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Delta to host National Youth Games

Games billed for Dennis Osadebe University, Asaba, from February 8 to the 18th, 2023

 

 

6th National Youth Games: 5,070 athletes, coaches, others expected – OfficialNigerian youth athletes pose for a photo shoot during the 6th National Youth Games

 

By Rasheed Adewuyi

 

The Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development has awarded the Hosting Rights for the 7th National Youth Games to Delta State. The Games are slated to hold from February 8 to the 18th, 2023.

 

The choice of Delta State was reached at a meeting of Stakeholders for the Games, which was held on the sidelines of the recently concluded 21st National Sports Festival in the State.

 

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Alhaji Ismaila Abubakar, stated that since its inception, the National Youth Games had become a veritable ground for harvesting the huge talents that abound within the country.

 

Alhaji Abubakar added: “many of the discovered athletes have been nurtured to elite level by the Ministry where several of them have been excelling at the international stage by posting podium performances for the country.”

 

According to him, other objectives of the Games are to “promote National Unity; curb age cheating in Sports and restiveness among the Youths as well as establish a standard program for athletes’ succession,” amongst others.

 

Alhaji Ismaila assured that the Ministry is poised to ensure that the gains and objectives of the Youth Games are sustained hence, the Ministry’s determination to seek an alternative host venue for the National Youth Games.

 

The newly appointed Host State, Delta, he added, has indicated its interest in hosting the Games at the Dennis Osadebay University, Asaba, Delta State.

 

The State has equally expressed its readiness to host the Games from February 8-18, 2023, as unanimously agreed by the stakeholders at a virtual meeting on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.

 

Ballers blow up Ibadan with basketball

Ibadan Ballers in Diaspora to set Adamasingba basketball ball court on fire on Friday

 

 

Team Hoops Dreams Academy Ibadan, Nigeria

 

By Rasheed Adewuyi 

 

About twelve teams are expected to compete for honors at the second edition of the Ibadan Basketball Championship, scheduled to tip off on Friday at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Oyo State.
 
The Ibadan Basketball Championship is an initiative of former basketball players in the Diaspora whose root is from Ibadan.
 
A statement from the Ibadan Ballers in Diaspora, the tournament organizers, said male and female teams within Ibadan would compete for the cash prize of N500,000.
 
The statement read in part, “We all came together to support basketball development in Ibadan. This act of giving back is a selfless service to God and humanity fueled by the passion we all have for the game of basketball.
 
“This beautiful game brought all of us together, and we were all once kids playing basketball in Ibadan. We understand some of the challenges we faced, which included a lack of basketball Championships to improve our game back in the day. The government alone cannot make it happen, which led us to come together under the umbrella of Ibadan Ballers in Diaspora.
 
“We held the maiden edition in January 2022, and we are back again with the second edition, which is coming up on the 6th and 7th of January at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.”
 
One of the fastest growing Clubs in Oyo State, Hoops Dream Academy, founded by Barrister Damola Awosika, is one of the clubs competing in the male and female events.
 
The two-day event aims to support basketball development in Ibadan and Oyo State.
 
The CEO of Hoops Dreams Academy, Barrister Awosika, who is also the Vice Chairman of the Oyo State Basketball Association (OSBA), said that his team is ready for the championship, adding that his Club’s growth, and togetherness overtime, good chemistry, friendship, and trust are what keeps the Hoops Dreams Academy going.
 
Awosika further explained that the IBC event, like most other tournaments, allows players to showcase and develop their skills, thereby gaining more confidence, strength, and experience.

NOC plots US scholarships for athletes

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Pleads with international sporting federations to allow Nigerian athletes to use their training facilities

 

Tony Nezianya NOC PRO

 

By Rasheed Adewuyi

 
The Nigeria  Olympic Committee (NOC) is working round the clock to ensure that the country’s athletes win medals at the 2024 summer Olympic games in France.
 
NOC’s public relations officer Tony Nezianya dropped this hint in an interview with Sports Joust on Tuesday, adding that the Olympic Committee has plans to secure more scholarships for its athletes in the United States of America.
 
Nezianya believes that going to school in the US will allow Nigerian athletes to train with better types of equipment and will give them more exposure.
 
Nezianya says: “Tobi Amusan is a good example. The NOC helped her with the scholarship that took her to the USA  before she became a world champion. We want to prepare for the next Olympic in a big way, and the best way to do that is to support our athletes technically and financially.”
 
“It is very costly to access training gyms around the world, and that’s why the NOC needs the cooperation of everybody across the continents to prepare Nigerian athletes for the biggest sporting event in the world.”
 
Nezianya also stressed that apart from the scholarship,  the NOC will give the athletes technical support before and during the All African Games in Accra, Ghana, in August and the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
 
He adds: “We will do better than the previous Olympics if the government increases its financial support. We need the cooperation of all the sports Federations to achieve our goal in Ghana and France.”
 
Accra, Kumasi, and Cape Coast are the cities that will host the upcoming All-African Games in Ghana.
 
Nigeria last won gold in the Olympics Games in 1996 through Chioma  Ajunwa in the Long Jump event.
 

Gara Gombe vows to revive athletics

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Newly appointed Gombe state athletics boss Promises new programs

 

 

Gara Gombe commits to new dawn in state athletics - TheNicheGara-Gombe

 

 

 

By Rasheed Adewuyi 

 

 

Chairman of the Gombe State Amateur Athletics Association, Alhaji Ahmed Shuaibu-Gara Gombe, has vowed a complete turnaround for athletics under his watch in Gombe State.

 

Gombe, who recently resumed duty as the State’s athletics boss, said programs had been drawn and are awaiting implementation, adding that the programs ranged from coaches training, athletes camping, and competitions.

 

Gombe said, “When I took over the association a month ago, nothing was on the ground. Only two qualified athletics coaches were available, signifying that there was so much to be done. Help is needed to upgrade the status of athletics in our State.

 

“It’s not going to be easy as more technical support would be required. What we witnessed regarding Gombe State’s performance at the Delta 2022 Sports Festival is nothing to write home about.”

 

 

Gombe, however, assured that the State’s athletics would witness a positive renaissance that would shock many enthusiasts shortly.

 

 

The former Gombe State Football Association boss admitted that he is new in athletics but said he would consult widely to actualize positive development for sports in the State.

 

 

“We are studying our latest performance in Delta and would introduce and correct many things, including training, re-training, short and long-term camping, and talent hunt through school and inter-local government competitions, among others. It’s a fact that my plans would require funds for implementation, but I am determined to harness efforts at sourcing the funds in the belief that a good program attracts funding,” Gombe said.

 

 

“It’s achievable, and the people would see Gombe AthIetics Association in a new way by the Ogun State Sports Festival gets underway in 2024.

“I will be open to good ideas from athletics experts and liaise with the sporting media to enable the public to keep abreast of developments in the association,” he concluded.

Morocco threatens to boycott CHAN Championship

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Morocco Football Federation asks for a direct flight from Rabat to the Algerian city of Constantine

 

 

Title holders Morocco win CHAN cup for the second time

Two-time champions threaten boycott of games

 

By Rasheed Adewuyi 

 

 

After a brilliant performance at the recently concluded 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Morocco is threatening to boycott the African Nations Championship in Algeria next month.

 

In a letter to the African Union, the Moroccon Football Federation says the Atlas Lions will only participate in the competition if there’s a direct flight from Rabat to the Algerian city of Constantine, where Morocco is scheduled to play its matches.

 

Reports say Moroccan military and commercial aircraft have been banned from Algeria airspace.

 

According to African News, both countries are involved in a diplomatic dispute over the western Sahara; a territory Morocco annexed in 1975 and in which Algeria-backed Sahraawis have long asked to be independent.

 

 

The Sahrawi, or Saharawi people, are an ethnic group and nation native to the western part of the Sahara desert, which includes Western Sahara, southern Morocco, much of Mauritania, and along the southwestern border of Algeria. They are of mixed Berber, Arab, and Black African descent.

 

As of filling this report, the Algerian government has not responded to the Moroccon direct access.

 

The African Nations Championship, which kicks off on January 13 and ends on February 4, is organized for home-based African players.

 

Morocco is scheduled to play against Sudan, Madagascar, and Ghana in the group stage.

‘Confidence is very low at Leicester City’

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But Wilfred Ndidi still believes his team has the character to survive their battle with relegation

 

Leicester City 4-0 Newcastle United highlights – Rodgers' verdict as City finally keep clean sheet in big win - Leicestershire LiveNewcastle United’s Joelinton left) and Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi battle for the ball during the Premier League match at St James’ Park, Newcastle Stock Photo

 

By Rasheed Adewuyi

 

Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has admitted that confidence has generally been low at Leicester City FC since August’s start of the 2022-23 season.
 
Leicester City currently occupies the 13th position with 17 points from sixteen matches and is five points above the relegation zone. This position is far below what they achieved last year’s Christmas. They also lost 0-3 at home to Newcastle United on Monday.
 
Ndidi told Leicester FC TV that Brenden Rogers and his assistants are working on fixing the problem, adding that the players are also ready to help the technical crew put things right.
 
“The results we are getting now are not the kind we wanted. We are trying our best to increase the team’s confidence level. I’m sure that we’ll regain our confidence with time,” he said.
 
“To be honest, we have not been ourselves this season. We need to raise our game.”
 
The former Genk FC of  Belgium midfielder stressed that injuries sustained by key players and lack of transfer activity by the Foxes management are also responsible for the team’s dismal performances in all competitions.
 
Leicester City has conceded  22 goals, which is one of the worst defensive records the league has seen in a while. The side has given up their leads during winnable games due to complacency.
 
Southampton FC is currently at the bottom of the Premier League with 12 points from sixteen matches. Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers are ahead of Southampton with 13 points each from the same number of games.
 
Leicester placed eighth with 52 points from 38 matches last season.

Former NBBL MVP gives back to the league

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Names the tournament’s MVP award after his late father

 

Former Nigeria International Edem Launches Lucrative Invitational  Basketball Championship in honour of Late Father - Radio Nigeria LagosLouis Edem basketball tournament, Lagos, Nigeria, February 2023

 

 

By Rasheed Adewuyi 

 

Two-time Nigerian basketball league most valuable player Louis Edem Ekpenyong is set to host an elite national basketball championship from February 7-11th, 2023, in honor of his father, who passed during the COVID pandemic in 2020.

 

The tournament is set to feature 8 Premier league teams from across Nigeria competing for the grand price of 2 million Naira, with the runners-up going home with 1 million Naira and the tournament MVP award named after his father, engineer Francis Ekpenyong going home with a 100,000 Naira cash reward.

 

Edem, now an Information Technology Engineer in Maryland, United States, in high praise of his dad, said the tournament is to honor his father, Engineer Ekpenyong, for his role in his life.

 

Edem said, “He played a major role in who I am today.”

 

“I don’t pay tithes to any church, so this is my tithe. I am giving back to the basketball community, which I love and care about, and to do this in honor of my father means everything to me”.

 

The one-time West African university league MVP and two-time Nigeria, Basketball League MVP started his professional career in 1998, when he debuted for Kada stars of Kaduna in the then 7up Premier League. He later played for Jigawa Rocks in 2000, then Yelwa Hawks of Bauchi from 2001 to 2003, before joining Union Bank basketball club in 2004 till 2006, where he took his talents off the shores of Nigeria to play in international leagues across the globe.

 

The tournament will be hosted at the national stadium, Surulere, Lagos, and is expected to be engaging and richly rewarding for the basketball community in Nigeria.

 

Gombe Athletics boss rewards Athletics stars

Says that wrappers and brocade materials are rewards for an ”overall performance at the sports festival that was not encouraging”

 

 

May be an image of 1 personAlhaji Ahmed Shuaibu-Gara Gombe

 

By Rasheed Adewuyi 

 

Chairman of the Gombe State Amateur Athletics Association, Alhaji Ahmed Shuaibu-Gara Gombe, has distributed clothing materials to the athletes representing the state at the recent National Sports Festival held in Asaba, Delta State.

 

 

The gifts came in bundles of wrappers and brocade materials in what the state’s athletics boss described as a token of appreciation for the athletes’ effort at the bi-annual festival.

 

 

Gombe, represented by the association’s Technical Adviser, Prince Simon Ayuba, said the athletes should resume camping after the new year to commence preparation for the next festival to be held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, in 2024.

 

 

“I am proud of you, even though your overall performance at the sports festival was not encouraging enough. But I see prospects in all of you, and I am willing to help us achieve success in subsequent competitions,” the chairman told the athletes.

 

 

The Gombe State Sports Commission inaugurated Gombe and 23 other association chairpersons and board members about three weeks before the Asaba festival. The athletics boss said he would not take responsibility for whatever outing the athletes got from the festival but would lay a solid foundation for future performance afterward.

 

 

“I am fully committed to my words and will unfold my comprehensive program for the athletes ahead of the future,” he said.

Reactions to Mandy Rose’s WWE release

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Mandy Rose Calls Roxanne Perez “Amazing” After WWE NXT Release

 

 

Mandy Rose

 

 

There’s nothing but love between Mandy Rose and NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez despite their title match earlier this month, Thomas Lowson writes for EWRESTLINGNEWS.

 

 

After winning the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge, Perez dethroned Rose on the December 13th episode of WWE NXT, ending Mandy’s 413-day reign.

 

 

A day later, Rose was released from WWE due to the nature of the content shared with subscribers of her website.

 

 

Reacting to recent positive comments made by Perez, Rose said that she loves the new champion, calling her amazing.

 

 

Rose reportedly made half a million dollars within the first week of her release from WWE NXT.

 

 

It is believed she is waiting out a 90-day non-compete clause.

 

 

Freddie Prinze Jr. Claims Mandy Rose’s WWE Release Might Be Triple H’s First Blunder

 

 

Mandy Rose

 

 

On December 14, WWE released Mandy Rose from her contract due to some suggestive FanTime content, Saptarshi Sinha reports for EWRESTLINGNEWS.

 

 

WWE found itself in a tough position based on the adult content Rose was posting on her FanTime page, as it was outside the parameters of her deal with the company.

 

 

On the latest episode of his “Wrestling With Freddie” podcast, Freddie Prinze Jr. claimed that Rose’s unceremonious WWE exit might be the first blunder under Triple H’s regime.

 

 

He said, In what I think might be the first fumble Triple H has had, they released Mandy Rose, the NXT Champion. And if you aren’t familiar with her, she rules. She’s awesome; she’s been the champ for over a year. She’s drop-dead gorgeous, she can talk on the mic a bit… and NXT, the crowd, there welcomed her with open arms when — I don’t want to say it’s a demotion to go from the main roster to NXT, because I think most of the time these wrestlers now are trying to help out the NXT roster. Because a lot of them came from the NXT roster.

 

 

So I don’t know if the people you’re hiring who you define, the company defines, as subcontractors — meaning they are not employees of the WWE. That’s how they get away with not paying for insurance for these wrestlers. That’s why all professional wrestlers must carry their insurance before WWE even looks at them. Like, there’s some crazy stuff there that is not cool.

 

 

Rose dropped the NXT Women’s Championship to Roxanne Perez the night before her release.

It was reported that although WWE had caught her off guard with the release, Rose was in good spirits at the NXT show immediately following her departure from the company.

 

 

Prinze acknowledged that Rose’s FanTime earnings eclipsed her WWE paycheck.

 

 

He said, They let her go, and I’m sure that’s why. And it was rumored she was making over $200K a month on that, which is way more than WWE is paying her. So while I’m sure she is disappointed and was probably — well, maybe shocked, maybe not. Maybe she knew what she was posting could cost her her job. But when the money’s that good, it’s like, ‘What am I going to do? I mean, I have to have a life after wrestling.’ And fitness is one of her big things. I’m telling you all, leg day, every day.”

 

 

Rose’s representative, Malki Kawa, noted that her client has made over $500,000 from her FanTime page following her WWE release on December 14.

 

 

Kawa also predicted that Mandy would be a “self-made millionaire” by Christmas.

 

 

Following her WWE release, Rose raised the price of her FanTime subscription from $25 to $40.

 

 

Before signing off, Prinze touched on Mandy’s potential future in the pro wrestling business.

 

 

He said, So they let her go, and I guess in 90 days, she will be a free agent and able to wrestle wherever she wants. Although I’m sure, they said, ‘We’ll keep the door open.’ But that means, ‘Yeah, if you give us our cut. If we get 10 or 20% of whatever you pull in a month because we made you, then yeah, come on back.’ And I’m sure they asked that, and she said, ‘Go to hell, I’m not giving you a dime of this money.’ We wish you well, Mandy Rose. You’ll be picked up on Day 91 as soon as your no-compete clause is released.

 

 

Madusa Slams WWE For Double Standards Regarding Mandy Rose’s Release

 

 

Madusa

 

 

On December 14th, WWE released Mandy Rose from her contract due to some risque FanTime content, Saptarshi Sinha reports for EWRESTLINGNEWS.

 

 

WWE found itself in a challenging position based on the adult content Rose was posting on her FanTime page, as it was outside the parameters of her deal with the company.

 

While speaking on the Wrestling Perspective Podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Madusa weighed in on Rose’s untimely departure from the promotion.

 

 

She said, “That question is brought up a lot; everyone has their reasoning, their own decisions, and we are a product of our actions, let’s put it that way. Even with times changing, if Mandy chose to be a pro wrestler, sign with WWE, and get a second chance by going to NXT and reinventing herself, she just ignited. She came into her own. She was doing so well, and it was so beautiful to see. She and I get along great, and I feel that if you’re under contract, you know the rules. If you want to try to push the envelope, you know what the ramifications are.

 

 

“I’m not saying what she chose to do was wrong for Mandy, but perhaps maybe wrong for the contract. If you know you’re signing into a contract and signing with a company with these rules and regulations of what you can and can’t do, then you should know the rules. On the other hand, with her fan page. I think it’s great to have side hustles. However, if you’re under a contract that owns your likeness, even though you’re using a different name, and you’re being presented in that way where it has effects on what you’re doing, a company has every right to, you know, have a standoff meeting and probably communicate with you once or twice, and then do what they need to do, or is it a double standard.”

 

 

“I’m just saying, men in general with this business, it still happens today, can get hung out by their balls sack and still get a second chance. If she got a warning, she continued to do it, and then she got fired, then shame on her. If you’re under contract, business is business. You know what you’re getting into, period, unless she wanted to f it up, take her hiatus and go somewhere else, then that was her choice. We don’t know that. I don’t know that. You don’t know that.”

 

 

Malki Kawa, who acts as the representative of Rose, projected that her client would become a self-made millionaire by Christmas, judging by the $500,000 the Golden Goddess had earned from FanTime immediately after her release.

 

 

Madusa continued, “I think things still need to be changed. If it was a double standard, if there was no warning for her, guys get warnings in this business, and they’re still employed there, which is unfortunate.”

 

 

Rose was a contestant in the sixth season of WWE Tough Enough. Following the season finale, Rose signed a five-year contract with WWE.

 

 

Rose dropped the NXT Women’s Championship to Roxanne Perez the night before her WWE release.

 

 

Rose raised the price of her FanTime subscription from $25 to $40 after being shown the door by WWE.

 

Madusa discussed the adult nature of Mandy’s premium FanTme content and wondered if WWE had given her warnings before her release.

 

 

Madusa said that WWE should be held liable for double standards in case the promotion had not communicated the matter with Rose before her firing. She said,

Inside sports entertainment

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The non-spoiler lineup for tonight’s WWE

 

 

 

The lineup for tonight’s episode of WWE NXT in Orlando, Florida, at the Capitol Wrestling Center on the USA Network is here, Andrew Ravens reports for EWRESTLINGNEWS.

 

*WWE NXT North American Champion Wes Lee vs. Tony D’Angelo (with Channing “Stacks” Lorenzo)

 

*The first-ever Drew Gulak Invitational.

 

*Fallon Henley vs. Kiana James in a Battle for the Bar.

 

*Lyra Valkyria vs. Lash Legend.

 

*The Schism’s Joe Gacy & Rip Fowler & Jagger Reid with Ava Raine vs. Odyssey Jones & Edris Enofe & Malik Blade.

 

*Wendy Choo vs. Cora Jade.

 

*Scrypts vs. Ikemen Jiro.

 

*Julius Creed (with Brutus Creed) vs. JD McDonagh.

 

 

Ex-WWE Superstar EJ Nduka Claims He Reminded Triple H Of The Rock

 

 

EJ Nudka

EJ Nduka

 

 

EJ Nduka didn’t make it far in the world of WWE, but he did leave the promotion with some huge praise from Triple H; Thomas Lowson writes for EWRESTLINGNEWS.

 

 

Nduka received a tryout with WWE in December 2018 and was signed in August 2019, but was released from the promotion in May 2021.

 

 

Speaking to Grapsody, Nduka said he was inspired by The Rock and received a major compliment from WWE’s King of Kings during a commercial shoot.

 

 

He said, “Hunter said to me one day, I was shooting a commercial, it was a pilot for FOX, we were in Tampa, and everyone was up there; Stephanie (McMahon), Hunter [Triple H], Vince (McMahon), I’m in the ring, we’re sharing stories and talking about what we’re going to do for the commercial. I’m chopping it up with H, and he said, ‘You remind me a lot of DJ [Dwayne Johnson].’

 

 

I’m having the conversation, and I’m just enamored being able to talk to H because talking to Hunter is big. Midway through the conversation, it clicked with me, ‘He said DJ; he’s talking about Dwayne.’ He goes, ‘The moniker he has, the hardest worker in the room, I always hear that when your name gets brought up.

 

 

Nduka is currently in his first reign as an MLW World Tag Team Champion, a title he has held since April of this year with Calvin Tankman.