Michael Obasi of Hot Fm Abuja has emerged the champion of the table tennis event of the 2015 FCT SWAN week.
Obasi who is playing his third consecutive final defeated Victor Iroele of Rhythm FM 3-1(11-5, 11-8, 9-11, 12-10) on Monday to take home a giant trophy which will be exchanged for monetary reward at the Gala and Award Night billed for Thursday.
“I am really motivated by the turn out I saw today, the singing and dancing from the crowed motivated me to the title.
I also want to thank the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, FCT chapter for this huge event.” Obasi said.
Runner-up Victor Iroele believes it was a keenly contested final while also admitting that he wasn’t back to full fitness.
“I could have won, especially after taking the second set, all I need to do now is to work on my fitness and I will be back to my best.” The former Chairman SWAN, FCT chapter said.
Obasi Wins 2015 FCT SWAN Week Table Tennis Event
Other participants in the table tennis event include, Udeme George, Alonge Paul, Folusho Alade, Olawale Alabi, Oluwole F., Lekan Killa among others.
The 2015 FCT SWAN Week continues on Wednesday with two seminars which will focus on Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the future of the women football league in Nigeria. Activities would be rounded off on Thursday, 19th November 2015, with a Gala and Award Night where members who distinguished themselves during the course of the year would be honored.
Gambian beach volleyball women’s team qualified for the 3rd round of the CAVB Continental Cup Olympic qualifier after finishing in the first position out of three participating nations in Group B held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
As the Gambian team made volleyball history after playing 12 games and winning all in 2015, the Gambia national volleyball squad has never beaten their Ghanaian counterparts but on Saturday evening in Abidjan, the stunned few Gambian fans walked home proudly as the Gambian ladies climbed the podium to collect the Gold medal at Triechville Sports complex.
The volleyball victory is part of a surprising turnaround in the usually lackluster Gambian performance in sports. Gambia beach volleyball teams this year defeated the Senegal, Cape Verde and Guinea national team in beach volleyball and the Gambia went on to qualifying for the All Africa Games Men indoor games. Gambia also did unexpectedly well at the AAG beach volleyball events.
Ghana men’s team
In the dominant fashion that the Gambians made the men’s event look exceptional, they dispatched Ivory Coast 4-0 to claim Silver, their 3rd in 2015. “You always hear about dreams coming true,” said senior player Sanu Secka, breaking into tears of joy at the postgame Press interview, “but this dream actually did come true.” “It’s just amazing,” added an equally speechless Malick Jammeh, another senior. “Just amazing”
To have qualified for the 3rd round and to be rated as one of Africa’s best is a huge success for and overall wellbeing of Gambian beach volleyball,” commented proud coach Ebrima Nyass. When this group of players wrote down their plans to win this tournament way back in Gambia, there’s no way they could have known it would be in such dominating fashion.
Meanwhile The Ghana men have won the Gold and Host Ivory Coast settled for the Bronze in the men events whiles Ghana Women claimed Silver to leave Bronze for Burkina Faso. The top 3 countries from each of the four groups (12 teams) qualify for the next round, which is the semifinal to be played beginning of 2016. Only one team in each gender group from Africa will qualify
for the Olympic Games 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
Results: Day 3
Women:
Ghana A V Burkina Faso B 0-2(18-21, 19-21)
Ghana B V Burkina Faso A 1-2(11-21, 21-16, 10-15)
Ghana A V Burkina Faso A 2-0(21-17, 21-14)
Ghana B V Burkina Faso B 2-0(21-13, 21-19)
Golden set- Ghana V Burkina Faso 15-10, Ghana won.
Men:
Gambia A V Ivory Coast B 2-1(15-21, 23-21, 15-11)
Gambia B V Ivory Coast A 2-0(21-16, 21-17)
Gambia A V Ivory Coast A 2-0(21-7, 21-10
Gambia A V Ivory Coast A 2-0(21-18, 21-17)
The winners celebrating
Final Ranking Women
1. Gambia
2. Ghana
3. Burkina Faso
2014 Governor’s Cup Lagos International Tennis Championship winner, Moses Michael was merciless on Monday as he routed Jibrin Hassan 6-0, 6-0 to move into the second round of the Men’s Singles of the Dala Hard Court Tennis Championship holding at the Kano Tennis Club, Kano.
Moses relinquished his crown at the 2nd Atawodi Top 16 tourney in Abuja last week following a 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 loss to Shehu Lawal but was quick to vent his anger on his less experienced opponent whom he subdued with an embarrassing ease to send warnings to his major rivals.
He is joined in the next round by Abdul-mumuni Babalola who rallied from a set deficit to edge Ikechukwu Iloputa 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Babalola, who is still battling his fitness which prompted him to miss the top 16 event in Abuja, showed why he has consistently been ranked in the top 5 of Nigerian tennis for over a decade hitting series of winners in the deciding set.
Sunday Emmanuel also showed determination to go all the way with a convincing 6-1,6-1 win over Ikiliu Sani Waziri while Mohammed Mohammed beat Hassan yakubu 6-1, 6-2 to also progressed.
Etim Ekanem was victorious against John Otu who retired after losing the first set 6-3 while Out’s junior sibling, Thomas triumphed 6-2, 6-2 over Adris Aliyu.
In the final round of the women’s qualifying draw, Pauline Ebijimi defeated Esther Lasoju 4-2, 4-4 while
Christy Mbadiwe emerged tops in her clash with Beauty Oghenekevwe 4-0, 4-1. Bukola olowu and Osewa Ibrahim also made it to the main draw with 4-2, 4-2, and 4-0, 4-2 triumphs over Esther Lasoju and Faith Sunday respectively.
The pair of Henry Atseye and Monday Igbinovia also advanced in the men’s doubles after gaining a walkover against Akinwumi/Jonathan.
All the remaining matchwes in both the Men’s and Women’s singles will be decided today while there will also be matches in the doubles.
The host nation was drawn in Group A alongside Gabon, Morocco and Cote d’Ivoire for the fourth edition of the tournament designed exclusively for footballers playing in their domestic leagues.
Winners of the maiden edition in 2009, DR Congo are housed in Group B with 2011 losing finalists Angola, Cameroon and Ethiopia.
Group C has 2011 champions, Tunisia, Nigeria, Niger and debutants Guinea with Zimbabwe, one of two teams to have competed at every edition of the CHAN since its birth in 2009, in Group D with Mali, Uganda and Zambia.
The draw was held on Sunday, 15 November 2015 at the plush Serena Hotel in Kigali, with CAF Secretary General Hicham El Amrani conducting the draw with the assistance of Rwanda captain Haruna Niyonzima and head coach of the Rwanda women’s national team Marie Grace Umuntu.
Rwanda President Paul Kagame chaired the function, whilst CAF 2 nd Vice President Almamy Kabele Camara led the delegation from the continent’s soccer governing body.
Kabele Camara is also president of the Organising Committee of the African Nations Championship (CHAN).
The final tournament of the Orange CHAN 2016 will take place from 16 January to 7 February 2016 in Rwanda.
CAF CHAN DRAWS, credit CAF MEDIA.
Group A will be based at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, Group B in Butare, Group C at the Nyamirambo Stadium, also in Kigali with Gisenyi hosting Group D.
Results of the draw
A – Rwanda, Gabon, Morocco, Cote d’Ivoire
B – DR Congo, Angola. Cameroon, Ethiopia
C – Tunisia, Nigeria Niger, Guinea
D – Zimbabwe, Mali, Uganda, Zambia
Nigeria’s most successful tennis player, Nduka Odizor is set to take the country’s tennis to a higher level with the establishment of the Duke Odizor Tennis School in Abuja next year.
Odizor, who won a career singles and seven doubles titles, said the idea of the project is to get children involved in tennis.
“There has been so many complaints that government is doing little or nothing but we keep getting it wrong because government is about people and if I keep complaining then I’m part of the problem. We have to start something in order to convince others to join us and that is what I’m doing with Mr Edward Tombim in Abuja,” stated Odizor nicknamed the Duke.
Odizor, who is now a property developer and financier, revealed that the project is currently being test-run with 10 kids under Babatunde Abe, a US-trained coach in Abuja. The kids are given a meal daily and two meals on Saturdays and Sundays. In addition, the kids get weekly allowances.
“The school is not just about tennis but a school with normal primary and secondary school curricular where five international languages namely English, French, Chinese, Spanish and Swahili will be taught because the truth is that 90% of the kids will never succeed in tennis but if they are educated and also play tennis, they would have acquired skills that will help them in future,” Odizor, who reached his highest ATP singles of World No. 52 in June 1984 said.
Odizor last weekend donated about 50 tennis shoes, 30 rackets and clothes for kids towards the running of a monthly junior tennis tournament in Abuja which has been running for about three years.
He added: “I was just an ordinary ball boy at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club some 50 years ago before I was given the chance to play tennis and I see what I’m doing as a payback for that life-transforming gesture.”
David Nakhid has filed an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the FIFA Ad hoc Electoral Committee’s decision of 28 October 2015 in which his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election was refused.
The FIFA Ad hoc Electoral Committee found that Mr Nakhid had not presented declarations of support from at least five member associations, and for this reason, could not be admitted as a candidate for the election for the office of FIFA President on 26 February 2016.
In appealing to the CAS, Mr Nakhid seeks the annulment of the challenged decision and an order that his candidacy be reinstated. No hearing date has been fixed for the moment.
A procedural calendar will be determined within the next days, after consultation with the parties.
The qualified players for the lucrative GAC Group 2015 World Tour Grand Finals have been announced after a record-breaking end to the regular World Tour season, which consisted of 22 stops.
The final World Tour event of 2015 was played out in Sweden on the weekend, where the world’s best table tennis players fought it out for the final positions on the standing list at the GAC Group 2015 World Tour Grand Finals, which will take place on 10-13 December 2015 in Lisbon, Portugal.
Only 16 men and 16 women were able to secure their golden ticket to Lisbon, as well as eight men’s and women’s doubles pairs, and eight men’s and women’s under 21 players.
World Champion and World number one MA Long (CHN) topped the Race to Lisbon standings after another very consistent year on the tour winning two Super Series titles. Japan’s Ai FUKUHARA finished number one on the women’s charts after winning three World Tour titles in 2015.
MA, who won both the 2015 World Championships and the recent 2015 Men’s World Cup stated “Happy to have qualified after missing out last year, and I look forward to capping off a dream year with another big title!”
The pair who battled it out for gold at the end of season Swedish Open men’s singles final, XU Xin (CHN) and FAN Zhendong (CHN) were the next two on the men’s list, just ahead of JUNG Youngsik (KOR) and Maharu YOSHIMURA (JPN) who both had a breakthrough season on the GAC Group 2015 World Tour.
China Open Champion ZHU Yuling (CHN) and 15 year old Japanese sensation Mima ITO followed FUKUHARA on the women’s charts and will be heading to Lisbon looking for World Tour Grand Final glory.
The World’s best will fight for glory at the year ending ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in Lisbon!
Despite having the second half of her reason ruined by injury and sickness, World Champion DING Ning (CHN) did enough to book her place in Lisbon, as did World number one and World Cup Champion LIU Shiwen (CHN).
The local Portuguese fans will have a player in every event to cheer for in Lisbon. They will be led by World number seven Marcos FREITAS, who had a strong year on the tour to finish seventh on the Race to Lisbon standings and will be looking for glory in front of his home fans.
The US$3,000,000 GAC Group 2015 ITTF World Tour, consisted of 22 events split into three tiers based on prize money and the quality of the event: Super Series (six events), Major Series (five events) and Challenge Series (11 events).
From these events, players earned Race to Lisbon points to qualify for the prestigious GAC Group 2015 World Tour Grand Finals, will be held at the Pavilhão Multiusos De Odivelas Lisbon, Portugal on 10-13 December 2015. To qualify, players had to play in a minimum of five events.
Robin Park Arena and Sports Centre in Wigan will once again host many of snooker’s top names in December, with FREE entry for fans.
The qualifying rounds of the German Masters world ranking event will run from December 17 to 20, followed by the World Seniors Championship qualifiers on December 21 and 22.
The same events were staged in Wigan last season, with the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Jimmy White, Judd Trump and Mark Selby in action.
Once again World Snooker will be offering free access to the arena for fans.
Jimmy White
A spokesman for World Snooker said: “We are delighted to bring the qualifying rounds of two tournaments back to Robin Park in Wigan. It’s a fantastic opportunity for fans in the area to see top class sporting action for free.
“We saw a good level of support last year and we hope to see even more people coming to the venue this time to see the world’s best players live.”
The draw and format for both events will be announced soon.
The very successful FEI World Cup™ Driving series will enter its 15th season starting in Stuttgart next Friday, 20 November 2015. After the introduction of the FEI World Cup™ Driving for Four-In-Hand in 2001, the series developed and became increasingly popular amongst Carriage Driving fans, competitors, organisers and media. The series is a fantastic platform for the promotion of the sport of Carriage Driving in general, and indoor Driving in particular.
After an exciting outdoor season with thirteen qualifying competitions all over Europe, 10 top Four-In-Hand drivers will battle it out in seven legs over the coming months.
Chester Weber (USA) who finished 5th in the qualifying series and Christoph Sandmann (GER) who finished 12th have both withdrawn. So Rainer Duen (GER) and Jérôme Voutaz (SUI) have moved up in the standings and are delighted to compete in the 2015/2016 series.
Last competed
Rainer Duen (44) is back after he last competed during the 2011/2012 series. Jérôme Voutaz (36) competed with a wild card at the CAI-W Geneva in 2014 and 2015 and is now part of the complete series.
Six-times FEI World Cup™ Driving Champion and winner of the Reem Acra Best Athlete Award 2015 Boyd Exell (AUS) won the Outdoor Qualification Ranking and will put everything at stake to defend his title. Silver medallist at the FEI European Championships in Aachen (GER), IJsbrand Chardon (NED), and bronze medallist Koos de Ronde (NED), both members of the all-conquering gold-medal-winning Dutch team, will also be in action.
Father and son József Dobrovitz and József Dobrovitz Jr. were members of the bronze team in Aachen and will defend the Hungarian colours during the upcoming indoor season.
European Four-In-Hand champion and reigning German champion Michael Brauchle and his compatriot Georg von Stein, who were both members of the silver team in Aachen, have also qualified for the series along with the only Belgian contender, Glenn Geerts.
Geerts entered the Top Ten late last season, and having put down strong performances during the outdoor season he finished ninth on the qualification leaderboard.
FEI World Cup™ Driving 2015-2016
The FEI World Cup™ Driving series is made up of seven legs staged in Germany, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Great Britain and Belgium. Madrid is a new venue for the series and will host a qualifier for the first time on 28 and 30 November as part of Madrid Horse Week. Madrid replaces Budapest (HUN) which held a leg of the series since 2008.
Five drivers from the Top 10 will compete at each event and organisers may give wild cards. The top five drivers compete at four events, the numbers six to ten will start at three events.
The scores from the best three events count. The top six drivers qualify for the Final, which will take place in Bordeaux (FRA) for the fifth consecutive time.
Competitors FEI World Cup™ Driving 2015-2016/
Final Standings FEI World Cup Qualification:
1 EXELL, Boyd AUS 90
2 CHARDON, Ijsbrand NED 79
3 DOBROVITZ, József HUN 70
4 DE RONDE, Koos NED 68
5 WEBER, Chester USA withdrawn 67
5 VON STEIN, Georg GER 67
7 BRAUCHLE, Michael GER 66
8 DOBROVITZ, József Jr. HUN 61
9 GEERTS, Glenn BEL 60
10 SANDMANN, Christoph GER withdrawn 58
11 DUEN, Rainer GER 57
12 VOUTAZ, Jérôme SUI 52
Australia’s Boyd Exell made history when claiming the FEI World Cup™ Driving title for the sixth time at the 2014/2015 Final in Bordeaux (FRA) last February. (FEI/Pierre Costabadie)
CALENDAR
Stuttgart (GER) 18-22.11.2015:
Boyd Exell (AUS)
IJsbrand Chardon (NED)
Georg von Stein (GER)
Rainer Duen (GER)
Jozsef Dobrovitz sr. (HUN)
Stockholm (SWE) 27-29.11.2015:
Jozsef Dobrovitz jr. (HUN)
IJsbrand Chardon (NED)
Jozsef Dobrovitz sr. (HUN)
Georg von Stein (GER)
Michael Brauchle (GER)
Madrid (ESP) 26-29.11.2015:
Koos de Ronde (NED)
Boyd Exell (AUS)
Glenn Geerts (BEL)
Rainer Duen (GER)
Jérôme Voutaz (SUI)
Geneva (SUI) 10-13.12.2015:
Jozsef Dobrovitz sr. (HUN)
Jozsef Dobrovitz jr. (HUN)
Jérôme Voutaz (SUI)
Boyd Exell (AUS)
Koos de Ronde (NED)
London Olympia (GBR) 16-18.12.2015:
Glenn Geerts (BEL)
Ijsbrand Chardon (NED)
Jozsef Dobrovitz sr. (HUN)
Koos de Ronde (NED)
Georg von Stein (GER)
Mechelen (BEL) 26-30.12.2015:
IJsbrand Chardon (NED)
Georg von Stein (GER)
Michael Brauchle (GER)
Rainer Duen (GER)
Boyd Exell (AUS)
Leipzig (GER) 14-17.01.2016:
Koos de Ronde (NED)
Michael Brauchle (GER)
Glenn Geerts (BEL)
Jozsef Dobrovitz jr. (HUN)
Jérôme Voutaz (SUI)
Bordeaux (FRA) FINAL, 6-7 February 2016
Open to the top six athletes after CAI-W Leipzig
The Nigeria Table Tennis Federation (NTTF) has expressed shock over the untimely demise of former national junior star, Azeez Ogunlade, who died on Sunday after a brief illness.
According to the Secretary General of NTTF, Chinedu Ezeala-Ogundare, the passing on of the 20 year-old Ogunlade was disheartening as the player had started playing his way into the senior national team after a successful stint as a cadet cum junior player.
“It is shocking that Ogunlade had to die at this time because he has getting himself closer to the senior national team. His death came as shock to everybody in the table tennis family and we are yet to get over his demise. As a cadet and junior player, he had represented the country at international tournaments starting with the 2008 African Junior Championship in Egypt and his last international outing was at the last African Club Championship in Cameroun this year where he represented Union Bank,” she said.
The scribe who was part of the team to Tournament in Cameroon described the late Ogunlade as a humble and determined athlete whose passion for the game cannot be underestimated. “The country will surely miss this young player and we sympathise with his family and all table tennis family in Nigeria, African and the world that such a player could depart at a prime age,” she added.
Azeez Ogunlade
Also, a saddened Germany-based Funke Oshonaike wrote on her Facebook wall yesterday, “Can somebody please tell me this is not true! Just read that my table tennis brother Ogunlade Azeez Akinkunmi is dead! I’m so very sad, sick, confused and very empty right now.. Oh my God , I cannot believe this oooooo
Italy-based Michael Oyebode wrote, “This is so shocking to me, what happened to you Ogunlade Azeez Akinkunmi? I know you can’t tell us, but God is the judge over everything! I’m totally speechless and profoundly sad, rest in perfect peace.”
In 2009, it was Ogunlade’s heroic display that gave Nigeria the cadet title at the 18th African Junior Table Tennis Championship, the Egypt Open.
The Management and Players of Sharks FC have apologize to the government, fans and people of Rivers State over their inability to avoid the drop to the lower league.
The General Manager of the club, Okey kpaluku stated this shortly after his teams zero-one loss to Abia Warriors at the Umuahia Township stadium yesterday.
Kpaluku who was so optimistic of staying afloat the premier League next season described the loss in Umuahia and subsequent relegation as heart breaking.
“let me apologize to our fans and the government of Rivers State led by Barr. Nyesom Wike for failing to meet their expectations”.
“Am still trying to come to terms with our relegation to the NNL because we did not bargain for it as we did everything possible to stay afloat but our best was not good enough to keep us in the premier League “. kpaluku said
Captain of the side, Odinga Odinga commenting on his teams relegation, described it as one of the saddest moments of his career because it happened at a time when they thought the team was better positioned to escape the drop.
Odinga stressed that they have themselves to to blame for failing to make the avalanche of chances they had in the match against Abia Warriors yesterday.
“We came into the game with so much expectations, had the game going for us, threw away begging chances and we got nailed for it”.
Andrew Abalaogu of Enyimba against Odinga Odinga and Yusuf Jaiyeola of Sharks photo credit: LMC Media
“Am saddened by our relegation to the lower league, I just pray that our Governor who has done so much for us in such a short period will have a place in his heart to forgive us for disappointing him”. odinga said
Odinga also seized the opportunity to thank shirt sponsors, Eunisell for identifying with the team and apologize to the chemical solution company for letting them down,.
He appealed to the Rivers State government, fans and Eunisell to keep faith with the team for a quick return to the premier league
The Director General, National Sports Commission, Mallam Alhassan Yakmut says the Super Eagles 0-0 draw with the Sihlangu Semnikati of Swaziland in the first leg of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier played at the Somhlolo National Stadium, Lobamba on Friday night is a good start for the Nigerian side.
The DG who was speaking over the weekend at the walking and jogging exercise organized by the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN, FCT chapter, however added that he expects the Eagles to finish off the Swaziland team in the second led billed for the Adokie Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Director General, National Sports Commission, Mallam Alhassan Yakmut at the 2015 FCT SWAN Week,
“I think it is a good take-off, it’s much better than losing and since it is an away match, it gives you room to correct your mistakes and get the drive in the second leg.
I’ve always told people that football is a global culture now and we can’t afford to underrate any country. The DG said.”
The Plateau State born sports administrator who led several other sports personalities through the walking and jogging event also advised sports writers to participate in regular exercise to keep their body fit.
The 2015 FCT SWAN Week, according to chairman, Kayode Adeniyi is a week-long event and it will continues on Monday with table tennis, Wednesday will feature two seminars which will focus on Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the future of the women football league in Nigeria.
“Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the future of our women football league are two very important issues hence our focus on them.
We expect to have mallam Alhassan Yakmut present a paper on the Rio Games while the chairperson of the women league, Mrs. Dilichukwu Onyedinma will present a paper on the future of the women football league in Nigeria, both events are billed for Wednesday, 18th November 2015 at the press center of the Abuja National Stadium.” Kayode said.
2015 FCT SWAN Week,
The 2015 edition of FCT SWAN Week would be rounded off on Thursday, 19th November 2015, with a Gala and Award Night where members who distinguished themselves during the course of the year will be honored.
Other dignitaries present at the Walking and jogging exercise include, the chairman Nigeria Union of Journalist, NUJ, FCT chapter, Paul Ella Abechi, FCT Director of Sports, Musa Alim , NFF board member, Mrs. Dilichukwu Onyewdinma, FCT FA chairman, Musa Tale, Chairman Beach Volleyball Commission, Musa Nimrod, NFF Assistant Director Technical, Siji Lagunju among others.
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