Young Basketball Player Slumps and Dies While Training

An athlete with the Dodan Warriors Basketball Academy has passed-on this Tuesday 29th September, 2015 while training alone on the Basketball Court of Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, Lagos.

Oke Ayobami, the 22 years Old Athlete suddenly collapsed while training alone on the court and was attended to immediately by the Lagos State Sports Commission, Sports Medicine Centre Medical Team that were also located within Rowe Park Sports Centre. After Several attempts to resuscitate Ayobami, he was immediately transported with an ambulance to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja for further medical attention.

At LASUTH Emergency Unit, Dr. Kayode Michael, Head of Sports Medicine Directorate of Lagos State Sports Commission along with a Consultant immediately attended to the patient who was confirmed Brought – In – Dead (BID).

The officials of the Lagos State Sports Commission and the Dodan Warriors Basketball Academy Coach has since briefed the parents of the deceased, while his remains has been deposited at the mortuary awaiting coronary inquest to ascertained the cause of death.

The Director General of Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr. Ayo Agbesanwa along with other top officials have since officially visited the family of the deceased athlete to commiserate with them.

Maurice Green For Ogba Grand Reception…,Amaju, Green, Ige On The Cards

The Organising Committee for the Sunday, July 26 Grand Reception for the Athletics Federation of Nigeria President, Dr (Chief) Solomon Ogba, has announced that the event will be graced by former world 100 metres champion, American Maurice Green.

A statement by the Scribe of the Edo Sports Media Practitioners Forum, Smarts Ebodaghe, also revealed that the NFF President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick is expected at the event, with the powerful NFF Disciplinary Committee Chairman, Barr. Chris Green in tow. Respected Sportscaster of note Taiye Ige, has also been listed for the A-grade event that will hold at the Adna Hotel, 28, Ladipo Bateye Close, GRA, Ikeja.

Solomon Ogba

A member of the Organising Committee and Chairman of the Edo FA, Frank Ilaboya, declared that in the coming days more dignitaries will be unveiled for the event that is expected to kick-start several others in honour of the sons and daughters of old Bendel State now Edo and Delta and Nigerian great sports achievers in general.

Executives of the body have said that the event will assume a wider dimension in the coming days, as plans have reached advanced to also honour sons and daughters of the states and beyond who have made more than a passing contribution to sports development and growth in Nigeria.

Tunisia 2015 AJC: National Players Swoop On Titles At Country Club Tourney

Tunisia-bound national junior players will be the centre of attraction as the final of the MP Tennis Championship holds today at the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja.

The five-day clay court tournament is serving as the final build-up for Nigerian players to the forthcoming African Junior Tennis Championship serving off on Monday in Tunis, Tunisia.

Martins Abamu, who will be representing the country in the Boys’ U-16 category, is the overwhelming favourite for the title, while Micheal Ayoola and Michael Oshewa, who will be competing in the U-14 are also in pole position to clinch the final places.

In the girls’ U-16 category, Angel McCleod looks unstoppable to clinch the top prize but she is expected to be given a tough match by her Team Nigeria teammate Oyinlomo Quadri.

13-year-old Quadri was the only player to bag two gold medals for Nigeria at the West & Central Africa Circuit which served as qualifier for the AJC in January in Lome.

Meanwhile Serena Teluwo will battle Reya Holmes in one of the semifnal matches of the girls’ U-10 billed for Friday while Oyinkansolami Doruwoju and Mary Udofia clash in the other semifinal.

Serena, who is regarded as another star-prospect by national junior coach Mohammed Ubale, topped her group by beating Doruwoju 4-2, 4-2 and Basirat Okunola 4-0, 4-0 in her opening group matches before finishing the day with sheer perfection with another 4-0, 4-0 win over Ozia Yajubu.

Gabriel Ekundayo and Joseph Fortune will battle for a place in the final of the Boy’s U-10 with the winner confronting the victor of the tie between Kehinde Ganiyu and Stephen Akpanke.

Ahead Tunisia 2015 AJC: McCleod, Quadri Dominate At Country Club Tourney

Fast-rising Nigerian tennis teenager, Angel McCleod underlined her intention to make a great impact in the 2015 Africa Junior Tennis Championship billed for Tunis, Tunisia next week as she coasted home to comfortable victories in the on-going MP Tennis Junior Championship holding at the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja.

The half-caste, who recently featured in the ITF Circuit in Nairobi Kenya where she was able to amass crucial points that saw her move up in the global rankings was the star performer of the day as she defeated Lolade Holmes 4-0, 4-1 in the first of her four round-robin matches in Group A of the U-16 before going on to claim the scalps of both Toyin Asogba and Venus Ubiebi 4-0, 4-1 and 4-0,4-0 respectively to earn a spot in the knock-out stage of the five-day event serving as Nigeria’s preparation for the continental tournament in the North African country.

Another member of Nigeria’s eight-man team to the Mediterranean nation, Oyinlomo Qaudri also sustained the form that saw her claimed two gold medals for the country at the Togo 2015 West & Central African Championship that served as qualifiers.

Quadri, 13, started her Group B matches with a 4-0, 4-1 triumph over Jumai Mohammed and also breezed past Zainab Okunola 4-0, 4-0 before adding Marylove Edwards as her last casualty of the day with a 4-1, 4-1 win.

Meanwhile, national junior coach Mohammed Ubale will be on ground to assess the performance of the players. He is expected to be joined by three other members of the Tunisia-bound team, who have been fine-tuning strategies in various parts of the country.

Tunisia 2015 AJC: Nigerian Players In Winning Form At Country Club Tourney

Nigerian players to the forthcoming ITF African Junior Tennis Championship serving off next week in Tunisia all put up impressive performances in their opening matches at the MP Tennis Championship holding at the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja.

The clay court event which is serving as the last-lap of preparations for the championship that will feature more than 30 countries saw Martins Abamu recording a 4-0, 4-2 win over Ayomide Jebutu in his first match in the U-16, while he also bagged a 4-0, 4-0 over Kazeem Fadipe in the second of his round-robin matches in Group A.

Michael Ayoola, another player in the party to the Mediterranean country got a 5-3, 4-2 win over Fadipe and followed it with a 4-2, 5-3 win over Jebutu to earn a passage to the next round from the same group.

In group B, Michael Oshewa, who is also in the team to the AJC, was stretched as he recovered from a set down to beat David Amusu 2-4, 4-2, 10-5. He had it easy in the second match as he defeated Kareem Akande 4-1, 4-1 but lost his final round-robin match to Christopher Bolus 5-4, 2-4, 10-8.

Bolus went on to top the group by beating Akande in his second match 4-1, 4-1.

Tomorrow’s matches will be played in the U-14 category with players like Filippo Trombi, Ayomide Collins Ayo Gabriel slugging it out for places in the knockout stage.

Also, the girls’ event will commence with players like Serena Teluwo, Reya Holmes Lolade Holmes, Oyinlomo Quadri and Angel McCleod, all eager to post impressive results.

There is a huge expectation on McCleod, 13, to impress following the scholarship awarded to her for her performance at the qualifiers held in Togo in January.

Youth Alive Junior League Jumpoff This Weekend In Lagos

The 2015 season of the Lagos state Junior Basketball tagged “Youth Alive” Junior Basketball League will Jump ball on Friday 16th January, 2014.

The annual developmental league for Under 15 and 19’s which has been remodelled, will for the first time feature schools and Academies in seperate a category and 4 different traditional basketball venues across the Lagos metropolis will entertain the best amateaur basketballers in the state.

According to the Technical Director of the Lagos State Basketball Association who doubles as the Cordinator of the Youth Alive Junior League, Mr Gbade Latona said the idea is to avail all interested schools and basketball Academies an opportunity to participate and reduce travel time of teams to the playing arena during game days.

Lagos Youth Alive Basketball Holiday League resumes at Rowe Park

Traditional basketball courts Mobolaji Johnson Sports Center, Rowe Park, Yaba; Police College, Ikeja; Campos Mini Stadium, Lagos Island and the Ilupeju Basketball Court will all be utilised for the League. As matches will hold simultaneously at all venue on Fridays and Saturdays for the 6 month period the League will run.

Opening day fixtures set for this Friday, will see Dodan Warriors Academy A against Raptors Academy U19 s and Del Basketball Academy battles Raptors Academy in the Under 15 category at the Ilupeju center. At the Police College center, Police Rookies will battle Warlord Academy in the U19s, while Phidell play Police Rookies and Diamond Academy against Police Rookies on Saturday.

The Rowe Park Center will see the River Dragons U19s’ against Deepbond U19s’ while Strong Tower and River Dragons battle in the U15 category on Friday. The following day will feature Top Field against River Dragons while we will witness the first female match up of the season when Raptors faceoff against Hope 4 Girls at same venue.

LBA Thank Media, Others For Successful Awards Ceremony

Chief Operating Officer, C.O.O. of the League Bloggers Awards, George Akpayen has commended the media for their efforts at making Monday night’s event a huge success.

The 3rd edition of the League Bloggers Awards held on Monday night at the prestigious Sheraton Hotels and Towers in Ikeja and Akpayen says they cannot thank the media enough for their efforts.

“We just want to say a big thank you to our friends in the media, both traditional and new media for what they did as regards publicity for the event.

“Newspapers, magazines, radio and television shows as well as the social media and internet gave us pre event coverage, were there on the day as well as give us post event coverage and we believe it is a
partnership that will last for as long as the LBA is in existence,” Akpayen said.

He gave special mention to the media partners of the event, Cool Wazobia Info FM/ Sport On Newspapers and Sports Day Newspaper.

As well as the media, Akpayen made specific mention of the chairman of the League Management Company, Honorable Nduka Irabor who was a special guest at the event and presented the award for the Best National Team Player in the league.

“It shows that the people who run the League recognize what we are doing and like us believe Nigerian League players should be rewarded regularly for their efforts.”

The Headline Sponsors of the event, 1960Bet did not escape appreciation from the C.O.O.

1960Bet signed up as Headline Sponsors of the League Bloggers Awards less than two weeks to the event and provided a car for Player of the Season, an award that eventually went to Mfon Udoh

OwuSports To Open First Retail Outlet In Lagos

Owu Sports, Nigeria’s Foremost indigenous Sportswear Manufacturing Company will this week Open the first of its retail outlets In Ikeja, Lagos. Nigeria. And according to the C.E.O of the company Barrister Tunji Brown This is geared towards bringing the company’s products closer to fans of all the Nigerian Football Clubs that the Company provides kits for.

OwuSports To Open First Retail Outlet In Lagos

Brown Said: “we observed that most Nigerian Football lovers have been deprived of a chance to support their clubs because most of them do not know were to purchase their club’s jerseys and other branded paraphenalia”

The Plan is to Give Nigerian Sports fans an Opportunity to buy replica jerseys of their favourite Nigerian Football Clubs.

Owusports will open a retail outlet in a every city were our partner clubs are based, this way the fans can walk in to purchase their jerseys and even have them branded if they so desire.

MFM FC, ABS FC, Stationery Stores fc, just to mention a few are some of the Nigerian Clubs being kitted by OwuSports.

And the Sports wear manufacturing Company Only Recently Expanded its scope by providing kits for most of the Clubs that Participated in the recently concluded Independence Rugby Sevens in Lagos.

1960BET is Headline Sponsor of 2014 League Bloggers Awards

The leading Sports betting company in Nigeria, 1960BET, is by this release officially unveiled as the Headline Sponsor of the 2014 League Bloggers Awards (LBA) for its end-of-season event billed to hold at
the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ikeja, Lagos, on December 15.

The 2014 LBA will honour outstanding players, coaches and clubs in the recently-concluded Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) 2013/14 season.

The CEO of LBA, Ojeikere Aikhoje, described the partnership with the industry-leading bookmaking firm as a win-win situation for the two organizations.

“We have entered into a game-changing partnership with 1960BET for the 2014 award. It is a start of an enduring relationship with 1960BET for us at the LBA. The partnership with 1960Bet is a win-win situation for both parties. It is a special kind of relationship that will surely open new vistas in our goal to reward the best actors in the Nigeria Professional Football League,” Aikhoje said.

The third edition of the LBA end-of-the-season event will reward actors in the NPFL in 16 different categories including the Highest Goalscorer Award which will go to Enyimba striker, Mfon Udoh, who
scored 23 goals.

Top among the categories up for grabs is the prestigious Player of the Season as well as Manager of the Season and Club of the Season.

Other awards include Fair Play Award, Best Use of Social Media (for clubs), Best Website, Best Designed Jersey, Best New Goalkeeper (NPFL), Best Draft from Development Team, Best Development Team, Best
New Player, Best Goalkeeper, Best Foreigner, Best Promoted Team and Best National Team Player.

1960BET is a street-credible sports betting company known for prompt payments and various audacious Corporate Social Responsibility Projects and sponsorship programmes which include Headline Sponsorship
of Copa Lagos 2014, the resurgence of Boxing in Nigeria broadcast live on satellite TV (GOtv Boxing Night), Headline sponsorship of Stationery Stores FC, Sponsorship of 11 sports fans to Brazil 2014
World Cup.

1960BET offers Nigerians a money-making platform from sporting events in the cosy ambience of their mega Retail Outlets located in multiple states of the federation. Online, their presence is visible for an
array of products including Sports, Pools, Casino, Virtuals, Binary Options and many more exciting features that justify the very busy traffic and frequent visits to http://www.1960bet.com. Also available to
Nigerians on the go via their mobile platform, the company has enriched so many sports loving youths who “Play their Game!” with Nigeria’s Number 1 High Street Bookmaker, which boast of thousands of youths currently under her employ.

Through the easy-to-get 1960BET Franchise, many Nigerians are being empowered financially thus contributing to the reduction of the country’s unemployment rate and taking youths off the street.

1960BET is in the good books of industry Regulators and all host State Governments to whose good causes she contributes immensely.

It is in recognition of the company’s outstanding pedigree and contributions to the development of indigenous Sports in general that LBA has deemed it fit to offer 1960BET the headline sponsorship of
this year’s award which promises to be a totally rewarding experience for both Awardees and guests alike.

Athletes target records, as Lagos Premier Lotto Schools Athletics Tourney enters final phase

With three districts already concluded their final selection for the grand finale of the season two of the Lagos Premier Lotto Schools Athletics Championship, athletes are eager to set new records in the final week of the competition.
From Monday March 3, teams from districts four, five and six will take to the track at the Teslim Balogun Stadium for their qualifiers to the main event this weekend.

For district four, schools from Surulere, Mainland, and Apapa will compete on Monday, while on Tuesday March 4, district five made up of schools from Amuwo Odofin, Ajeromi and Badagry will compete for places in the final team.
On Wednesday March 5, schools from Oshodi Isolo, Mushin and Ikeja that made up district six will jostle for spots.
Also, eight states and eight tertiary institutions in Lagos State have confirmed their participation in the invitational relay of the grand finale on Saturday March 8 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Meanwhile, athletes that competed in the maiden edition of the competition believed it would churn out new athletes for the state.
Mercy Abire, winner of the 200m of the girls’ event at the maiden, said it was an avenue for students to exhibit their God’s own talents.

“It is a wonderful decision to organise an athletics competition for secondary school students. This is where to get raw talents to compete in various competitions such as the African Youth Championship. I was here last year for the tournament and I smiled home with a Laptop for my feat,” Abire said.

The sprinter, who represented Lagos State at the 18th National Sports Festival tagged EKO 2012 Games, said her participation in the holiday training programme supervised by Lee Evans and Tony Osheku, encouraged her to win a silver medal at the African Youth Championship held in Warri, Delta State. For Ihuama Emmanuel, the competition is an avenue for them to display their talents and get national call-up.