Nigeria’s commitment to justify ITF’s identification as one of Africa’s leading hubs for talents was boosted over the weekend as the first Red Ball tournament in the country took place at the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja.
Over a dozen kids featured in the programme tagged MP Tiger Tennis 8&Under Red Ball Mini Round-Robin Tournament which was supported by the London Tennis Association through its top oficial Patrick Hughesman.
The Red Ball programme according to the ITF is the foremost basic teaching of tennis as the ball has low pressure which makes it stay longer in the air thus allowing kids time to make more rallies and keeping them longer in the game.
“It makes tennis more fun for the kids because it helps them to work on the ethics and its motivating to see kids of about five years rallying up to 30 times unlike the normal ball with which you can hardly see them rally five times. They want to stay longer in the game and that is good to keep their interest in the sport,” Paul Moses, a Professional Tennis Registry UK-certified coach said.
The mixed event saw Tobi Ayoola defeat Sheni Oshikoya in the final of the 5&6 category while Toluwashe Dele-Oshiga made good use of his experience he gathered at the LTA Red Ball Tournament in Roehampton, London in August as he beat Sarah Chebli to emerge champion in the 7&8 category.
The programme has already caught the attention of the Nigeria Tennis Federation which has also declared its full support.
NTF boss, Sani Ndanusa thanked the initiator noting that in the last few years, MP Tennis in conjunction with the Lagos Country Club has been playing a big role in the growth of Nigerian tennis through its numerous developmental programmes.
“In the past few years, some of our junior national players featured in the clay court tournaments at the club as part of preparation for an African Championship in Tunisia which they did very well. An attestation to this fact is the ITF scholarship which is being enjoyed by Oyinlomo Qaudri in Morocco,” Ndanusa pointed.
The Hexagon in Reading will host snooker’s celebrated Shoot-Out event for the first time in 2016.
The Shoot-Out, first staged in 2011, was previously held in Blackpool and has become a firm favourite among fans for its non-stop thrilling action.
This season’s event runs from February 12 to 14 and will be staged at The Hexagon, a venue which previously held the Grand Prix tournament from 1984 to 1993.
The Shoot-Out, to be televised by ITV4 for the next three years, features 64 of the world’s top players in a knock-out format. Each match is a single frame lasting a maximum of ten minutes, with a shot clock of 15 seconds for the first five and ten seconds for the last five.
Michael White took the £32,000 top prize last season after beating Xiao Guodong by potting four balls in the last 40 seconds of an incredible final.
World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: “We are delighted to bring the Shoot-Out to The Hexagon for the first time. It’s a fabulous venue and one which was renowned on the snooker circuit for many years when it hosted the Grand Prix.
“There are few events which can match the Shoot-Out for sheer exhilaration – I love the way the crowd get involved to support their favourites. For the players, it’s all about who can handle the pressure when the clock is ticking.
“This is great news for the people of Reading and the surrounding area as they will get the chance to see three days of drama on the green baize. Fans are strongly urged to book tickets fast once they are on sale as they won’t last long!”
Paul Gittings, Lead Councillor for Reading Culture, Sport and Consumer Services, added: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome back world class snooker to The Hexagon; an iconic venue already steeped in snooker history. This televised tournament gives the opportunity for Reading to enjoy a thrilling fast paced tournament in a venue close to home. I have very fond memories of seeing the snooker greats at The Hexagon, and am glad a whole new generation can now experience this too.”
The Newcastle goalkeeper was on top of his game on Saturday making string of saves in the Geordie’s 1-0 win at Bournemouth. He made more saves than any other goalkeeper in the premier league in Game week 12.
Right back- Kyle Walker (Tottenham):
The English defender had an excellent performance on Sunday. He was in command of his defensive area for most part of the match and he pushed forward to support the attack.
Centre back: Ryan Shawcross (Stoke City):
The English defender was at his best against Chelsea on Saturday night co-ordinating his back line. He dealt with the threat of Chelsea striker Diego Costa with ease in Stoke’s 1-0 win at the Britannia.
Centre back- Scott Dann (Crystal Palace):
Scott Dann had an impressive defensive display against Liverpool on Sunday. His goal was the difference in their 2-1 win at Anfield.
Left back- Erik Pieters (Stoke City):
The Dutch defender had an excellent performance against Chelsea at the weekend. He was solid defensively and pushed forward whenever the situation arises.
Centre midfield- Moussa Dembele (Tottenham):
The Belgian midfielder had a brilliant performance against Arsenal. He was strong and imposing in the midfield against the gunners. He had the highest passing rate in the North London derby on Sunday.
Newfanzone Barclays English Premier League team of the week (week 12)
Centre midfield- Manuel Lanzini (West Ham United):
The Argentine midfielder continues to impress after another excellent performance at the weekend. His goal against Everton on Saturday was fantastic.
Right-wing- Jesse Lingard (Manchester United):
The Englishman has brought spark to a Manchester United’s attack that couldn’t score a premier league goal for three weeks. His overall performance against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday was outstanding and he capped it off with a stunning goal.
Left-wing- Mesut Ozil (Arsenal):
The German midfield had an excellent performance against Tottenham on Sunday. He provided an assist for the sixth league match in a row,making him the first to do so in a single season.
Striker- Jamie Vardy (Leicester City):
The Englishman can’t stop scoring and he is on the verge of matching Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 10 Premier League goals in a row.
Striker- Harry Kane (Tottenham):
After a slow start to the season,the young English striker has now scored six goals in his last four matches, including a tidy finish in Tottenham’s draw at the Emirates on Sunday.
This is a deeply shocking report and very saddening for the world of sport. The IOC trusts that the new leadership of the IAAF with its President Sebastian Coe will draw all the necessary conclusions and will take all the necessary measures. In this context the IOC welcomes the clear commitment expressed by IAAF to do “whatever it takes to protect the clean athletes and rebuild trust in our sport.”
The protection of the clean athletes is a top priority for the International Olympic Committee. This is why in Olympic Agenda 2020 the IOC has undertaken far reaching measures in this commitment.
With regard to the Olympic Games, the IOC will continue to take whatever measures needed to safeguard clean athletes, clean sport and good governance. In the most recent Olympic Summit meeting we have decided to make testing independent from sports organisations and have entrusted WADA to come up with proposals.
The IOC will also carefully study the report with regard to the Olympic Games. If any infringements on the anti-doping rules by athletes and or their entourage should be established, the IOC will react with its usual zero tolerance policy.
We support the attempt of the independent commission to bring all the facts to light in the interest of the integrity of the sport and the protection of the cleans athletes.
With regard to the police inquiries against the former IAAF President Mr. Lamine Diack the IOC Ethics Commission has today decided to recommend the provisional suspension of his IOC honorary membership.
President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) is worthy of a bold mention in the Guinness Book of Records, according to NFF President Amaju Pinnick.
Pinnick spoke in Santiago on Monday morning as he boarded a flight to Buenos Aires on the way back home from a success story at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile.
“Yes, it is a success story as you just mentioned, but it would not have ended that way without the great support that the Nigeria Football Federation continues to receive from the President Muhammadu Buhari–led Federal Government.
“In fact, the Nigeria Football Federation is dedicating this triumph to President Buhari. He is a man of history. He was there when the first set won the trophy in 1985 as military Head of State; now he is here as civilian President when the Class of 2015 emerged victorious. Seriously speaking, I don’t think there is any Head of State or Government in the entire universe who has this honour, and for this, our PMB deserves a place in the Guinness Book of Records.”
Pinnick, whose one –year administration can now point to successes at the African Women Championship (Namibia 2014), African Youth Championship (Senegal 2015) and now the Eaglets’ triumph (aside qualifications for several major tournaments), insisted on Monday that the masterstroke for the Eaglets’ confident and determined approach was President Buhari’s call to the team a day earlier.
President Muhammadu Buhari
“We appreciate the President for sparing time out of his very tight schedule to talk to each and every player and official. That was a massive motivation. At the end of the conversation, the players told me they would go all out and give whatever it would take to win, having been inspired by the country’s leader.
“Football is a potent and huge tool for national unity and the focus of the present NFF administration is to build a sustainable football culture for our country. Triumphs are good, but we must not overlook the sustainable culture.”
The NFF President assured that his administration would be strongly involved in the players’ development, unlike what happened in the past. “People have talked about monitoring the players. We would do more than that. We would be part of their developmental programs and seamless transition to senior categories.
“We are very happy with this victory because it gives us the opportunity to present to our dear PMB his first global crown on his return as civilian President.”
Pinnick, a member of the Organizing Committee for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, and who joined the dignitaries to hand out the medals in Vina del Mar on Sunday, hinted that the NFF already has other targets in its immediate radar.
Golden Eaglets
“Of course, we are celebrating. But I can tell you that our focus has already shifted to the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal. It is important that we earn a ticket to the men’s football tournament of next year’s Olympics in Brazil.
“We will give Samson Siasia’s squad all the support to win the ticket. And of course, we have also concluded arrangements to ensure the Super Eagles defeat Swaziland in the race for the 2018 FIFA World Cup starting with the first leg in Lobamba on Friday,” said Pinnick, as he congratulated the U-20 women national team, Falconets, for earning a ticket to the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after beating South Africa’s Basetsana on Sunday.
FIFA U-17 World Cup record breaker, Victor Osimhen as well as Captain Kelechi Nwakali, have both paid special tribute to Golden Eaglets’ Head Coach, Emmanuel Amuneke following a record fifth title for Nigeria at the global cadet championship at Chile 2015.
Two goals by Victor Osimhen and Funsho Bamgboye saw Nigeria to glory yet again at the Estadio Sausalito Stadium in Vina del Mar on Sunday, in front of over 21,000 spectators including the NFF President Amaju Pinnick; NFF Deputy General Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Ikpeme and; a pocket of Nigerian fans led by officials from Nigeria’s Embassy in Argentina who came all the way from Buenos Aires.
Osimhen’s goal broke the existing FIFA U-17 World Cup scoring record of nine goals – just three days after he equalled the nine-goal record in a single tournament previously jointly held by Frenchman Florent Sinama Pongolle and Ivorian Souleymane Coulibaly, who were top scorers at the global cadet championship at Trinidad & Tobago 2001 and Mexico 2011 respectively.
Speaking after laying his hands on the Golden Boot of Chile 2015, Osimhen thanked coach Emmanuel Amuneke for being a father figure to the players, even as he dedicated his award to his sister who gave birth to a baby girl on Friday.
VINA DEL MAR, CHILE – NOVEMBER 08: Kelechi Nwakali (R) of Nigeria poses with the adidas bronze boot and team mate Victor Osimhen of Nigeria poses with the adidas golden boot after the FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup 2015 final match between Mali and Nigeria at Estadio Sausalito on November 8, 2015 in Vina del Mar, Chile. (Photo by Martin Rose – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
“I want to thank coach Amuneke again for what he has impacted in us and I’m also grateful to my teammates who helped me to break the record,” said the teenager who was also voted as the second best player of the tournament behind Nwakali. “The Golden Boot is also dedicated to my sister who just had a baby girl.”
Nwakali, who was rewarded with the adidas Golden Ball and the Second
Runner Up of the adidas Golden Boot, said apart from God, Coach Amuneke was the architect of the team’s success: “Coach Amuneke is more than a coach to us. He is a father and I want to thank him so much. It is always the dream of every young player to win the World Cup and we are happy that he has helped us to achieve this glory.”
In response to WADA’s Independent Commission report issued today, the IAAF President, Sebastian Coe, has taken the urgent step of seeking approval from his fellow IAAF Council Members to consider sanctions against the Russian Athletics Federation (ARAF). These sanctions could include provisional and full suspension and the removal of future IAAF events.
Commenting on the report, the IAAF President said: “The information in WADA’s Independent Commissions Report is alarming. We need time to properly digest and understand the detailed findings included in the report. However, I have urged the Council to start the process of considering sanctions against ARAF. This step has not been taken lightly. Our athletes, partners and fans have my total assurance that where there are failures in our governance or our anti-doping programmes we will fix them. We will do whatever it takes to protect the clean athletes and rebuild trust in our sport. The IAAF will continue to offer the police authorities our full co-operation into their ongoing investigation.
IAAF – Member Federation suspension and other sanction process
– IAAF Council to decide whether to proceed with a potential sanctions’ process against a Member Federation.
– The Member Federation is asked to respond to the allegations and proposed sanctions.
– IAAF Council to consider the Member Federation response as soon as possible and make a decision on next steps.
Pakistan will be aiming to carry the recent Test momentum into the four-match One-Day International (ODI) series against England as it bids to gain crucial points on the ICC ODI Team Rankings.
Eighth-ranked Pakistan is currently sitting on 88 points as compared to sixth-ranked England’s 100 points. With England, plus seven other top-ranked sides as on 30 September 2017, set to qualify directly for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, the only way Pakistan can move up the order is by winning matches against the higher-ranked sides.
As such, a 4-0 series win against England will earn Pakistan five points, while a 3-1 victory will mean a gain of three rankings points. It will earn only one point if the series ends in a two-all draw.
An England series win will mean Pakistan will lose points. If England sweeps the series, like it did in 2012, then Pakistan will drop to 86 points, while it will concede one point if England wins 3-1.
As far as England is concerned, it can rise to as high as102 points, but will slip behind Bangladesh in seventh place by a fraction of a point, if it loses 4-0 and Bangladesh wins the third ODI against Zimbabwe on Monday.
Pakistan’s last series win against England was on home turf in December 2005 when it won 3-2.
Pakistan 4 England 0 – Pakistan 93 points England 95 points
Pakistan 3 England 1 – Pakistan 91 points England 96 points
Pakistan 2 England 2 – Pakistan 89 points England 99 points
Pakistan 1 England 3 – Pakistan 87 points England 101 points
Pakistan 0 England 4 – Pakistan 86 points England 102 points
In the ICC ODI Player Rankings, no batsman from either side features in the top 10. Joe Root is the highest-ranked batsman in 11th position, followed by captain Eoin Morgan (21st) and wicketkeeper Jos Buttler (23rd).
Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez is 30th, while Ahmed Shehzad is 32nd.
AB de Villiers of South Africa is the number-one ranked batsman, while Virat Kohli of India is second and Kane Williamson of New Zealand third.
In the bowling chart, Pakistan’s Mohammad Irfan, in 14th place, is the highest-ranked bowler from either side, followed by Moeen Ali of England (31st) and Wahab Riaz (49th).
Sunil Narine of the West Indies is the top-ranked bowler and he is followed by Mitchell Starc of Australia and Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan.
Meanwhile, the recently-concluded series between Sri Lanka and West Indies has resulted in gains for a number of players.
In the batting table, Marlon Samuels has moved up three places to 34th and Kusal Perera has climbed seven places to 43rd, while in the bowling, Suranga Lakmal has achieved a career-best ranking of 23rd after rising six places and Lasith Malinga has vaulted four places to 24th.
The 3-0 series win as earned Sri Lanka five points and it is now on 105 points, while the West Indies has slipped to 86 after dropping two points.
11 November – 1st ODI, Abu Dhabi
13 November – 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
17 November – 3rd ODI, Sharjah
20 November – 4th ODI, Dubai
ICC ODI Team Rankings (as on 9 November, after SL-WI series, before BD-Zim third ODI and before the start of Pak-Eng series)
Rank Team Points
1 Australia 127
2 India 114
3 South Africa 112
4 New Zealand 109
5 Sri Lanka 105
6 England 100
7 Bangladesh 96
8 Pakistan 88
9 West Indies 86
10 Zimbabwe 46
11 Ireland 46
12 Afghanistan 45
ICC T20I Player Rankings (as on 9 November, after SL-WI series, before BD-Zim third ODI and before the start of Pak-Eng series)
Batsmen (top 10)
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Avge HS Ranking
1 ( – ) AB de Villiers SA 900 54.21 902 v NZ at Auckland 2015
2 ( – ) Virat Kohli Ind 804 50.60 886 v Ban at Fatullah 2014
3 ( – ) Kane Williamson NZ 788 48.02 798 v SA at Centurion 2015
4 ( – ) T. Dilshan SL 780 39.62 802 v Sco at Hobart 2015
5 ( – ) Hashim Amla SA 776 52.70 901 v Eng at Trent Bridge 2012
6 ( – ) MS Dhoni Ind 741 52.26 836 v Aus at Delhi 2009
7 ( – ) Shikhar Dhawan Ind 730 42.93 794 v SA at Melbourne 2015
8 ( – ) Ross Taylor NZ 728 43.91 743 v Zim at Harare 2015
9 ( – ) Glenn Maxwell Aus 717 34.88 724 v Pak at Adelaide 2015
10= ( – ) Faf du Plessis SA 715! 39.65 715 v Ind at Mumbai 2015
( – ) Quinton de Kock SA 715 39.86 749 v Aus at Sydney 2014
Selected Rankings:
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Avge HS Ranking
15 ( – ) Joe Root Eng 680 42.36 712 v NZ at Trent Bridge 2015
20 (+1) Angelo Mathews SL 643 39.94 707 v Eng at Colombo (RPS) 2014
21 (-1) Eoin Morgan Ire/Eng 641 37.81 690 v Aus at The Oval 2010
23 ( – ) Jos Buttler Eng 627 32.60 680 v NZ at Edgbaston 2015
30 ( – ) M. Hafeez Pak 599 31.58 665 v Ban at Mirpur 2014
32 (+1) Ahmed Shehzad Pak 596 34.81 670 v Ban at Mirpur 2014
33 (-3) L. Thirimanne SL 595 34.65 599 v WI at Colombo (RPS) 2015
34 (+3) Marlon Samuels WI 593 34.08 631 v SL at St. Vincent 2003
43 (+7) Kusal Perera SL 547! 27.36 547 v WI at Pallekele 2015
45 (-1) Andre Russell WI 542 28.97 571 v NZ at St Kitts 2012
50 (-6) Darren Bravo WI 536 32.15 588 v Ind at Kanpur 2013
Bowling
Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Avge Econ HS Ranking
1 ( – ) Sunil Narine WI 734 26.05 4.07 791 v SL at Jamaica 2013
2 ( – ) Mitchell Starc Aus 713 19.65 4.85 783 v NZ at Melbourne 2015
3 ( – ) Shakib Al Hasan Ban 706 27.89 4.30 717 v Zim at Chittagong 2009
4 ( – ) Trent Boult NZ 705* 24.08 4.64 738 v Eng at The Oval 2015
5 ( – ) Imran Tahir SA 688 22.94 4.49 735 v SL at Sydney 2015
6 ( – ) Dale Steyn SA 682 25.93 4.86 746 v Ind at Durban 2013
7 ( – ) M. Johnson Aus 672 25.26 4.83 724 v Ban at Darwin 2008
8 ( – ) Morne Morkel SA 666 23.98 4.90 717 v SL at East London 2012
9 ( – ) Saeed Ajmal Pak 655 22.73 4.18 810 v SA at Centurion 2013
10 ( – ) R. Ashwin Ind 640 31.27 4.81 691 v SL at Hambantota 2012
Selected Rankings:
Rank (+/-) Player Team Pts Avge Econ Highest Ranking
14= (+1) Mohammad Irfan Pak 597 31.63 4.90 641 v UAE at Napier 2015
16 (-2) S. Senanayake SL 596 34.94 4.74 656 v NZ at Christchurch 2015
23 (+6) Suranga Lakmal SL 560 29.71 5.56 563 v WI at Colombo (RPS) 2015
24 (+4) Lasith Malinga SL 557 27.77 5.26 675 v Ban at Colombo (RPS) 2007
26 (-2) Jason Holder WI 555 32.12 5.68 576 v UAE at Napier 2015
29 (-6) Angelo Mathews SL 554 34.77 4.61 649 v Ind at Trinidad 2013
31 (+1) Moeen Ali Eng 544* 38.40 4.86 554 v Aus at Headingley 2015
32 (-1) Ravi Rampaul WI 542 29.35 5.10 628 v Ind at Ahmedabad 2011
44 ( – ) Jerome Taylor WI 496* 27.33 6.29 626 v NZ at Christchurch 2009
49 ( – ) Wahab Riaz Pak 486 29.67 5.57 501 v Zim at Lahore 2015
All-rounders
Rank (+/-) Player Team Points Highest Ranking
1 ( – ) Shakib Al Hasan Ban 424 453 v Zim at Chittagong 2009
2 ( – ) T. Dilshan SL 366 415 v Sco at Hobart 2015
3 ( – ) Angelo Mathews SL 356 427 v Eng at Colombo (RPS) 2014
UAE and Hong Kong will be aiming to secure the opening points in their ICC Intercontinental Cup campaign when they face each other on Wednesday, 11 November, in pursuit of their dreams for Test status. The four-day first-class fixture will be played in the ICC Academy in Dubai.
The duo will square-off against each other in a second round ICC Intercontinental Cup fixture with the possibility of both sides moving ahead of third from bottom Afghanistan, which will face Papua New Guinea (PNG) in Sharjah later this month, also in a second round clash.
The UAE and Hong Kong have met only once in the competition, back in April 2005 at Sharjah, when the UAE won a low-scoring contest by seven wickets with Khurram Khan scoring twin fifties in the match.
This is UAE’s sixth appearance in the Intercontinental Cup (having also featured on one occasion in the ICC Shield) and in 28 appearances to date have won seven matches, lost 11 and drawn 10 times. Hong Kong is making its second appearance in the Intercontinental Cup (after first appearing in 2005) and in three games thus far have yet to record a win, having lost twice and drawn once.
In the first round of fixtures, United Arab Emirates (UAE) fell to an innings and 26 runs defeat to Ireland in Malahide in June, while Hong Kong lost to Namibia by a 114-run margin in May.
This outcome will put back on track either side’s ambitions of winning the ICC Intercontinental Cup and qualify for the ICC Test Challenge, which will be played against the 10th-ranked Test side on a home and away basis in 2018. If the ICC Intercontinental Cup winner wins the ICC Test Challenge, then it will secure Test status until the next ICC Test Challenge, which will take place in 2022.
The four-day match will be followed by two 50-over matches at the ICC Academy in Dubai. These matches will be part of the ICC World Cricket League Championship from which the top sides will progress to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2018 Qualifier, scheduled to be held in Bangladesh.
Looking ahead to the series, recently-installed UAE captain Ahmed Raza said: “We have a good mix of young and experienced players and I’m really excited to work alongside them on our Intercontinental Cup and ICC World Cricket League Championship campaigns against Hong Kong. Our preparation leading into the series has been really good and I hope that will reflect in the results. Our squad have a couple of new faces, which is quite exciting as we are starting to build for the next Qualifiers in 2017.
“Personally, it is a proud moment for me to be named as the captain of UAE. I’ve led UAE as a caretaker in the past and had reasonable success coming from it. Thanks to the selectors and head coach who have shown faith in my skill as a leader.”
Hong Kong captain Tanwir Afzal added: “We have really focused on our physical conditioning and worked hard on improving our specific fielding skills and roles in the various formats we will be playing.
“It’s great to see the young cricketers like Chris Carter getting opportunities to play in these tournaments as they bring a different dynamic to the squad.”
Squads
UAE (from): Ahmed Raza (captain), Amjad Ali, Shaiman Anwar, Nasir Aziz, Abdul Shakkor Bangash, Qais Farooq, Asif Iqbal, Raja Adeel Iqbal, Umair Ali Khan, Sreekumar Laxman, Usman Musthaq, M Naveed, Swapnil Patil (wicketkeeper) and Youdhin Punja.
Hong Kong (from): Tanwir Afzal (captain), Nadeem Ahmed, Haseeb Amjad, Jamie Atkinson, Waqas Barkat, Chris Carter (wicketkeeper), Mark Chapman, Babar Hayat, Aizaz Khan, Nizakat Khan, Waqas Khan, Ehsan Nawaz, Anshuman Rath, Kinchit Shah and Ninad Shah.
Umpires – Vineet Kulkarni and Sarika Prasad
Match Referee – Dev Govindjee
ICC Intercontinental Cup 2015-17, photo credit ICC:Noel DeSouza
Intercontinental Cup points table
Teams Mat Won Lost Draw Pts
Ireland 2 2 0 0 40
Netherlands 2 1 1 0 26
Namibia 2 1 1 0 20
PNG 1 1 0 0 14
Scotland 2 0 1 1 13
Afghanistan 1 0 0 1 7
Hong Kong 1 0 1 0 0
UAE 1 0 1 0 0
ICC World Cricket League points table
Team Played Won Lost N/R Points
Kenya 4 3 1 0 6
Netherlands 4 2 0 2 6
Scotland 4 2 0 2 6
Hong Kong 2 1 1 0 2
UAE 2 1 1 0 2
Namibia 4 1 3 0 2
Nepal 2 0 2 0 0
PNG 2 0 2 0 0
Several records were set and even broken as the Nigerian Under 17 national team defeated fellow African brothers Mali in the final of the FIFA Under 17 World Cup, Chile 2015.
The Golden Eaglets qualified for the World Cup in Chile as the fourth Best African Team, regardless of the fact that they were defending champions. Tutored by former Super Eagles And Fc Barcelona forward Emmanuel Amuneke the Nigerian Lads played a brand of football that was eye-candy.
The highlight of the first half was the Penalty save by Malian Goalkeeper Samuel Diarra from a Osinachi Ebere Penalty Kick, subsequent rebounds were blocked by the Malian defence and the bar.
The First Half ended goalless but Golden Eaglets came out guns blazing in the second half. Top Striker for the Eaglets And Tournament highest goal scorer Victor Osimhen Wrote his name in goal when he got the first goal of the final to become the highest goal scorer of all time at the Under 17 level when he scored his first of the game and the tenth of the tournament.
This was enough to guarantee him the Adidas Golden booth award, Funsho Bamboye put the icing on the cake when he scored the second goal of the game to pile pressure on the Malians who fought gallantly but just didn’t have what it takes to go toe to toe with the Nigerians.
The final blast of the whistle only meant that Nigeria had now set a record of five FIFA Under 17 World Cup Victories and this was the first under 17 trophy that Nigeria would win on a different continent having won a four previous trophies had been won in Asia.
Golden Eaglets Coach Emmanuel Amuneke
The Spectacular display of the Golden Eaglets Also saw them cart away individual awards, As captain of the side Nwakali got the Adidas Bronze booth. Nwakali was also named the Most Valuable player of the tournament ahead of top scorer Osimhen who was awarded the Silver ball as the second most valuable player of the FIFA Chile 2015.
Its Been a very successful outing for the Nigerian team in Chile and Kudos most go Coach Emanuel Amuneke and his backroom staff for this wonderful display, perhaps this crop of extremely talented players might break the hoodoo for the Nigerians at the next FIFA Under 20 world Cup.
Growing up in a family that love football has shown me a lot about the great footballers we have ever had in Nigeria.
I recall the likes of Samuel Okwaraji, Jay Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Christian Chukwu, Emeka Ezeugo, Mikel Obi, Onyekachi Apam, Uche Okechukwu, etc. All the above named great footballers are Igbo men, as most of the footballers of such calibre to have ever come out of Nigeria are from the tribe.
When observing trending issues on the social media sometime last week, I was privy to discussions and sometimes arguments by some stakeholders and learned people in sport about the fact that the Igbos are dominating the national teams, both male and female, while some accused the team handlers of partiality in their squad selections. Many insinuated that the guys are always the ones they called because they feel they are better talented in football. However, this does not exclude the female players.
Nigerians are interesting people in its entirety when it comes to tribal issues, truth be told, they dominated and are still dominating football in Nigeria. Kudos has to be given to them, worthy of acknowledgement.
Kelechi Iheanacho
Having said that, as a proud Yoruba woman, most of my friends are Igbos, so, no one should accuse me of tribalism or picking on this wonderful footballing tribe. They have collectively brought glory to our great nation Nigeria in so many ways. In recent times, the squad that won the 2013 African Cup of Nations was full of the Igbos, even the 2013 world cup winning U-17 squad. The upcoming dudes are Kelechi Iheanacho, Chidiebere Nwakali and many others, to name but two. Looking at the Nigerian Leagues across the Nation, on its own, most of the players plying their trade there are of the Igbo Tribe.
Moving out of the country right now, the statistics of the players in different leagues abroad in the Scandinavian countries, the middle belt, even in Yemen, are of the Igbo Tribe or descent. I feel they should be happy and proud of their inputs and contribution to local and global football while they rightfully enrich their pockets in return. Many of them have adopted other countries due to the lack of a chance to feature for their Nation. They are of great determination, these folks represent us well with their sportsmanship.
I remember a super eagles player, Sunday Mba who scored the winning goal at 2013 AFCON, Mikel Obi, young Kenneth Omeruo was also superb with the strong input from the now retired Emmanuel Emenike.
Mikel Obi
Statistically, about 70% overall national participation goes to the Igbo guys while the remaining 30% is shared amongst other tribes. Critically speaking, some people from other tribes fade away so soon while the Igbo guys stand the test of time, and are more devoted to the game, conversely, have lengthy footballing careers, I wonder how they do it. What is their secret recipe?
Reasons behind their love for football are many and after a deep thought and questions raised, I realized that, this set of people like the game of football more than the rest of the tribes in the country, and also get more encouragement in doing so.
It can be attributed to a number of reasons, singularly or additionally; Physical prowess, as they’re genetically sturdier than the other tribes; Better encouraged by the number of successful Igbo players; Their enterprising nature afford them the ability to foresee the riches that may lie ahead despite the short-termism of the career; Its better embraced as a way out of poverty within the community; Simply better enjoyed in practice than the other tribes; Better scouting network within the tribe.
Meanwhile, you can hardly see a Hausa girl play football and also, only few Yoruba girls come out to play the round leather game, can we safely blame this on their religion and culture? Of course yes!
Some scouts will rather an Igbo footballer, because it is widely believed that they take football more seriously. Another thing that came to my mind is that the igbos are business oriented and one fast way to big money is through football. I really thank them for their efforts and I hope they keep contributing their skills to bringing glory to the Nation through football.
The French combination of Simon Delestre and Hermes Ryan won the adrenalin-filled fourth leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2015/2015 Western European League in sensational style at Verona, Italy today.
The 15-horse jump-off against the clock was full of thrills and surprises, with the unusual occurrence of superstars Ludger Beerbaum (Chaman) from Germany and Scott Brash (Hello M’Lady) from Great Britain tied for the lead at the halfway stage after breaking the beam in precisely the same time. But at the end of the memorable competition they eventually had to settle for joint-third place when overtaken by Sweden’s Henrik von Eckermann (Cantinero) in runner-up spot and Delestre with his brave and agile chestnut who came out on top.
Rose to the challenge
It was a day when many promising young horses really rose to the challenge of top-class sport over a big, demanding but straight-forward course designed by Italian maestro, Uliano Vezzani. Max Kuhner’s fabulous grey stallion, Chardonnay, is only eight, yet still found the key to the track that included a testing triple combination at fence six and a difficult line from the triple-bar at eight to the following double – vertical to oxer. Coming up on a four-stride distance from the previous obstacle, elements of the latter constantly hit the floor, while the penultimate oxer also took its toll throughout the afternoon.
Chardonnay was clear once again for the Austrian rider in the jump-off, setting the target when sixth to go in a time of 47.84 seconds.
Vezzani’s new track proved a bit of a puzzle for the early runners, and Kuhner opted for a careful tour with his talented young charge. So when Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson broke the beam in 38.89 seconds with Unita ASK he went well into the lead only to be immediately overtaken by Dutchman Maikel van der Vleuten and the ever-reliable VDL Groep Verdi who were half a second quicker.
However it was the man who claimed the coveted FEI World Cup™ Jumping trophy for Germany for the very first time back in 1993 who really set today’s competition alight, Ludger Beerbaum steering Chaman home in 37.83 seconds to throw it down to the rest of the field. The knowledgable crowd jumped to their feet in appreciation as he cleared the line, convinced that this could not be bettered, but there was plenty more excitement to come.
Critical points
Critical points on the jump-off track were the rollback to the vertical at fence three, and another from the water-tray oxer at five to the two remaining elements of the triple combination. World No. 1, Scott Brash, produced a brilliant turn to the third fence with the nine-year-old Hello M’Lady and galloped down to the last, but the crowd gasped with amazement when the clock showed exactly the same time as it did for Beerbaum. The prospect of joint-winners seemed very much on the cards, but Delestre had other ideas about that.
The Frenchman said afterwards that he was determined not to push Hermes Ryan too hard, but that “he’s a small horse with a lot of scope so that always gives you an advantage against the clock. I decided I would just try to be fast without going crazy”, and it worked like a dream as they broke the timers in 36.46 seconds to go out in front. It still wasn’t quite over however, as, second-last to go, Henrik von Eckermann, on the considerably bigger gelding Cantinero, was well in touch coming down to the final fence. “Maybe I could have done one less (stride) to the last” the Swedish rider mused after posting his time of 36.72 seconds for second place.
A little fresh
“Verona is my first show with Ryan since the Europeans at Aachen, and he was a little fresh the first day” said 34-year-old Delestre who claimed individual bronze at this summer’s Championships at the hallowed German venue. He changed his plan for the weekend when he realised his little Selle-Francais gelding was on his toes. “Usually I would jump him in a small class and then the Grand Prix, but instead I did the big class yesterday because I wanted him to settle, and anyway I didn’t want to shock him with the size of the fences today”, he explained.
“Ryan is a typical French horse and the best I’ve ever had in my life – when he’s relaxed like he was today it’s easy to be fast with him – he’s very special, he has only had three fences down in this whole season!” said the rider who, having already collected points at both the first leg in Oslo (NOR) and the third leg in Lyon (FRA), is now qualified for the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2016 Final in Gothenburg, Sweden next March.
He has taken over at the top of the leaderboard, ousting his compatriot, Penelope Leprevost who has won two other legs of the series so far, and when asked this evening if the Western European League is turning into “the French World Cup series”, Delestre replied, “yes, we are in great form right now, and the French team are feeling very, very happy!”
For further information on the fourth leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2015/2016 Western European League series in Verona, Italy visit http://www.jumpingverona.it or contact Press Officer Caterina Vagnozzi, c.vagnozzi@gmail.com, +39 335 6107070.
The fifth leg will take place in Stuttgart, Germany on Sunday 22 November. For details of the German fixture visit http://www.stuttgart-german-masters.de
French winners Simon Delestre and Hermes Ryan pictured with Juan Carlos Capelli, Longines Vice-President and Head of International Marketing and Elisa Gasparini, Brand Manager Longines Italy after winning today’s fourth leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2015/2016 Western European League at Verona, Italy. (FEI/Stefano Secchi)
Result:
1, Hermes Ryan (Simon Delestre) FRA 0/0 36.46;
2, Cantinero (Henrik von Eckermann) SWE 0/0 36.72;
3, Chaman (Ludger Beerbaum) GER 0/0 37.83;
3, Hello M’Lady (Scott Brash) GBR 0/0 37.83;
5, VDL Groep Verdi TN NOP (Maikel van der Vleuten) NED 0/0 38.24;
6, Unita ASK (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) SWE 0/0 38.89;
7, Glock’s Cognac Champblanc (Gerco Schroder) NED 0/0 39.54;
8, Chaccorina (Marco Kutscher) GER 0/0 40.88;
9, Chardonnay (Max Kuhner) AUT 0/0 47.84;
10, Rokfeller de Pleville Bois Margot (Eduardo Alvarez Aznar) ESP 0/4 40.81;
11, Cornet du Lys (Jose Maria Larocca) ARG 0/4 42.40;
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