Nigeria Rugby Football Federation Enters Nigerian Sports Awards Race

In accordance with directive of the organisers of the prestigious Nigerian Sports Awards, the Nigeria Rugby Football Federation has called on all sports loving Nigerians and sports enthusiasts to nominate the federation as the Ball Sport of the year and also Administrator of the year for 2014/2015.

According to the President of the Federation ‘Sir Fom Edward Pam’ being nominated and winning the 2015 award will be “an icing on an already sweet and creamy cake” considering the lofty achievements recorded by the federation despite the poor level of support from the National Sports Commission and the Ministry of Sports.

It would be recalled that in 2014, the federation under Sir Edward Fom Pam mobilized and masterminded the Nigeria’s Rugby senior national team qualification for the Commonwealth games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Despite the heartbreak from the Nigerian Olympics Committee and then Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye who decided that Rugby was not going to be represented at the fiesta, they were undeterred as they rallied back from this heartbreak to travel to Togo for the All African games and pre-Olympics qualifiers where they booked their tickets to these events with little or no support from government.

The NRFF is one of the few federations in the country with a regular league season which is divided into 4 regions for easier administrative purposes; The NRFF is also focused on grassroot development thereby giving home based players the opportunity to excel in the sport.

The Nigeria Rugby Football Federation as also engaged the service of a foreign coach (Fabian Juries) and this as boosted the growth of Rugby. The fast pace of the sport is manifest in Nigeria’s rating and ranking by World Rugby (the international ruling body) The NRFF also possesses a technical department that is fully automated and is equipped with a second to none Data base, the federation in conjunction with Rugby Africa (the continental ruling body) organized a weeklong training for coaches and referees in Nigeria while grassroots programs have also been initiated in schools in their quest to take the sport to the nooks and crannies of the country.

To nominate NRFF as the Ball Sport of the year and Administrator of the year in Nigeria for 2014/2015 calendar year, log on to http://nigeriansportsaward.com/nominations

Nigerian Sports Award: Nominations to Close September 26…Organizers Salutes Nigerian Athletes Performance at AAG

Organizers of the prestigious Nigerian Sports Award, Unmissable Incentives Limited have announced that the nominations of Sportsmen and Women for the different categories of awards for the 2015 edition would close on Saturday, September 26, 2015

Kayode Idowu, Executive Director, Unmissable Incentives Limited, disclosed this in Lagos on Monday while briefing the media on developments on the 2015 edition of the Nigerian Sports Award.

Kayode Idowu, Nigerian sports awards

Idowu revealed that the nominations for this year’s edition of the award was deliberately prolonged to close after the just concluded All African Games to accommodate the different major sporting activities for the year.

“In the past, we have had instances where some Nigerian Sportsmen and Women recorded some outstanding performances during the course of the award year but couldn’t make it into nominations. This is why we decided to ensure that nominations for this year closes at the end of all the major sporting events” he said.

He then used the opportunity to commend and congratulate the Nigerian athletes to the just concluded All African Games for the outstanding performance and medal haul at the tournament.

AfroBasket 2015 champions Nigeria

He also commended the Nigerian Basketball Team, D’Tigers for winning the recently concluded FIBA Africa Basketball competition and picking the ticket to compete in the Basketball event at the next Olympic games billed to hold in Rio, Brazil.

Idowu called for Nigerians to seize the opportunity of the remaining few days to nominate their favourite Nigerian athletes who have recorded excellent performances in their various sports during the course of the year.

He urged Nigerian sports enthusiasts to visit the website of the award using the link – http://nigeriansportsaward.com/nominations/ or nominate on Facebook as well as Twitter.

It would be recalled that the nominations phase of the 2015 edition of the award opened on June 4th, 2015. Verification of entries by the Auditors would hold between September 26th and 28th while the announcement of final shortlist would be made public on October 6th.

AAG: NSA Charges Team Nigeria To Go For Glory

As the 2015 All African Games gathers momentum with participating African countries intensifying training in preparation for the Games, organizers of the Nigerian Sports Award (NSA) have urged the Nigerian contingent to the Games to go for glory at the event by winning all available medals. The All African Games (AAG) also known as Pan-African Games or African Games which takes place every four years, will mark the 11th edition and its 50th anniversary as well as a return to Brazzaville which hosted the first edition in July, 1965, this edition. The 2015 All African Games (AAG) is scheduled to hold between 4th and 19th September 2015 in Brazzaville, Congo. According to Kayode Idowu, the Executive Director, Unmissable Incentives, promoters of the Nigerian Sports Award, the Nigerianathletes must give their all and stay focused, to outshine all comers and improve on previous performances at the Games, to compensate Nigerian Sports fans on the lackluster performance of the Flying Eagles and Super Falcons in recent tournaments.

Nigerian Sports Award 2015

‘’Nigerians are expecting so much from the Team Nigeria at the forthcoming All African Games, they want to see the team winning all available medals and dominating the different sports that they will be partaking in, to bring smiles to their faces’’ he said. He noted that, though the Nigerian U-23 Football Team under the tutelage of Coach Samson Siasia are drawn in the “group of death” with Ghana, Egypt and Senegal, the team must do everything everything possible to qualify from the group stage. Kayode Idowu also charged the National Sports Commission (NSC) to ensure that the country presents her best legs for the Games and enjoys the needed support from the Commission to excel. Team Nigeria’s participation at the Games would be in 21 out of the total of 32, covering Track & Field, Football, Basketball and Lawn Tennis. The country has participated in 10 editions of the games winning a total of 934 medals, comprised of 334 gold, 305 silver and 295 bronze. The country also emerged winner in 2008 when she hosted the games.

Nigerian Sports Award: Organizers, SWAN Set Criteria for Media Category

In response to the yearnings and popular demand by Sports Journalists in Nigeria, the Award Panel for Nigerian Sports Award in collaboration with the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has outlined criteria for the Media category of the 2015 edition of the award.

The four categories set aside for the media in the Nigerian Sports Award are; Sports Journalist of the Year (Print), Photo Journalist of the Year, Radio Sports Journalist of the Year and Television Sports Journalist of the Year.

According to the Chairman of the Award Panel, Mr. Ikeddy Isiguzo, the criteria for the media category of the award became necessary due to popular opinion of the Journalists and to continue to uphold the integrity of the award.

Nigeria Sports Awards

“ We have decided to yield to the call of Sports Journalists to set criteria for the media category of the Nigerian Sports Award to ensure more transparency in the process for selecting winners of the award” he said

Isiguzo explained that the criteria for the award as set by the award panel and SWAN stipulates that for any Journalist to win in any of the categories, he or she must first be nominated for a category.

He also stated that the top 5 nominees with the highest number of votes in each category will be shortlisted and will be invited to submit their works as entries for the award to be screened by a select body of Sports Editors.

He announced that the nominees for Sports Journalist of the Year (Print) and Photo Journalist of the Year are required to submit 5 of their works as entries for the award while nominees for TV and Radio Sports Journalist of the Year will be expected to submit 2 (10 Minutes Radio/ TV Programme) to enter for the award and all works submitted must be done during the year of the award.

“The body of sports editors drawn from print, radio and TV shall be constituted to assess the works, grade and recommend three nominees out of the five on each category to the panel, the works shall be copied to the editors individually and they shall pass their assessment to the Award Panel independently and collation of their assessment shall inform the final decision of the panel’’ he added.

He also added that the identity of the body of editors that will serve as judges would be made public during the Gala Night of the 2015 edition, which is billed to hold in Lagos in November.

National Sport Commission Pledges Support for Nigerian Sport Award

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has pledged to throw its weight behind the organizers of the Nigerian Sports Award in its quest to inspire outstanding performances in Nigerian sportsmen and women through recognition and reward. The Director General, National Sport Commission, Al-Hassan Yakmut made this known in Abuja recently when he received members of the Award Panel who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

Addressing the members of the Award Panel during the courtesy visit, Yakmut commended the effort of the organizers for remaining steadfast and committed towards the objectives of the Award, which is to reward excellence performance among Nigerian athletes.

The Director General noted that the Nigerian Sports Award could be described as the outsourced aspect of the National Sports Policy, which has provision for Reward & Incentives. He added that the Commission needs to give its maximum support to the initiative especially in line with the Public-Private Partnership drive of the government.

A Member of the Award Panel,Nigerian Sports Award, Mitchel Obi, presenting an award to the Director General, National Sports Commission, Al-Hassan Yakmut in Abuja recently.

Speaking earlier on the mission of the team to the National Sports Commission, the Chairman of the Award Panel, Ikeddy Isiguzo disclosed that the Panel was in Abuja to congratulate Yakmut on his recent appointment as the Director General and also to deepen the relationship between the Commission and the Nigerian Sports Award.

Isiguzo called for more participation and involvement of the National Sport Commission in the Nigerian Sport Award by making its presence felt during the award Gala Night ceremony which he described as the celebration of the achievements of the sports Ministry.

He used the occasion to announce to the Director General that the 2015 edition of the Nigerian Sports Award would hold at a yet to be made public date in November at the prestigious Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.

“We want more presence from the Ministry and the reason is very obvious, whatever anybody says, the Ministry does a lot for the athletes and when we have an event of that magnitude, the presence of the Sports Ministry from the Minister of Sports to the Director General and other key office holders is very important because we are celebrating the achievement of the Ministry’’ he said.

Nigeria Sports Awards

While presenting the Nigerian Sports Award plaque to the Director General as a mark of honour, Mitchel Obi, a member of the Award Panel stated that the appointment of Yakmut is well deserved having come a long way in Nigerian sports from being a Volleyball player to an administrator.

“It is our privilege to present to you this unique award for your commitment to sports development in Nigeria and also a reflection of the vision you have for Nigerian sports and we believe that with the Nigerian Sports Award, it is a recognition for those who have excelled and those who are on the path of excellence.