Following the Successful conclusion of the AdaMark Foundation 3X3 Hoops For Girls Championship in Abuja, the Nigerian Basketball Federation has showered encomiums on the organiser, AdaMark Foundation For Girls for putting together the inaugural 3X3 Basketball format competition in country at the package B of the Abuja National Stadium.
The 3×3 tournament which comprised of 3 females and 1 male on each team had Team Hawks go home with the N200,000 cash prize winners after they defeated the Abuja All Stars who took home a cash prize of N100,000 as losing finalist. For coming third, Team One Win Academy got N75,000 while Titan Basketball Academy despite finishing 4th got N50,000 for their exploits.
Coach Stanley Gumut and his championship Team and AdaMark Ogbole CEO AdaMark Foundation for Girls.
Speaking after Final match, the NBBF President, Mr. Tijjani Umar said the Federation will support individuals like AdaMark Ogbole, CEO AdaMark Foundation For Girls who have initiatives to take Nigerian Basketball the next level.
“We as a Federation have shown that we are open to accommodating any meaningful programmes that add value to basketball in the country, that is why we are here and we are ready to support and encourage more individuals to come forth and add whatever value they feel they can add to the growth of the Game”
“ What we have seen today is a landmark event because this is the first official 3X3 event in Nigeria particularly for Girls. AdaMark Foundation for Girls, have extended their level of purpose and drive because we are very accustomed to their Basketball Camp for girls, but this time She has expanded from just a camp to a competition to engage women and give them a level playing field to compete against each other and the guys also. ” He added
The CEO of the AdaMark Foundation For Girls, Mrs AdaMark Ogbole said it is she was elated by the turn out and was motivated to set up the competition due to the lack of opportunity for Girls express themselves in a competitive environment.
“ First and formost the 3X3 basketball format is a rising trend in basketball across the world and the Women folk often times get little opportunity to express themselves, that is why I decided we play the No Barriers 3X3 basketball championship for Women. Although so they don’t say we are driving gender inequality we decided to tweak it with 1 male in each team of 4 Girls”.
Coach Stanley Gumut and his championship Team and AdaMark Ogbole CEO AdaMark Foundation for Girls.
AdaMark Ogbole, wife of FIBA Statistician, Obande Ogbole promised not to get tired even though the tournament was sponsored solely by her foundation, and hoped to expand the tournament and run it for many years to come.
“This is just the beginning for us, though it is never easy to be a sole sponsor, we hope to get partners on board to drive this tournament to make it bigger next year and our for Girls empowerment because, I believe we (females) can achieve equal feat with the men folk, if we are given the opportunity and the needed support”.
The careers of Kelechi Nwakali the Most Valuable Player at the last FIFA U17 World Cup in Chile and his team mates Samuel Chukwueze, David Enogena and Joel Osikel seem destined to soar even higher as the heroes of Nigeria’s 5th U17 World Cup win have joined the stable of Stellar Group, arguably the world’s leading football agency.
Stellar Group is one of the largest sports management companies in the world with headquarters in the UK and plays a major role in the development and management of sporting professionals across the world. Headed by Jonathan Barnett and David Manasseh, Stellar Group manage the careers of the world’s most expensive player Gareth Bale, England international stars Joe Hart, Luke Shaw, Connor Wickham and Jonjo Shelvey. They also handle ex-England internationals Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson, Nigerian born Nedum Onuoha and Carlton Cole and many other big stars in football.
Aside from the top salaries the Group delivers, the players value the loyalty and stability they provide. Carlton Cole was particularly grateful for such support when he was linked with allegations of a gang-rape of a teenager at the Grovesnor House Hotel.
Cole said: “My agents, along with my family, stood by me during a difficult time and I’m very grateful for that. Without their support I don’t know what I would have done.”
According to Errol Olowu, the head of Africa, Stellar Group, unlike most agents who only care about their commission and transferring their players, Stellar Group care for their players around the clock. “Stellar Group not only caters for our players and ensures they get good value for their skills and top salaries, we also cater for their day-to-day needs to ensure they concentrate on their football. As young footballers coming to Europe, far from friends and families, we help them settle down so they can shine brighter.”
Speaking further, foremost Nigerian sports lawyer Barrister Johnny Precious Ogbah said,” Stellar Group have shown great professionalism in the way and manner they have gone about their businesses here. The future of these Eaglets are secure in the hands of Stellar Group and I can confirm that many offers are on the table for these players and we are studying all of them to chose the best ones for their development.”
The ITF and Royal Belgian Tennis Federation (RBTF), in consultation with the relevant officials and our risk assessment and security advisers, are closely monitoring the situation in Belgium and specifically in Ghent. As of today there are no changes to the previously published start times for the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Final between Belgium and Great Britain.
We are taking every necessary step to ensure the safety of the teams, the spectators, the media and all working staff.
As you would expect, a number of specific, additional security measures have been put in place for this weekend’s tie.
– This is a sold out event. There will not be any tickets on sale at the venue and anyone without a ticket will not be allowed access to the venue area.
– Additional security measures will be in place at all entrances to the venue and will apply to all ticket holders, staff members and visitors.
– Entry into the event will take longer than usual. Please keep this in mind when planning your arrival to the Flanders Expo. The gates will open two hours in advance of each day’s start time.
– Bags and backpacks will not be permitted in the Flanders Expo. Ticket holders will be asked to check any bags into available off-site storage facilities.
– No food or drink will be allowed into the arena. A full selection of refreshments will be available in venue.
– For those travelling into Belgium for the tie we advise that you liaise directly with your flight or train operator for up to date information on any changes to departure times or protocols.
Any additional updates on the tie including any changes to entry procedures for fans with tickets will be made via:
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has opened formal proceedings against Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini in relation over an alleged “disloyal payment” made by suspended FIFA president to the Frenchman in 2011.
Last week, the pair had their appeals against 90-day suspensions rejected by the governing body’s appeals committee.
“The adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee chaired by Hans-Joachim Eckert has today opened formal adjudicatory proceedings against Joseph S. Blatter and Michel Platini based on the final reports submitted by the investigatory chamber,” a statement from FIFA announced.
“The adjudicatory chamber has studied the reports carefully and decided to institute formal proceedings against the two officials. For reasons linked to privacy rights and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, the adjudicatory chamber will not publish details of the sanctions requested by the investigatory chamber in its final reports.
“In the course of the proceedings, both parties will be invited to submit positions including any evidence with regard to the final reports of the investigatory
chamber (art. 70 par. 2 of the FIFA Code of Ethics) and they may request a hearing (art. 74 par. 2 of the FCE).
“The adjudicatory chamber intends to come to a decision in both cases during the month of December.”
Michel Platini is now taking an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the hope that he will be able to stand in FIFA’s presidential election on February 26th
Over 700 coaches from 99 nations will attend this week’s 19th ITF Worldwide Coaches Conference by BNP Paribas in Antalya, Turkey on 24-28 November. The event is being organised by the ITF and Turkish Tennis Federation (Turkiye Tenis Federasyonu) at the Hotel Riu Kaya Palazzo.
The ITF Worldwide Coaches Conference, which is held every two years, is the showpiece of the ITF’s Coach Education Programme. The five-day conference will bring together leading international experts in coach education, player performance and sport science to present on the latest developments in these fields through practical on-court coaching and lecture room presentations.
The theme of this year’s conference is ‘A Player Centred Approach to Long-term Development: Participation to Performance’. The presentations and workshops will relate to four distinct ages of player development:
1) 10 years & under (building phase)
2) 11-14 years (development phase)
3) 15-18 years (junior phase)
4) 19-23 years (transition to professional phase)
Keynote speakers will include British Fed Cup captain Judy Murray, former Belgian Fed Cup captain Carl Maes, and former Davis Cup players Dominik Hrbaty and Francisco Roig,
In addition to the main themes of the conference, the presentations and workshops will cover a wide variety of topics, including the ITF’s Tennis10s programme under the Tennis Play and Stay campaign banner, player development and participation programmes, performance analysis and athlete pathways, conditioning and injury prevention, psychology and wheelchair tennis.
Dave Miley, ITF Executive Director of Tennis Development, said: “We are delighted to see such a large number of coaches and speakers in attendance at this year’s ITF Worldwide Coaches Conference. This conference will address the importance of each stage of a player’s long term development, from the initial participation programmes through to high performance training. We are grateful for the continued support of our presenting sponsor BNP Paribas in staging this event.”
The ITF Coach Education Programme aims to improve the number and level of coaches worldwide with a strong focus on helping National Associations to use the ITF recommended syllabi to create their own coach education programmes and become self-sufficient in coach education in their respective nations.
New boxing rave, Stanley ‘Edo Boy’ Eribo, has declared himself the best boxer in the country. Eribo, a professional lightweight boxer who knocked out Isiaka ‘Easy Lion’ Yusuf in the fourth of their eight-round national challenge contest at the GOtv Boxing Night in October, said he is sure of winning the national title when he fights for it.
“I am the best boxer in my category as well as the best boxer in the country. I am ready to claim the national title and see nobody in my category who can stop me,” he raved.
Edo Boy, 26, weighs 64kg and has a reach of 27cm, has fought 12 times, winning all with six via knockout. As an amateur, he had 10 fights, winning seven and losing three.
Stanley -Edo Boy- Eribo
“My record as a pro is intimidating. The record intimidates my opponents. I will defeat my next opponent for the people of Edo State and Governor Adams Oshiomhole,” said the boxer who is billed to fight at the GOtv Boxing Night on 26 December at the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos.
Williamstown, Melbourne, Australia is set to welcome a bumper 2.4mR fleet for the Para World Sailing Championships with 51 boats from 26 nations registered to compete.
The list of sailors making their way to the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria is very much a who’s who of the Paralympic sailing world. Paralympic medals, Para World Sailing Championship honours as well as Open 2.4mR World Championship accolades are among the 51 sailors, making for one of the most decorated Paralympic fleets in history.
Away from the race for the title there will also be an intriguing battle for the remaining Rio 2016 Paralympic Games places available. Eight nations booked their spot for Rio 2016 at the 2014 Worlds with seven further places up for grabs in Melbourne. Every point will be vital with 18 nations vying for those places.
Defending champion Heiko Kroeger of Germany heads into Melbourne on a fine run of form. Since his silver medal performance at the London 2012 Paralympic Sailing Competition in Weymouth and Portland, Great Britain, the German has finished on the podium at every regatta he has sailed at.
Gold medals at the 2013 and 2014 editions of ISAF Sailing World Cup Hyeres helped him to prepare for the 2014 IFDS Combined World Championships (the former name of the Para World Sailing Championships). Kroeger was in excellent form in Nova Scotia, Canada and claimed his sixth Para title. His first came at the Worlds in 1999 and he has been a mainstay at the front of the pack ever since.
Kroeger, a Sydney 2000 Paralympic 2.4mR gold medallist, has competed at two regattas in 2015 picking up bronze at World Cup Hyeres and silver at the Delta Lloyd Regatta in Medemblik, the Netherlands. With bronze and silver up his sleeve can he make it a full sweep of colours in Williamstown? Only time will tell.
France’s Damien Seguin had the beating of Kroeger in Hyeres and Medemblik and much like the German, is a decorated Paralympic sailor with Athens 2004 Paralympic gold and three World Championship titles. Wins in Hyeres and Medemblik ensure the French racer ventures into the Worlds undefeated in 2015 and ready to recapture the title he last won in 2012.
Helena Lucas (GBR) is yet to add a world championship title to her London 2012 Paralympic gold medal with three bronze and two silver medals to her name. Alongside this, Lucas has also mixed it up in the Open 2.4mR World Championships, where able-bodied and Para World Sailing athletes compete side by side. The Briton has silver and bronze to her name at the Open Worlds but is yet to feel gold around her neck in any World Championships and will certainly be aiming to right that in Williamstown.
Further sailors who have what it takes to claim the title include Norway’s Bjornar Erikstad, Australia’s Matt Bugg, Finland’s Niko Salomaa and Great Britain’s Megan Pascoe.
Away from the fight from the title there will be an interesting battle for the remaining Rio 2016 Paralympic Games qualification places in the 2.4mR.
Sailors from Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Norway and the United States of America booked their spot at Rio 2016 last year but for the remaining 18 nations sailing in Williamstown, they’re fighting for one of seven places.
2.4mR Para Worlds fleet set to be most decorated in Paralympic Sailing history
Following the Paralympic Development Program in Weymouth and Portland, Great Britain in August, the 2015 Para Worlds features a number of nations new to the Paralympic sailing arena.
Sailors from Czech Republic, Estonia, Hong Kong and Portugal will sail in Williamstown looking to put the skills they’ve honed in from the Paralympic Development Program into practice.
There are also a number of experienced Paralympians in the fleet including Sven Reiger (AUT), Julio Reguero (PUR), Juan Fernandez Ocam (ARG) and Paul Francis (NZL) who will also be in the hunt for the Paralympic Games places.
Racing in the 2.4mR commences on Saturday 28 November in Melbourne at 13:00 local time.
Christian Ahlmann and Codex One secured a home nation victory at the fifth leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2015/2016 Western European League in Stuttgart, Germany today. In a classic five-way jump-off, the 40-year-old rider and his 13-year-old stallion crushed the opposition with a devastating turn of speed when second-last to go against the clock, and Ahlmann has now moved up to third place on the Western European League leaderboard ahead of the sixth leg of the series in Madrid, Spain next Sunday.
Sweden’s Douglas Lindelow set the jump-off target time and held on for runner-up spot ahead of Germany’s Patrick Stuhlmeyer in third, while Ireland’s Cameron Hanley lined up fourth. Frenchman, Patrice Delaveau, had to settle for fifth place when his jump-off round didn’t go to plan, but his compatriots – Simon Delestre and Penelope Leprevost – continue to head the league table as the qualifying series moves towards the half-way stage.
Seemed lenient
An intriguing course designed by Belgium’s Luc Musette initially seemed a little lenient when two of the first three riders jumped clear. But there was a sting in the tail here, with the final line of fences taking a heavy toll as the competition evolved. A very narrow vertical at fence three was the undoing of many, while the triple combination at fence seven also clocked up plenty of faults, but it was the negotiation of the water-tray oxer three from home and the decision whether to go on four or five strides to the following double of verticals that proved decisive, with many also losing their line and balance to the last if they ran into problems here.
Amongst the starting field of 39 there were many superstars of the sport, but the list of first-round retirements included a number of them. World and European double-gold medallist, Jeroen Dubbeldam, called it a day with the 10-year-old Classic Man V, a relative newcomer to this level of the sport, while three-time FEI World Cup™ Jumping champions Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Marcus Ehning from Germany also retired. Michaels-Beerbaum’s grey, the spectacular Fibonacci, was clearly not firing on all cylinders while Ehning’s Singular LS La Silla was also not on form. And although the home crowd were spellbound when Michael Jung, the unchallenged supremo of the sport of Eventing, set off with Sportsmann S, there excitement was short-lived as the pair pulled up after a mistake at the oxer fence four.
The veteran John Whitaker was one of three denied a place in the timed round when exceeding the 73-seconds time limit in an otherwise foot-perfect run with the 10-year-old mare Ornellaia but the British legend secured some valuable points towards the Final when securing sixth spot before the jump-off got underway.
A hot one
And it was a hot one from the outset, Lindelow’s 12-year-old chestnut gelding’s deceptive pace bringing the Swedish pair home in 51.02 seconds which would prove a tough time to beat.
Musette presented them with an unusually long jump-off track of nine fences and 10 jumping efforts that asked for dare-devil turns and blistering speed in order to be in with a shot. Ireland’s Hanley showed he is right back in the game when winning yesterday’s Winning Round with Antello Z, but he was more than a second adrift when breaking the beam with Z Acodate DDL today and while Patrick Stuhlmeyer and Lacan posted 52.03 to go ahead of the Irish duo, the German pair were still more than a second behind the Swedish leaders.
Ahlmann however threw caution to the wind, his figure-of-eight turns through the new oxer at fence 18 to the two remaining elements of the triple combination and on to the vertical at fence eight shaving off valuable fractions of seconds and his gallop to the penultimate oxer at fence 10 and to the final vertical left the crowd screaming with delight. The clock showed 49.78 seconds and now only the flying Frenchman, Patrice Delaveau, could spoil a big German party. But while it all fell into place for Ahlmann, the fences just didn’t come up right for Delaveau and when Lacrimoso kicked the bricks out of the wall, formerly the first and now the third obstacle on the course, he wisely retired.
Germany’s Daniel Deusser and Cornet d’Amour, winners of the Longines FEI World Cup™Jumping Final 2014 in Lyon, organised by GL Events, the company that will be organising the dual FEI World Cup™ Finals 2018 in Paris. (FEI/Dirk Caremans)
Gave it his all
Ahlmann said afterwards that he gave it his all against the clock. “I thought I could do it, but I had to try everything – I was really focused on being fast enough and I took every risk from jump to jump – it worked really well from the start to the finish! I saw exactly what Douglas did and I knew I couldn’t take less strides, so I just needed to take tighter turns and to go a bit faster”, he explained.
He was delighted with Codex One who had a relatively quiet summer season. “We did the Nations Cup in Rotterdam and I tried for the European Championships but we didn’t make it, so I gave him some time to rest” said the man whose massive haul of career medals includes double-gold at the 2003 FEI European Championship in Donaueschingen (GER) in 2003 and the FEI World Cup™ Jumping title which he won on home turf in Leipzig in 2011 with Taloubet Z.
Codex One returned to action at Brussels (BEL) in September and was in the ribbons in Munich (GER) two weeks ago, so the rider knew he was coming back to his best. “He’ll have a week off now and then I’ll take him to either Paris or Geneva – I’m planning one more show for him before the end of the year but I’m in a lucky situation because I have a few Grand Prix horses I can take to shows right now which is very nice, so I’ll be keeping busy myself, going to Madrid, Paris, Geneva and Mechelen” said Ahlmann who added, “and I really want to qualify for the Final in Gothenburg.”
Ahlmann has enjoyed a brilliant week at Stuttgart, winning two cars in the process, and as the post-competition press conference was winding up this evening he was asked how he intends to get the two of them home to Belgium. “I don’t know” he replied with a grin, “but I’m looking forward to solving the problem!” He will have no shortage of transport options for getting to Gothenburg for the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final which will take place in the Swedish city from 23 to 28 March 2016.
McLain Ward (USA) and HH Azur, winners of the $132,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping qualifier in Toronto (CAN), were presented with a Longines watch by Ian Charbonneau, Longines brand manager, Canada. (FEI/Peter Llewellyn)
Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2015/2016 Western European League leaderboard – after Round 5 in Stuttgart (GER):
1. Simon Delestre FRA – 49
2. Penelope Leprevost FRA – 44
3. Christian Ahlmann GER – 37
4. Jos Verlooy BEL – 37
5. Romain Duguet SUI – 35
6. Harrie Smolders NED – 33
7. Nicola Philippaerts BEL – 33
8. Douglas Lindelow SWE – 27
9. Patrice Delaveau FRA – 27
10. Henrik von Eckermann SWE – 25
11. Marcus Ehning GER – 24
12. Maikel van der Vleuten NED – 23
13. Max Kuhner AUT – 23
14. Rolf-Goran Bengtsson SWE – 22
15. Patrick Stuhlmeyer GER – 21
16. Audrey Coulter USA – 20
17. Olivier Philippaerts BEL – 20
18. Eduardo Alvarez Aznar ESP – 20
19. Kevin Staut FRA – 19
19. Hans-Dieter Dreher GER – 19
21. Ludger Beerbaum GER – 19
NPFL side Akwa United were crowned Champions of the Federations Cup after defeating their counterparts 2-1 in the Final at the main bowl of the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.
The game started pretty slowly with both teams trying to size each other up, but it was Akwa United who drew the first blood when Namso Edo curled in a delightful free-kick to the left hand of Ekoi the Lobi stars Goalie who couldn’t make a save to put the Uyo team ahead in the game after 36 minutes. Akwa United would have doubled their lead in the first 45th if not for their lackluster nature in front of goal.
Lobi Stars expectedly, started the second half with so much intent as they looked to claw their way back into the game but it was not to be as MOTM award winner Abdulhafeez Awakan blasted home the second of the night off a corner kick, to further assure the fans of Akwa United that the federations cup will be going to Akwa Ibom.
Substitute Barnabas Imenga scored what proved to be a consolation goal as Lobi Stars lost out on a place to represent Nigeria in the CAF Confederations Cup.
Akwa United have now won their first major trophy since inception, and alongside Nassarawa United, they will now represent Nigeria in the CAF Confederations Cup.
2015 Federation Cup Winners Akwa United FC, football, Nigeria. photo credit Alonge Akinlolu
It was also good news for people in Akure as Sunshine Queens on the back of their defeat last season to Rivers Angels, won this year Federations Cup women’s final with 3-1 via penalty kicks against Bayelsa Queens after they both played 1-1 after regulation time.
Crowd control has been a major issue in the recent Federations Cup Finals but this year was different entirely as all security agents alongside the LSFA worked assiduously to ensure Nigeria had a hitch free Federations Cup Final and also worthy winners.
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