time was the equal of any other sport or anti-doping organisation around the world. WADA was well aware and well informed of our testing programme at the time, and never once questioned its competence or appropriateness.
It should be again made clear that the IAAF is only able to use the tests and analysis which are validated and made available to it through WADA. At the time in question, the ABP was not in existence. The IAAF, therefore, systematically compiled a database of blood profiles from international athletes, and then used this database to guide its targeted, no-advance-notice, out-of-competition testing programme. The 2015 World Anti-Doping Code stresses the importance of an intelligence, risk based approach to testing. This is exactly what the IAAF was already implementing ten years earlier.
Lamine Diack, IAAF President, credit IAAF
Below is a summary of how the IAAF has implemented blood profiling:
• The IAAF used the blood profiling database as a means of targeting repeated intelligence led, no-advance-notice, OOC testing on the most suspicious athletes. Athletes were targeted individually, with testing timed to correlate with the most likely periods of doping as indicated by their individual profile and competition schedule
• In addition, the IAAF doping control program deliberately prioritised and targeted athletes from countries where we believe there was insufficient quality OOC testing occurring domestically.
• The IAAF has immediately implemented and used each and every validated detection method made available to it by WADA
• The IAAF stored and then re-analysed samples when new detection methods became available (CERA and other forms of EPO)
• The IAAF was one of the first sports (or anti-doping organisations) in the world to adopt the ABP. The database of profiles currently being reported allowed the IAAF to immediately target its blood passport program to the correct athletes, and the results are clear – the IAAF has sanctioned more athletes through the ABP than all other sports combined.
• Robin Parisotto, the expert relied on by The Sunday Times, has previously confirmed in an interview with Cycling Tips published in 2014: “…with the biological passport. It is not a one-off test, where you may simply test positive and then the case goes ahead. In this case you have to accumulate a great amount of detail. You have to cast your eye over perhaps years of data to see if there is some sort of pattern that is suspicious.”
While the anti-doping community as a whole has acknowledged that the tests currently available will not catch all cheats, the IAAF strongly refutes any notion that it has not used every possible tool to target suspected dopers. We would be happy for our targeted testing programme to be compared to that of any other International Sporting Federation.
In order to protect clean athletes, the IAAF always welcomes any information which can lead to the opening of proceedings against an athlete or support personnel for a doping rule violation. In this regard we will study the other aspects of the ARD TV programme to see if it is able to assist. The IAAF also continues to cooperate with and assist WADA in its ongoing investigations.
Key statistics
• The IAAF has conducted more than 19,000 blood screening tests since 2001, which is the most comprehensive and universal blood testing programme implemented among sports federations and national anti-doping agencies, including 8000 tests in the period 2001 and 2009.
• The IAAF followed up vigorously and consistently on all blood screening results considered as atypical by its experts in accordance with the procedures and protocols then applicable. In particular more than 8,800 urine EPO tests were conducted in-competition and out-of-competition in that period, notably as a follow-up to atypical blood test results.
• 141 athletes tested positive for EPO since the first case at the IAAF World Championships in Edmonton in 2001.
• Since 2009, the IAAF has collected more than 11,000 blood samples for ABP purposes on more than 5,000 athletes across all disciplines of athletics, male and female elite athletes and junior and senior athletes and collected more than 7,400 urine EPO tests in the same period.
• All 11,000 blood tests results were systematically recorded on ADAMS (the online platform for proposed by WADA for the administration of anti-doping programmes) and visible to WADA at all times in full transparency.
• Since 2011, more than 150 ABP profiles were referred to the IAAF Expert Panel and more are to be submitted in the next few weeks.
• Since 2011, 63 doping cases have been pursued by the IAAF on the basis of ABP profiles considered as atypical by the independent expert panel. 39 athletes have already received a sanction, 24 are under proceedings and new proceedings will be initiated shortly.
• The IAAF had to appeal 15 ABP cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) because the athlete had either been exonerated by his National Federation or national anti-doping agency because they failed to impose the correct consequences under IAAF Rules.
• The IAAF had an anti-doping budget of $2,030,000 in 2014 and $2,030,000 in 2015.
• The IAAF Medical and Anti-Doping Department has 10 full-time personnel.
Cairo, Egypt, August 3, 2015- Egypt outside hitter Ahmed Salah was nominated for the fifth time at the continental level with the Most Valuable Player “MVP” Award at Men’s African Nations Championship concluded in Cairo, Egypt last weekend.
Egypt claimed their eighth African title after they overcame arch rivals Tunisia 3-0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-21) where Salah was the best scorer of his side.
The opposite spiker is considered one of the best volleyball players in Africa in the last decade and played outside the continent in Turkey and Russia. He was also a key star in the team that succeeded to win 6 consecutive titles for Men’s African Nations Championship 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015 as he gained the prize of MVP in 5 editions.
Best Receiver Mohamed Abdel Moneim (EGY
When Egypt’s opposite started his international volleyball at 16 year old he didn’t realize that he will be one day the best spiker in the world at one of the biggest elite championships, it was in the 2011 FIVB World Cup when he was nominated as best spiker between the world stars.
Since his childhood, he was famous for his left handed unstoppable hits from position 2 that gave him a constant place in the Egyptian teams of all age categories.
Since his debut with the Egyptian boys national team in 2000 when he was only 16- year- old, Salah proved his consistency as a star of his generation specially when he led Egypt to the fourth place at the 2001 FIVB Boys Youth World Championship in Cairo, regarded as the best result in Egypt’s volleyball history.
The 31 –year-old opposite spiker was a member also of the Egyptian Junior team participating in the 2003 World Championship in Iran and in the same year he was called up to the senior team at the 2003 All Africa Games in Abuja, Nigeria where Egypt clinched gold.
Best server Abdel Halim Abou (EGY)
In 2005 he became one of the best African attackers with his trademark beard and prolific scoring power that made him hit with the fans. He led Egypt to the first African Nations title after 22 years starting a new era that completed with 4 successive crowns.
He also was part of the historic gold medal finish at the 2005 Mediterranean Games in Almaria, Spain regarded as the first ever at the international level.
In his long international career he represented Egypt at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Championships, the 2007 and 2011 World Cups as well as the 2005 and 2009 Grand Champions Cups.
With his local club Al- Ahly he won the Men’s African Club Championship in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2011. representing also the continent at the last two editions of the FIVB Club World Championships. A veteran of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and four World Leagues, he is a vital cog for his side. He is a regularly Egypt’s go-to guy for a sure- fire attack from the right side of the net.
Best Libero Tabeb Karbosli (TUN)
Tunisia’s big gum Marouen Garci was the second best player in the 2015 Men’s African Nations Championship followed by the Moroccan pearl Mohamed Hachdadi who was third.
Egypt’s middle blocker Abdelhalim Abou was nominated as best server with his teammate Mohamed Adel who was nominated as best blocker. The Egyptian outside hitter Mohamed Abdel Moneim was selected the best receiver, while Tunisia’s Tabeb Karbosli was the best libero. Algeria’s Amir Kerboua who conducted his team to the semifinal was the best setter.
Individual Awards
BEST SERVER: 3 Abelhalim Abou (Egypt)
BEST RECIEVER: 13 Mohamed Abdel Moneim (Egypt)
BEST SETTER: 2 Amir Kerboua (Algeria)
BEST ATTACKER: 11 Mohamed Hachdadi (Morocco)
BEST BLOCKER: 3 Mohamed Adel (Egypt)
BEST LIBERO:1 Tayeb Korbosli (Tunisia)
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: 4 Ahmed Salah (Egypt)
Super Eagles’ Head Coach, Sunday Oliseh, will return to the country next week, as preparations hit top gear for next month’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.
The former Super Eagles’ captain is presently in the United Kingdom with his assistant, Jean Francois Loscuito, and a number of meetings with senior Nigerian internationals in that country are on-going.
Oliseh, officially presented on July 15, has assured that he is already working assiduously towards raising a solid squad to pick up three vital points from East Africa in four-and-half weeks’ time.
“The match in Dar es Salaam is very, very crucial, not only because it will be my first match as Head Coach, but also because we have no choice than to win. The three points are important for us to keep up the tempo in our group.
“We are on the same three points with Egypt, though they have scored a goal more. That is why we cannot afford any slip along the way. We will deal first with the match in Tanzania, and then we will start thinking about the CHAN qualifiers with Burkina Faso in October, and then the World Cup qualifying fixture in November. There is a lot of work. After these matches, we will now start working towards the two AFCON qualifying matches we have with the Pharaohs in March next year.”
Oliseh, in company with NFF President Amaju Pinnick, will also be involved in a number of sessions with some corporate groups interested in partnering with Nigeria football.
“We will spread our dragnet far and wide, and any player who is in great form and we believe can add value to the Super Eagles will be invited to fight for shirt to represent Nigeria.”
The Super Eagles play Tanzania at the National Stadium, Dar es Salaam on Saturday, 5th September, with an international friendly to fulfill a few days later.
NFF President Amaju Pinnick has emphasized that any stadium in the country where any act of hooliganism is unleashed will face severe sanctions while guilty teams will not be allowed to go scot–free.
The NFF boss spoke as the second half of the Nigeria Professional Football League resumed on Sunday.
“We have made it very clear, through our channels and through the LMC channels, that there will be zero tolerance for hooliganism in our stadia. The first stanza has been commended by all stakeholders from far and near, and it is contingent upon us all to consolidate on gains in the areas of credible officiating, people-friendly stadia and flawless administration of games.
“The NFF will continue to work assiduously with the League Management Company to ensure that we continue to improve on all aspects of the League. The League is the foundation of the Nigeria game and we will be deceiving ourselves if we think it does not matter.”
Pinnick urged clubs involved in the Glo NPFL (as well as the other Leagues) to set much store by the maintenance of people –friendly arenas and while emphasizing that monitoring of match officials will be even more thorough in the second round.
“The first half has gone well, and we are all happy. But we cannot afford to rest on our oars. Everyone is saying good things about the League but we must realize that it is always easier to get up than to stay up.
“All hands must be on deck to ensure that rather than have a decline in any area, we continuously improve on every area and by so doing, bring even more football fans to the various stadia.”
Sunshine Stars, Akure Stadium
GLO NPFL WEEK 20 RESULTS
El-Kanemi Warriors 1 Shooting Stars 0
Wikki Tourists 0 Heartland FC 0
Dolphins 3 Nasarawa United 1
Giwa FC 1 Kwara United 0
FC IfeanyiUbah 1 Abia Warriors 1
Sharks FC 2 Warri Wolves 1
FC Taraba 1 Sunshine Stars 0
Enyimba FC 1 Enugu Rangers 1
Bayelsa United 1 Akwa United 1
Kano Pillars 2 Lobi Stars 1
SOGBESO SEUN OF NASARAWA AND ALEBIOSU SEGUN photo credit LMC Media
The first player to be bought at one million naira in the Nigerian League, Emeka Nwanna popularly called “Ayaya” has joined Abia Warriors Football Club of Umuahia on loan until the end of the current season.
The lethal striker, who made the mega move from Rangers international of Enugu to Enyimba of Aba in 2001, was until his loan move to Umuahia in mid season, on his second missionary journey to Enyimba.
Ayaya told Abia Warriors’ website that he decided to pitch his tent with the Umuahia based outfit to contribute his quota towards the realization of the club’s aspirations.
The former Calabar Rovers, Heartland of Owerri and Kwara Utd hitman, said he simply loves Abia Warriors not only as Enyimba’s sister club but also because of the professional way the club is run adding that his ambition is to help the club pick a continental ticket at the end of the season.
“I love Umuahia because I started my career here with then NEPA Football Club of Umuahia when I was still in the secondary School and I had hoped to return here one day and when the opportunity came, I never hesitated to seize it with both hands”, Nwanna who also played for Tunisian and Qatari Clubs said.
On the secret of his longevity in football, the Anambra state-born striker said he does not indulge in negative influences but takes lots of fruits and vegetables particularly after every training session or after a match
Nestle the proud sponsor of the Milo Basketball Championship for Secondary Schools remains committed to the development of the game of basketball in Nigeria. The Milo Top 50 Camp in Lagos facilitates the chances of the talents discovered from various conferences across the country to further develop their skills through world class coaching.
As usual the facilitator, United States Of America based Masai Ujiri alongside five other NBA coaches are working with 18 Nigerian coaches at the Top 50 Camp in Lagos to ensure the players get quality training.
MASAI UJIRI’S GIANTS OF AFRICA TO HOST KIDS BASKETBALL CAMPS THIS SUMMER IN NIGERIA, GHANA, KENYA AND RWANDA. photo credit http://giantsofafrica.org
The Top 50 Camp which is a Nestle Milo project for the Nigerian Youth is targeted at exposing the enormous potential of our youth and the abundant basketball talents in the country. Masai Ujiri sees the Nestle Milo Top 50 Camp Program as the only organized one in the country which is result oriented for the growth of the game of basketball. “Apart from teaching them the basics and fundamentals in basketball, they are taught other life values. Our Milo Top 50 Camp is planned, here we talk of timing, how to interact with others. It is not all the players that make it to the NBA but they can play in other leagues across the globe’’ Ujiri said.
One of the coaches Jama Mahlaela of Toronto Raptors who is working with Masai Ujiri described some of the kids as bundle of talents noting that what they need at this stage is proper guidance, grooming and close monitoring. “At this level you can mould them into the exact role you want them to play. I am satisfied with their performance, they are future stars”.
Top 50 Camp Begins, Nba Coaches Proud Of MILO Basketball Programme, photo credit giantsofAfrica.org
The Brand Manager Nestle Milo, Bola Audu says the brand will continue to instill the values of hard work, fair play, discipline and team. “Nestle’s reward as regards the basketball project is the smiles on faces of these players. We regard the Top 50 Camp as the icing on the cake where the players are exposed to quality training under the supervision of world class coaches”. The Milo Top 50 Camp gives the children the opportunity to interact one on one with the coaches handling specific areas. These includes individual defense, footwork, dribbling, shooting and passing.
The tension of a derby and top of the table clash between two Victoria Island based teams; Cowrie RFC and Racing RFC provided a fascinating game of rugby, one that at a stage could have gone either way at the main bowl of the National stadium, Lagos on Saturday.
It took just 10 minutes for Onor Jatto to open the scoring for Cowrie as Christian Ogar took the responsibility of converting the kicks in the absence of inspirational captain, Azeez Ladipo who was not fielded. In what turned out to be a fast and furious game, racing responded almost immediately when centre, Festus Nwasor took advantage of a John Sylvanus error in the 27th minute and raced 50 yards for a try.
Sodiq Oduola of Cowrie RFC makes a tackle
After starting out slowly, Cowries’ speed star, Christian Ogar turned the heat on Racing RFC with two tries which prompted racing to make 2 substitutions- Chike Nwagbogu came out for Stephen Israel and veteran; Taleeb Adeniyi replaced Imeh Okon on the wing with little time remaining in the first half.
The grudge match that was described as the most tactical, exciting and “neatest” game of the day by fans and observers, resumed in the second half with the same urgency from both teams who were desperate to earn the bragging right. Christian Ogar kicked over a penalty early in the second half before Denis Clement who was a former Cowrie player replied Christian Ogar with a penalty conversion of his own.
Clement Denis scored another penalty and a drop kick point to take Racing points to 16 and his territorial kicking created a lot of problems and put Cowrie on the back foot towards the end. Cowrie defended well and held on for the double against Racing this season.
In the opening match of the day, Police RFC showed their superiority over Eco II with a 97-0 emphatic win.
Speaking after the game, captain of Police RFC, Rahmon Bakare said they actually came out for the game to overrun Eco II, but due to some silly mistakes, they could not score more as he promised that they will go back to the drawing board to perfect their tactics.
A dejected Captain of Eco II RFC, Kazeem Busari, said “We tried our best, but obviously our best was not enough due to the caliber of players at our disposal”
Meanwhile it took 18 minutes for the deadlock to be broken in the second match between Royal Stallions of Ilorin and Gosar RFC of Lagos.
It was Gosar RFC who broke the deadlock in the 18th minute with a breakaway try by Ezekiel Tom. Gosar further took a 12 point advantage with Dare Salami scoring another try before Sadiq Akanni redeemed himself scoring the resultant conversion after missing the first opportunity. Ife Ibiteye reduced the deficit scoring 3 points for Royal Stallions of Ilorin courtesy of a penalty kick.
Cowrie RFC in a defensive line
With the resumption of action in the second half, Salami Felix made a try for Gosar RFC in the 48th minute despite Royal Stallions proving a hard nut to crack and Sodiq Akanni scored the resulting kick as the match ended 19 points to 3 against Royal Stallions RFC.
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