Nora, Moroccan Star Who Dropped Horse Racing, Gymnastics And Athletics For Volleyball

She stands at a paltry 169cm high but the height debate, considered the biggest asset in modern volleyball is not a deterrent to the Moroccan libero, Darrhar Nora – one of the upcoming best African liberos who dropped Horse Racing, Athletics and Gymnastics for Volleyball.

Just like most African Volleyballers, Nora was introduced late into the sports but in just under six years, the future star has already earned her first senior national team call up.

“I played my first Volleyball in Jeans pant and leather shoe,” Nora who will be turning 23 on August 21 remembers her journey into the court which begun less than 10 years ago.

“I started Volleyball very late and I never thought that one day I will ever play for the national team,” Sara, told CAVB.ORG after helping Morocco finish sixth above Mauritius and Botswana at the eight nations Africa Nations Championship in Nairobi.

While growing up in Rabat, Morocco, Nora never wanted anything, but to follow in the footsteps of her father, Ahmed Darrhar, a 56 years old professional Horse rider who despite his advanced age, still managed to bag a Silver medal this year at the national professional Horse Racing championship in Morocco. “Am his biggest fan,” Nora now a Volleyball queen reminds me of her close relationship with her father.

Sara who will be graduating with a Masters Degree in Business Administration from St. Andrews University in north Carolina-USA in May, 2016 dropped her first love horse racing then Gymnastics and Athletics to fully take up Volleyball after she was introduced to the sport by her Physical Education teacher seven years ago.

“I used to take part in a lot of sports and one day while going for my Gymnastics lessons, my PE teacher told me ‘I want you in Volleyball’. I dodged her for two months.

She had never thought that one day she will represent her country in Volleyball but that, as fate would have it was the exactly what happened when she was named by Samir Dcahr in their first continental competition after a nine year truancy at the African Nations Championship.

Moroccan libero Darrhar Nora

The multi-talented Volleyball Star who also partners her best friend, Alexandra Arhart in beach Volleyball also tried her hands on Sprint, Long Jump and a Pole-Vault in addition to Gymnastics.

“I have a Bronze medal in Horse Racing back home,” she remembers with abroad smile of her childhood sport.

“Gymnastics is a fast sports and it helped me adapt to my current position even after I was told by one of the coaches that I will never be a good player,” she emotionally narrates her ordeals in the hands of one of the coaches in her early years in the game.

“I was really terrible in defence and I had one coach who told me ‘there is no point of teaching you how to pass (Nora) because you’re terrible at it and you’ll never be good at it anyway’. that was very bad especially coming from someone you look up to.”

While she was happy with the general performance of her team, the player who will be taking part in the Beach Volleyball around the World with her partner and best friend Alexandra added. “that was my first senior year so it’s the hardest in terms of class considering that I had to create time for my classes which I had to take during the tournament in Kenya,”

While she’s happy on the court, off court, the youngster who would want to continue playing Volleyball after her University education is grappling with the idea of finding balance between work and playing.

“I learned that I have only one year left (In USA) and because there is no National league over there, I’ll have to find a solution to be able to play, maybe for two more years at my university then move to France but I would really want to stay and work in the US. It’s not easy making that decision,” added the players who would want to practice sports Management in the US after graduating.

Elvince Joshua

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Athletics Timetable For Rio 2016 Olympics Published

Following the recent news that the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will feature finals during the morning sessions of the athletics programme, the IAAF has today published the full timetable.

“Staging finals in the morning was done at the request of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee and the Olympic Broadcasting Service, supported by the International Olympic Committee,” said IAAF Competitions Director Paul Hardy. “Having finals in the morning will also ensure that we receive maximum visibility for athletics at the Olympic Games across all time zones.”

There is at least one final in all of the morning sessions. All five road events – the two marathons and the three race walk events – will be held in the morning sessions, although both 20km race walks will be in the early afternoon. Other morning finals include the women’s 10,000m, men’s and women’s 3000m steeplechase, men’s 400m hurdles, men’s triple jump, men’s and women’s discus, and the women’s hammer.

Agenda 2020 – Olympic timetable

No credence whatsoever should be given to recent unfounded speculation regarding possible changes to athletics’ programme within the Olympic Games. While the Olympic Agenda 2020 recommendations were passed at last week’s session, no details or specific proposals have yet been made by the IOC as to how they will be implemented.

World Championships Countdown Clock Unveiled In Beijing: One Year To Go!

IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015

In exactly one year the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 will commence.

IAAF President Lamine Diack who is presently in China attending the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, flew into Beijing today to attend the ‘One Year Countdown Ceremony’.

President Diack was joined by Wang Anshun, Mayor of the Beijing Municipal Government and Liu Peng, China’s Minister of Sport Administration Bureau and President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, along with other distinguished national and city officials representing the member federation and local organising committee.

The IAAF delegation at the ceremony also included General Secretary Essar Gabriel.

A giant countdown clock was unveiled outside the National Stadium, better known as the world famous ‘Bird’s Nest’ which hosted the 2008 Olympic Games. The stadium will be the venue for the nine-day championships from 22 to 30 August 2015.

Introduced at the public ceremony were the official Championships poster and mascot.

“China is the emerging super power of athletics,” commented President Diack.

“For me, this is a source of satisfaction because I came myself to China in the 1970s to help China return to the IAAF Family. This happened in 1978 and, since then, the strength of athletics in this vast country of one billion people has steadily grown.”

“The IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015, will further inspire the youth of China and Asia to take part in Athletics. This will be the greatest legacy of these Championships.”

Click on the following links to view:

– ‘One-year-to-go’ ceremony – report, photographs plus the poster design and mascot

– Full speech of IAAF President

IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015

IAAF launches Chinese edition of SPIKES and social media

SPIKES (spikes.iaaf.org) has been part of the IAAF website since February this year and with one year to go until the World Championships in Beijing, it marks the perfect moment for SPIKES to embrace the passion China has for our sport.

SPIKES China (spikescn.iaaf.org) will help build excitement leading into the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China next March and then on to Beijing and beyond.

SPIKES China will also make its mark on popular Chinese social networks such as Instagram, Sina Weibo, a hybrid of Twitter and Facebook (http://weibo.com/u/3860583602), and Tencent Weibo (http://t.qq.com/Spikeszhongguo).

In addition, SPIKES China will be active on WeChat (ID: SpikesChina), a popular app available for all smartphones that allows activities such as text, voice and broadcast messaging as well as the sharing of photographs and videos.

WeChat has 300 million users, with 70 million outside of China.

IOC President joins thousands worldwide in Olympic Day celebrations

Thomas Bach, IOC President

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach got very much into the spirit of Olympic Day today, addressing over 1,000 runners in a 5.2 km run before hosting Olympic Day celebrations at the IOC headquarters, where he called on people around the world to get physically active and enjoy the benefits of leading healthy lifestyles.

Joining President Bach for the kick-off of the 2nd edition of the Olympic Capital Run were fellow Olympians and current International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (AISTS) students Udo-Obong Enee (Nigeria, athletics), Hisham Shehab (Bahrain, aquatics), Slaven Dizdarevic (Slovakia, decathlon) and Maria Ntanou (Greece, cross-country skiing). Athens 2004 mascots Athena and Phevos and London 2012 mascot Wenlock were also on hand to help spread the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect.

“We need to continue to spread the popularity of sport and particularly the Olympic Games, but simply consuming sport is not enough – we need people and particularly young people to get active. We need to get the ‘couch potatoes off the couch’ – and Olympic Day and particularly Olympic Day runs are one way we can do that,” said President Bach.

Around the world National Olympic Committees held events and Olympic Day runs to mark the day. The IOC also used its huge social network following to encourage people to ‘get off the couch’. Thousands of people took part and posted pictures of themselves taking part in sport.

After the run in Lausanne, the IOC President opened the traditional Olympic Day celebrations at the IOC headquarters. Together with Sochi 2014 half-pipe champion Iouri Podladtchikov, he unveiled a new statue of the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin.

The statue, which depicts Coubertin sitting on a stool in contemplation, has been placed under a tree – a nod to Coubertin’s well-known way of working.

The bronze statue, sculpted by Chinese artist Xikun Yuan, was a gift to The Olympic Museum from the Chinese Olympic Committee on the occasion of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

“Part of Coubertin’s genius was adapting the values of Olympism to the modern world – but he didn’t just hand us these ideas written in stone – part of his genius was to understand that we must constantly renew ourselves and update the Olympic vision,” said President Bach.

“Olympic Day is one of those occasions to show how we can remain relevant. We need to continue to promote sport. We need people and particularly young people to get active.

We need to get the couch potatoes off the couch – and Olympic Day and particularly Olympic Day Runs are one way we can do that. We have a number of Olympic Day Runs taking place today around the world organised by our National Olympic Committees. We had one here in Lausanne with hundreds of brave souls participating.”

Olympic Day was introduced in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games on 23 June 1894 at the Sorbonne in Paris. The goal was to promote participation in sport across the globe regardless of age, gender or athletic ability.

Over the last 20 years, Olympic Day has been associated with Olympic Day Runs all over the world. From 45 participating National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in the first edition in 1987, the numbers have grown to over 150 participating NOCs.

Last year the IOC’s cross-platform Olympic Day campaign touched some 400 million people in one way or another.

This year, the IOC hopes to surpass this number with the help of top athletes, including 18-time gold medallist Michael Phelps, Olympic champion Usain Bolt and gold medallist hammer thrower Koji Murofushi, calling on everybody to get moving and try out new sports.

To see how others got active this Olympic Day, check out our world map at www.olympic.org/olympicday, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

London 2012 OG, Olympic Village – The Olympic
flag.
© 2012 / Comité International Olympique
(CIO) / FURLONG, Christopher

Delta State Hosts the 4th Annual Warri Relays/ Confederation of African Athletics Golden Grand Prix.

The Delta State Government in conjunction with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) stages the 4th Edition of the Warri Relays. This event which has a Golden label from the Confederation of African Athletics is scheduled to hold in Warri Delta State on Friday 13th of June.

This year’s event promises to showcase an array of top Nigerian and African athletes including Commonwealth gold medalist Tosin Oke, Amaechi Morton, Former 400m World Champion, Amantle Montsho of Botswana, Femi Ogunode of Qatar, Kineke Alexander of St. Vincent and a host of other world-class athletes.

According to the AFN President, Chief Solomon Ogba, the meet will surpass all other one-day meets ever organized on the African continent.

“This 2014 Warri Relays will be the biggest of all one-day meets ever organized in Africa, and we are especially proud to be the host”, he said.

He continued, “We have one hundred and one athletes coming from all over the world including Nigerian-born Asian champion, Femi Ogunode who represents Qatar. We also have Amantle Montsho of Botswana, a former 400m World Champion, confirmed for this event.”

The organization of this year’s event has been handed to Soloo Sports Management & Marketing, who has promised to give this one-day event a World Class outlook by introducing a bunch of fun activities, alongside the athletics competition. Performances by popular music acts, Tekno, Seyi Shey and SeleBobo will add spice to the enjoyment of the spectators.

Event holds on Friday 13th of June at the Warri Township Stadium.

IAAF / Nestlé Kids’ Athletics to star on Broadway

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) is delighted to announce that IAAF Kids’ Athletics | Nestlé Healthy Kids, the flagship development project of its School / Youth programme, will be demonstrated in the heart of New York City on Wednesday 11 June.

IAAF / Nestlé Kids’ Athletics, which is one of the biggest grassroots development programmes in the world of sports, will be introduced to citizens of ‘The Big Apple’ in Herald Square on Broadway.

The demonstration is one of the lead-in promotions to the adidas Grand Prix, the sixth leg of the 2014 IAAF Diamond League which takes place on Saturday 14 June in Icahn Stadium, Randall’s Island, New York.

Herald Square, which is located between 34th and 35th streets, one block from the Empire State Building, will be the setting for an afternoon of track and field street action. Proceedings will begin at 12.30 local time with a women’s pole vault competition featuring USA’s Olympic champion Jenn Suhr.

Approximately two hours later six teams of New York school children aged 9-10 years old will take part in IAAF / Nestlé Kids’ Athletics, a series of fun activities which covers the core skills of athletics, ‘run, jump, throw’.

The event will be supported by some of the world’s top athletics stars ‘past and present’ with six of them acting as captains for the teams. The athletes (in alphabetical order) who will be onsite to cheer on the kids will be global champions and medallists Yohan Blake, Maurice Greene, Sally Pearson, Ekaterini Stefanidi, Jenn Suhr and Warren Weir.

Nestlé, which is the world’s leading nutrition, health and wellness company with 339,000 employees worldwide, became the main sponsor of Kids’ Athletics in January 2012 agreeing a five-year sponsorship with the IAAF.

The IAAF’s objectives for Kids’ Athletics, which has so far been activated in more than 130 of the IAAF’s 212 national Member Federations worldwide, are to make athletics the number one participation sport in schools, promoting a balanced and healthy lifestyle, and attracting the potential sports stars of tomorrow.

IAAF / Nestlé Kids’ Athletics

DAWN Games: Oyo humbles Lagos, battles Ogun in football final

A hard fighting Oyo State football team stopped the ambition of Team Lagos from reaching the final of the male football event at the ongoing DAWN Games at the Agege Stadium on Wednesday.

The pulsating encounter saw Team Oyo scoring two quick goals in the first half of the match through Tajudeen Sodiq, while effort of Team Lagos to equaliser could only produce a goal in the second half through Michael Andrew.

In the other semi final match, Team Ogun thrashed Team Osun 1-0 to set up a final clash against Team Oyo on Thursday. Lagos coach Leo Lawson blamed defensive errors for the defeat, saying that his boys lost concentration when it matters most in the course of the match.

“Our target now is on the third place match against Team Osun. We beat them in the group stage and I expect my boys to do the same again when we meet for the bronze medal tie. I hope to present a new set of players that had not played since we began this competition,” said Lawson.

Secretary of Ogun State Football Association, Leo Adenekan is however looking forward to his state winning football gold at the expense of Team Oyo.

He said after his team beat Team Osun yesterday “I’ve the confidence that we’ll win the gold medal of this event on Thursday by the grace of God,” Leo said.

The third place match between Lagos and Osun will be played by 10a.m Thursday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, while the female final between Lagos and Ogun will be decided by 1:30pm at the same venue. The final will take place by 3:30pm.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mrs. Modupe Omonigbehin is satisfied with the performance of his state in the ongoing Games, which will end on Friday.

Omonigbehin noted that the athletes have proved themselves beyond her expectations, adding that the state may come second at the end of the championship.

“I’m quite impressed with the performance of our students. We have won some medals in some events and we can still win more before the tournament ends on Friday,” she said.

Omonigbehin said that the DAWN Games has lived up to expectations in the area of organisation. She commended the Lagos State Government for its effort to make the tournament a huge success.

She said that the sports facilities put in place by host helped the athletes to perform better and urged other regions in Nigeria to organise an event that will make their athletes prepare for National Sports Festival and future national competitions.

Despite the fact that Team Ondo failed to participate, Omonigbehin said their absence has not really affected the DAWN Games and believes that Team Ondo will take part in the next edition.

DAWN Games 2014: Lagos dominates gymnastics, as football enters semis

Team Lagos were outstanding in the Gymnastics events of the maiden South-West Secondary Schools Championship tagged DAWN Games 2014 as they won 17 medals to top the medal table of the sport decided at Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Rowe Park, Yaba.

The breakdown of medals won showed that the Ortega Akintola inspired Team Lagos won 8 gold, 6 silver and. 3 bronze. Team Ekiti were second with 2 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medal. Ogun were third with 1 gold, 5 bronze while Team Oyo could only win 3 silver and 2 bronze to claim the fourth position.

Football event which enters semi final stage on Wednesday with Team Lagos taking on Team Oyo as early as 8am at Agege Stadium, while the second semi final scheduled for the afternoon will involve Team Ogun and Osun State.

Finals of events such as Basketball, Volleyball, Swimming, Scrabble and Chess will take place at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Meanwhile, chairman, Technical Committee of Lagos State Football Association, Dotun Coker, has said that the football event at the DAWN Games has shown that there is positive and future in the development of football in the Western part of Nigeria.

Coker, said the tournament which was the initiative of DAWN Commission and designed for Secondary School students within the South West zone would create an enabling environment to harness young sports talents in the region.

The Chairman, LSFA Technical Committee, said he had saddled the chairman of Ikeja Football Coaches Council, Rafiu Taiwo, with the responsibility of writing a technical report and also to identify the best 18 football players for the region ahead of future tournaments.

According to him, Coach Taiwo is expected to submit his report to him for ratification and easy passage to the DAWN Commission.

He detested the lackadaisical attitude of the Lagos State Football Coaches Association for not been present at Agege Stadium where football is taking place, stressing that their presence would enable them to present the LSFA a detailed technical report based on their assessment of each participating team.

DAWN GAMES 2014 APPROVED SCHEDULE OF VENUES & DATES

DAWN GAMES 2014 APPROVED SCHEDULE OF VENUES & DATES
FRIDAY 16TH May – SATURDAY 24TH MAY, 2014

MOBOLAJI JOHNSON SPORTS CENTRE, ROWE PARK, YABA

S/N. SPORTS. EVENTS (BOYS) EVENTS (GIRLS) DURATION. EVENTS DATES. VENUES. REMARKS

1 GYMNASTICS. 6. 5. 3 Days Sun 18th May–Tues 20th May, 2014 Sports Hall

2 BADMINTON. 2. 2. 2 Days Weds 21st May– Thurs 22nd May, 2014. Sports Hall

3 BASKETBALL. 1. 1. 3 Days. Mon 19th May – Weds 21st May, 2014. Basketball Courts

4 TENNIS. 2. 2. 2 Days. Mon 19th May – Tues 20th May, 2014 Tennis Courts

TESLIM BALOGUN STADIUM, SURULERE

S/N. SPORTS. EVENTS (BOYS) EVENTS (GIRLS) DURATION. EVENTS DATES. VENUES. REMARKS
5 TABLE-TENNIS. 2. 2. 2 Days. Mon 19th May–Tues 20th May, 2014. Sports Hall

6 TAEKWONDO. 5. 3. 2 Days. Weds 21st May–Thurs 22nd May, 2014 Sports Hall

7 VOLLEYBALL. 1. 1. 3 Days. Mon 19th May–Weds 21st May, 2014 Volleyball Courts

8 SWIMMING. 16. 16 3 Days. Mon 19th May–Weds 21st May, 201 Swimming pool

9 SCRABBLE. 2 + 2 MXD. 2. 2 Days. Tues 20th May–Weds 21st May, 2014 Sports Bar

10 ATHLETICS. 13. 13. 2 Days. Tues 20th May–Weds 21st May, 2014 Main Bowl
3 3. 1 Day Fri 23rd May, 2014 Main Bowl. Additional 1 day for Finals of 100m, 4X100m relay and 4X400m relay (Boys & Girls)

11 CHESS. 8. 8. 2 Days. Tues 20th May – Weds 21st May, 2014. Media Centre

12 FOOTBALL. 1. 1. 1 Day. Thurs 22nd May, 2014 Main Bowl. 3rd Place and Final Matches (Boys & Girls)

AGEGE STADIUM

12 FOOTBALL. 1. 1. 3 Days. Sun 18th, Mon 19th & Weds 21st May, 2014. Main Bowl

DAWN Games kicks off in Lagos

The maiden edition of South-West Secondary Schools Games tagged DAWN Games begins on Friday May 16 in Lagos with over 2,000 athletes and officials in attendance.

The DAWN Games, which will be competed by athletes from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti State, is a 12 sports tournament of Nigeria School Sports Federation, NSSF. The sports are Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Chess, Football, Gymnastics, Scrabble, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Taekwondo and Volleyball. It will be staged in three centres across Lagos: Agege Stadium, Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Rowe Park, Yaba and the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, while the NYSC Camp at Iyana Ipaja in Lagos.

According to the schedule of event released to the media by the Technical Sub-Committee of the Main Organising Committee (MOC), athletes and officials are expected to check in to the Games Village on Friday with accreditations taking off in full swing, while events will begin on Sunday May 18 with Football and Gymnastics taking the centre stage at the Agege Stadium and Rowe Park Sports Centre respectively.

According to the schedules, Rowe Park will also play host to Badminton, Basketball and Tennis. At Teslim Balogun Stadium, sports such as Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Volleyball, Swimming, Scrabble and Athletics will be on stage, while Agege Stadium will also host Chess.

It was gathered that Team Ogun, would present 186 athletes, while no fewer than 163 athletes will represent Team Lagos.

Meanwhile, a member of basketball team for Lagos, Ololade Azeez has expressed confidence that Lagos will win gold medal in both male and female basketball event of the competition.

“I am happy to be among the players that will represent Lagos at DAWN Games. Our training so far is superb and very impressive. We are in good form now and ready to win gold medals for team Lagos in Basketball both male and female category,” he said.

Head Coach of Badminton of Team Lagos, Kayode Olatunji said there is high spirit in camp as the players are looking forward to participating at the DAWN Games, adding that the supports the players and officials received from the state government will boost their morale to excel at the Games, which will end on 24 May.

2014 World Juniors set to be biggest ever IAAF event on US soil 2015

With the deadline for the preliminary entries now closed, the 2014 IAAF World Junior Championships, which will be held between 22-27 July in Eugene, Oregon, is set to be the biggest ever IAAF event to be held on US soil.

In terms of athletes, the biggest ever World Athletics Series event hosted by the US was the 1992 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Boston, where 580 athletes from around the world competed.

Based on member federations, the biggest WAS event to be held in the USA was the 1987 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, where 84 nations took part.

But this year’s IAAF World Junior Championships is set to surpass both of those marks, as 177 member federations have expressed interest in the championships, with 1758 athletes provisionally entered.

As these are preliminary entries, the final numbers will marginally differ, but even with the expected slight drop in figures, this year’s World Junior Championships will still easily become the biggest IAAF World Athletics Series event in the USA.

“We couldn’t be more excited for this fantastic event and to welcome our guests from around the world,” said Vin Lananna, president of the local organising committee for the IAAF World Junior Championships.

“I know that the entire TrackTown community will do everything in its power to make this an unforgettable experience for both the athletes and fans.”

IAAF Diamond League guaranteed until 2019 – Diack

The next five years of the IAAF Diamond League are guaranteed following a new agreement announced by IAAF President Lamine Diack in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday (8).

“The IAAF Diamond League is a valuable asset for the IAAF,” President Diack told the traditional pre-meeting press conference that was being streamed live via the internet for the first time and so reached a global audience.

“Therefore I am delighted to announce that the IAAF has agreed a new contract with the 14 meeting organisations which will ensure the IAAF’s continued support of the series to at least 2019.”

The official signing took place during a special General Assembly of the Diamond League which was held recently in Zurich.

The IAAF Diamond League encompasses 14 meetings in Asia, the Middle East and the United States, as well as Europe.