Daybreak, Politics, Entertainment, Sport

Tag: Sports

  • 2025 World Relays: Chinese Embassy Refutes Claims of Visa Delays for Nigerian Contingent

    2025 World Relays: Chinese Embassy Refutes Claims of Visa Delays for Nigerian Contingent

    The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria has denied allegations of involvement in the Nigerian contingent’s inability to participate in the 2025 World Relays in Guangzhou, China, due to visa processing delays.

    In a statement, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) announced the country’s withdrawal from the event, attributing the decision to delays in visa issuance by the Chinese Embassy.

    However, the embassy, in a response issued on Saturday, described the AFN’s claims as inconsistent with the facts, asserting that it provided timely and comprehensive assistance to the Nigerian applicants, completing visa issuance within two days.

    According to the embassy, it received a letter from the National Sports Commission on April 24, 2025, requesting support for visa processing for Nigerian athletes and promptly engaged with the Commission, guiding it to prepare necessary documentation to expedite the application process.

    “The China Visa Application Centre received the athletes’ application materials on May 6, 2025, and immediately activated an expedited procedure, finalising visa issuance within two days,” the statement said.

    The embassy said that visa issuance is a matter of national sovereignty, requiring applicants to submit appropriate documents and allow sufficient processing time, which is standard practice for all foreign embassies.

    It reiterated its commitment to fostering people-to-people and sports cooperation between China and Nigeria, noting its consistent support for Nigerian athletes’ participation in events in China and efficient handling of visa applications.

    “We regret that the Nigerian athletes were unable to participate in the event in China this time, but the AFN’s statement is clearly inconsistent with the facts.

    “The Embassy of China in Nigeria remains dedicated to promoting friendly exchanges between our peoples and will continue to provide support for cooperation in various fields, including sports,” the statement added.

  • FG to address plight of street children through sports — Uwais

    FG to address plight of street children through sports — Uwais

    The Federal Government has identified sports as a potent tool to engage young people and address the plight of vulnerable youth and children across the country.

    Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments, Mrs Maryam Uwais, disclosed this while addressing participants at the opening ceremony of a training programme for coaches on Monday in Abuja.

    The event is a three-day training programme for 20 sports coaches drawn from five states and four nominated by the Federal Government will act as monitors.

    Tagged “Line Up, Live Up training for coaches” (LULU), the programme is being facilitated on the platform of the At-Risk-Children Programme ARC-P, an initiative of the Office of the Vice President.

    States benefiting from the first phase of the training programme are Kaduna, Gombe, Ekiti, Sokoto and Borno.

    It is directly supervised by the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments, with support from the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes ( UNODC).

    LULU aims at empowering sport coaches with the requisite knowledge on life skills to effectively engage out-of-school children and other vulnerable young people to take advantage of new opportunities and become productive.

    The approach is to use the instrument of sports to empower street children across the country, with a view to redirecting them away from crimes such as violence, crime, drug abuse, drug trade, human trafficking,  among others

    Uwais said the coaching course was one of the many interventions of the ARC-P initiative of the Federal Government geared towards addressing the cross-cutting concerns of children at risk, thereby providing them with a life of dignity.

    She lamented the plight of out-of-school youth and children, who were in huge numbers across the country.

    Uwais urged the participants to take the training seriously and use the knowledge gained to assist the government in its efforts to give a new lease of life to vulnerable children and youth in the country.

    “I know it is not going to be an easy task for you to shoulder this responsibility because most of the youth you will be engaging with are going to be angry and disruptive because of the conditions in which they have found themselves.

    “We all have a responsibility to support them by making sure they are brought into a constructive and productive pathway.

    “I plead with you to be strong and firm in supporting us in this effort.”

    The special adviser thanked all partners of ARC-P,  including UNODC, for their support in ongoing efforts by the Nigerian government to assist vulnerable youth and children in the country.

    She added that educated but unemployed young Nigerians, including youth corps members, would be engaged and trained to drive the programme to achieve set objectives.

    “The first thing we realise is that these street children are in such large numbers and they are likely to overwhelm state structures. We are hoping to get young people who are educated but unemployed to help us on this journey.

    “Once we train them to look after the children and they are able to mentor those of them that are in need, especially in aspects such as trauma and substance abuse, we will be able to support them through the primary healthcare development agencies and state medical systems.

    “They will also be guided to remain in school or encouraged to work in cooperatives, for those who choose to become entrepreneurs.

    “Many of them need to be aware of skills they can develop if they don’t already have them.

    “So, we are here to give them options that they can validate and develop;  I am appealing to you to be patient and support these beneficiaries to acquire life-skills, thereby enabling them to take ownership of their lives,” she said.

    The training programme is expected to end on Thursday as participants are expected to make the needed impact on the lives of those they are being trained to support in their respective states

  • Kwara LG Sports Coordinators urge Sports Director to revive school sports

    Kwara LG Sports Coordinators urge Sports Director to revive school sports

    Association of Local Government Area Sports Coordinators has called for the revival of School Sports Festival in Kwara state for primary and junior secondary schools to enhance grassroots sports development.

    The association made the call during a courtesy visit to the new Director of Sports, Coach Ibrahim Atanda, in his office at the Kwara State Sports Council on Thursday.

    Chairman of the association, Dapo Ayilara (Ifelodun Local Government), congratulated Atanda on his appointment and prayed Almighty Allah to grant him wisdom and knowledge to pilot the affairs of the council.

    He said the athletes, when discovered early, would rise to become world champions in their chosen sport.

    Responding, Atanda commended the association for its support.

    He thanked the state Governor, Malam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for the opportunity given to him and promised to do all within his powers to move sports forward in the state.

    He also commended the governor for the distribution of sports equipment to selected secondary schools in the state, a move he said would encourage grassroots sports development.

    Atanda said that 65 per cent of participants at the Kwara State Sports Festival were students, pointing out that the importance of the local government area sports coordinators could not be overemphasised.

    He charged them to be more pro-active in their respective areas and not rely on ready-made athletes pledging the council’s technical support to them.

    Among the coordinators who were part of the visit done in compliance with Civid-19 protocols were those from Ilorin South, Ekiti, Asa and Ilorin West.

    Others were from Oke-Ero, Ilorin West, Oyun, Irepodun, and Moro.

    Also on Thursday, some members of the Kwara Baseball and Softball Association, led by Coach Jide Abidoye and selected members of Kwara United Football Supporters Club, led by the Chairman, Alhaji Imam Moshood, paid the Director a courtesy visit.(NAN)

  • COVID19: Gaya lauds Sports Ministry on suspension of sports activities

    COVID19: Gaya lauds Sports Ministry on suspension of sports activities

    Godfrey Gaya, former Chairman, House Committee on Sports, has lauded the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development on the suspension of all sporting activities in Nigeria due to Coronavirus scare.

    Gaya told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja that it was a right decision considering the effect of the disease on the nation.

    “Coronavirus is real and its affecting human lives, so it is important that the government take steps to reduce the spread.

    “Sporting activities is a gathering of so many people and at this point we are told to avoid crowdy places and reduce physical contact, so the suspension is in the interest of the country,” he said.

    The 20th National Sports Festival scheduled to begin on Sunday in Edo was also postponed due to COVID-19 fears. (NAN)

  • Envoys advocate use of sports for gender equality, empowerment

    Envoys advocate use of sports for gender equality, empowerment

    Officials from both the British High Commission and the U.S. Embassy on Thursday called for the use of sports to empower women and create gender equality in all spheres of life.

    The acting British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Moon, said sports was a veritable tool to promote gender equality aside from the various international legislation.

    Moon spoke on the sidelines of the Generation Equality Football Competition to commemorate the 2020 International Women’s Day.

    “Today is a day to have fun and watch the women play football, but there is a deeper political purpose behind these activities.

    “The UK is absolutely committed to identifying more women in sports as part of a wider agenda to promote women and gender equality,” Moon said.

    He said the UK would be collaborating more with the Nigerian government to promote women in all sectors, including politics, education and sports.

    Similarly, the Chargè d Affaires, U.S Embassy in Nigeria, Kathleen FitzGibbon, while speaking at the same event said gender equality was critical to having an egalitarian society.

    She said sports was one of the ways of promoting gender equality and the U.S. was committed to women sports right from the early age.

    The six-team women competition was won by Team Helpline Foundation which defeated Team NUJ 2-0 in the final.

    Earlier, Team U.S. had beaten their British High Commission (BHC) counterparts by the same scoreline to emerge third.

    The football competition was organised by FAME Foundation as part of activities to commemorate the 2020 International Women’s Day.(NAN)

  • Sports, education crucial for girl-child’s devt.–YEF

    Sports, education crucial for girl-child’s devt.–YEF

    Iwalola Akinjimoh, the Executive Secretary, Youth Empowerment  Foundation (YEF), says sports and education are crucial in the development of the girl-child.

    Akinjimoh told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Thursday that sports and education complement each other.

    “Education to us at YEF is very important most especially in the South West. School is serious business and the girl-child can be in school and as well be involved in sports.

    “Being in school and indulging in sports complement one another very well,’’ she said.

    YEF is a youth-focused, non-profit organisation.

    YEF also addresses the needs of young girls by building their capacities through training on life skills, leadership development and reproductive health.

    Akinjimoh said YEF had established two grassroots academies for young girls in the area of football and vocational training.

    “Our girls participated in the Aiteo competition by representing Oyo State and they came first.

    “We hope that with the training they will encourage their peers and form a resource group for each other.

    “We promote martial arts training in two geopolitical zones in the country through direct engagement of coaches and mentors.

    “This is used as a tool for self control, self discipline, time management and conflict prevention,’’ she added. (NAN)

  • Private sector needs to take over sponsorship of sports in Nigeria, Edo Dep. Gov. says

    Private sector needs to take over sponsorship of sports in Nigeria, Edo Dep. Gov. says

    The Edo Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, on Tuesday in Benin urged the private sector in Nigeria to take over the sponsorship of sports in the country.

    Shaibu, while declaring open the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) 2020 Annual General Meeting (AGM), said government cannot continue doing it alone.

    “The private sector must come and drive sports in Nigeria. It must come and advertise products through sports. Our sports needs urgent attention to compete with the leagues in Europe, as well as in athletics.

    “For us in Edo, we are ready to collaborate with the private sector so as to move sports activities to a greater height.

    “Government alone cannot run sports. Government alone cannot do it, we need the private sector to help drive our sports economy,” he said.

    The Edo deputy governor noted that football would keep the young ones in the country busy.

    “It is being used to preach against their wanting to go abroad and be used as women traffickers and for other social vices in our society,” he said.

    Speaking also, the Chairperson of NWFL, Aisha Falode, thanked Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo and Shaibu for their open demonstration of love for women football in Nigeria.

    Falode said the state-owned Edo Queens Football Club is the only club known in Nigeria and Africa where the players earn the same pay as their male counterparts (in Bendel Insurance FC).

    She called on other clubs to emulate this step taken by Edo Government.

    Falode also urged the Edo government to help the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in celebrating 30 years of women football in Nigeria and by extension Africa.

    In a goodwill message, Emmanuel Ibah, the representatives of the NFF leadership at the event, lauded the Edo Government for its contributions toward sports in the country.

    Ibah commended Gov. Obaseki for the massive reconstruction work of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin.

    He appealed for proper funding of the national female league, noting that good sponsors would make the women league a robust one in Africa.(NAN)

  • NGO seeks to empower out-of-school girls, physically-challenged through sports, education

    NGO seeks to empower out-of-school girls, physically-challenged through sports, education

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Additional Plus Sports and Education Initiative (APSE), on Wednesday said it would empower not less than 60 out-of-school girls, women and physically-challenged through sports.

    The Executive Director of APSE, Oluwaseun Narwoh, while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, bemoaned the high rate of out-of-school girls in the country.

    Narwoh, who spoke on the sidelines of the organisation’s programme aimed at empowering young girls, women and the physically-challenged, urged for an urgent redress.

    APSE is a non-profit organisation with the objectives of empowering young girls and women, including those with disabilities.

    “APSE shall be empowering 60 participants and this is specifically for young people between ages 6 and 11 in the Mowe area of Ogun, and this empowerment is hinged on harnessing hidden potential through sports and education.

    “We also want to create communal unity through leisure experience which will serve as an empowerment scheme towards the discovery and nurturing of identified talents for a more gratifying future.

    “It will be an avenue for the participants to be gainfully involved and engaged at their formative stage, since sports is a laboratory for talent and character-building necessary for any national advancement,’’ the APSE executive director said.

    She added that the scheme was for the exclusive intention of promoting diversity and social justice through the APSE Academy.

    Narwoh then disclosed that APSE would on Saturday hold a programme tagged “Awaken the Giant 1.0 Challenge’’ at the Eminent Kids Montessori School in Mowe.

    She said the organisation’s pet project was a start-up innovation programme for the development of young girls through the introduction of sports and Reading Club at the grassroots across Nigeria.

    “The management of APSE is launching the programme in Mowe in partnership with Eminent Kids Montessori School owing to the fact that there is no existence of sports there presently.

    “We understand that, worldwide, sports is an unrivaled tool that transcends all geographical barriers, age, ethnicity and social status.

    “The idea was borne out of the need to promote mass participation of young girls in sports and education, since sports provides hope where there seems to be none.

    “Also, education provides knowledge which is power,’’ Narwoh said.

    She said the vision of the NGO was to improve the orientation of girls on how they could sustain their education alongside their engagement in sports activities.

    “The vision of the clinic is to establish and sustain sports and reading club in local communities, and the mission is a continuous process of grooming participants in various sports.

    “So, we have sports such as table tennis, basketball, scrabble, football and athletics, with the aim of grooming the young ones to stardom through an exposure to state, national and global opportunities.

    “Having attended the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime workshop organised for civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria, the resource materials shared on Doha Declaration on Education for Justice (E4J) Initiative tools shall be used in sustaining the reading club.

    “Along the line, this will help in promoting the culture of lawfulness amongst young people in Nigeria,” the APSE official said.(NAN)

  • NESG, ministry call for more synergy between sports and tourism sectors

    NESG, ministry call for more synergy between sports and tourism sectors

    The Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) and Ministry of Youths and Sports Development on Tuesday called for more synergy between the sports and tourism sectors to boost the necessary infrastructure development.

    The call was made at the NESG and Ministry of Youths and Sports Development Partnership Forum for a robust deliberation and recommendations on sports development in the country.

    The stakeholders forum tagged “Sports Industry Stakeholders Engagement Session Agenda” was held at the NESG headquarters in Lagos.

    It had sports administrators, ministry officials, private and public sector officials and other sports investors in attendance.

    Some contributors at the forum called for the development of indigenous sports activities, such as Argungu Festival which could be turned to fishing competition and Durban Festival, aside others.

    They also called for the hosting of more international tournaments as a means of upgrading and providing more infrastructure in the country.

    The forum equally called for a redesigning of sports facilities to multi-purpose facilities to allow for other programmes when sports are not ongoing in them.

    There was also a call for more community-based sports activities in the local government areas to engage the youths at the grassroots.

    The former Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), and the Head, Sports Policy Group, Kweku Tandoh, called for more synergy between the tourism and sports industries.

    He said this would allow for a symbiotic relationship to fast track infrastructure development.

    Tandoh submmited that sports and tourism collaborations would engender a seamless bidding for major competitions and tournaments.

    “There should be a lot of synergy between sports and tourism. In fact, there should be a sports desk in tourism industry and same should also be replicated in the sports industry.

    “It is only through tourism and sports that our youths can be well engaged. When bidding for tournaments, there should be a tourism development consideration as part of the bid.

    “The bid for tournaments encompasses knowing how much the hospitality sector can also accommodate the number of those coming. This includes, hotels, cinemas and others.

    “The Sydney Olympics organisers were the first to declare profit after the Games, because they tagged it alongside tourism development and their nationals were well ready for it,” he said.

    Tandoh noted that Australia had the highest post-event returns after the Sydney Olympics because of the appreciation of the country’s tourism agenda.

    “Australia has the highest number of post-event returns to their country after the Sydney Olympics because the country was able to fuse tourism and sports.

    “The government of Australia did a lot of sensitisation for the citizens on the expectations from the tournament and the high return on investment expected from the Games.

    “The Australian government has been preparing the minds of the people for more than two years before the event, because they saw the need to have hospitality aspect.

    “There is a need to have us, as a country, take a look at that template so as to develop our tourism sector together with sports for growth and development,” he said.

    Another contributor, Deji Omotoyinbo, called for good content from various sports associations and federations so that their various competitions would receive the right sponsorships needed.(NAN)

  • Factbox: Sports events affected due to coronavirus epidemic

    Factbox: Sports events affected due to coronavirus epidemic

    The following is a list of international sports events affected by the coronavirus.

    It has killed over 1,000 people and infected more than 42,000 in China after it first emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province, late last year:

    ATHLETICS
    * The World Athletics Indoor Championships, which had been scheduled for Nanjing from March 13 to March 15, were postponed until next year.

    World Athletics is working with organisers to settle on a date to host the biennial event in 2021.

    * The Asian Athletics Association cancelled its Wednesday to Thursday indoor championships in Hangzhou.

    FOOTBALL
    * Asian Champions League matches involving Chinese clubs Guangzhou Evergrande, Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai SIPG have been postponed.

    Guangzhou and the Shanghai clubs will join the competition in April, with their group matches due to be played in May.

    Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai SIPG were due to play away at Perth Glory and Sydney FC but Australian officials sought to reschedule the matches.

    This was after their government imposed a travel ban on foreign nationals arriving from China.

    * A four-team women’s Olympic qualifying tournament involving China, Australia, Taiwan and Thailand was moved from Wuhan and rearranged to be held in Australia by the AFC.

    * Vietnam’s government said it would not allow the country to host sports events in February.

    This means home AFC Cup group stage matches for Ho Chi Minh City and Than Quang Ninh will have to be switched to away fixtures.

    Ho Chi Minh City will now face Yangon United in Myanmar on Tuesday while Than Quang Ninh meet Ceres Negros on Feb. 25 in the Philippines.

    * The Chinese Football Association said domestic games at all levels would be postponed.

    FORMULA E
    * The all-electric Formula E motor racing series abandoned plans for a race in Sanya on March 21.

    The move puts Formula One in the spotlight, with Shanghai due to host the Chinese Grand Prix on April 19.

    TENNIS
    * The International Tennis Federation moved the Fed Cup Asia/Oceania Group I event featuring China, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea and Uzbekistan out of Dongguan to Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana) in Kazakhstan.

    But the Feb. 4 to Feb. 8 event was later postponed after Kazakhstan declined to serve as substitute hosts.

    BADMINTON

    * The Feb. 25 to March 1 China Masters tournament in Hainan was postponed after several players withdrew.

    The BWF said it hoped the flagship Badminton Asia Championships could still go ahead in Wuhan from April 21 to April 26.

    * China and Hong Kong were forced to withdraw from the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Manila which holds from Tuesday to Sunday, organisers said.

    BOXING
    * The International Olympic Committee announced Jordan as hosts of the boxing qualifiers for Asia and Oceania after an event in Wuhan was cancelled.

    It will now take place in Amman from March 3 to March 11.

    BASKETBALL
    * The International Basketball Federation moved the Tokyo Olympics qualifiers held in Foshan from last Thursday to Sunday to Belgrade.

    * The FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifying match between China and Malaysia, to be held in Foshan on Feb. 24, will be rescheduled.

    GOLF
    * The elite women’s LPGA golf tour cancelled the March 5 to March 8 Blue Bay tournament to be held on Hainan.

    The tour also cancelled the Honda LPGA Thailand event in Pattaya scheduled for Feb. 20 to Feb. 23 and the Feb. 27 to March 1 HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.

    * The PGA Tour Series-China moved its Feb. 25 to Feb. 28 global qualifying tournament to Lagoi, Indonesia, from Haikou.

    HOCKEY
    * Hockey Pro League matches between China and Australia, scheduled for March 14 and March 15 in Changzhou, will not be played.