Sports
2021 Engineering Games: NSE Abuja defeat NSE Ilorin 2-0 for record fourth successful title
Joel Ajayi
Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) Abuja Branch on Monday defeated NSE Ilorin Branch 2-0 to emerge winners of the 2021 National Engineering Games in Abuja.
Two first half goals from Aslem Okoro and Osas Agbonile were enough to see off the Ilorin-based side and give NSE Abuja Branch side a fourth successive victory in the history of the games.
The defending champions came into the final after walking over NSE Calabar branch in the semi-finals.
NSE Ilorin Branch on the other hand walloped NSE Apapa Branch 5-0 to book a final berth with the defending champions.
The Abuja-based side dominated the first half from the blast of the referee’s whistle and only had to wait 10 minutes later to take the lead through Okoro’s right-footed strike.
Man-of-the-tournament Agbonile who scored a total of five goals in the tournament, doubled the lead in the 21st minute, curling a fine finish into the far corner after a lovely cross which split the opponent’s defence.
The winners pocketed a whopping N500, 000 and the first runners up smiled home with N300, 000, while the second runners up, the NSE Apapa Branch team took home N200, 000.
Douglas Oloton, the Team Manager of NSE Abuja Branch told newsmen after the game that the team’s success was as a result of several months of training and hardwork.
“We are very excited for the victory. We’ve been training week in-week out ahead of the competition and defeated alot of our opponents in the course of the qualifiers to get to this point.
“Incidentally, we had met our opponents in the final in the 2015 edition of the tournament in Ilorin and defeated them by the same margin.
“So, we knew our opponents’ style of play and worked on a perfect strategy to defeat them once again on home soil,” he said.
The President of NSE, Babagana Mohammed told newsmen that the 2021 NSE Games has intoned the association’s drive in fostering fitness and unity among the country’s professionals.
The NSE boss said that the event had indeed fostered unity and promoted healthy living through sporting activities amongst NSE professionals.
“This initiative is aimed at fostering unity amongst the diverse ethnic groups that make up the association.
“Life is not all about work, we have to be healthy and at peace with each other in order to enjoy our hard earned wealth.
“We intend to make this an annual event after the last Games was hosted six years ago.
“We have over 100 competitors from Imo, Calabar, Kaduna, Borno, Gombe, Gusau, Benin, Rivers, Enugu and we hope that when they go back to their respective states, they will commence zonal competitions,” he said.
Margaret Oguntala, an Executive Director of Kenol Nig. Ltd., sponsors of the football tournament said sponsoring the games was part of the company’s Coporate Social Responsibility.
“It feels great to sponsor this tournament as we are satisfying one of the objectives of the company which is Corporate Social Responsibility.
“Also, we thought it was expedient for us to be a part of this as corporate fair members of the NSE as a way of contributing to the development of the games of the NSE.
“The idea of the games was conceived as far back as 2011 and we have been sponsoring it annually. It’s gone round across the country with 86 branches of the NSE taking part in the tournament.
“We also intend to contribute to the development of the country through the sporting sector, as engineers we are geared at building and we take nation building as our core mandate,” she said.
Sports
PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon Splashes Big Prize Money Ahead Of 14 November 2026 Race
Top Three Elite Finishers To Earn $8,000, $6,000 And $5,000 Respectively
The organisers of the highly anticipated PremiumTrust Bank Abuja City International Half Marathon have announced an attractive prize package for athletes across every category ahead of the race on 14 November 2026 in Abuja.
The prize announcement has been welcomed by athletes and coaches, as the event continues to establish itself as one of the leading road races in Nigeria. The race offers local athletes the chance to compete against international runners in front of a home crowd, while also earning meaningful rewards.
In the elite category, first place earns $8,000, second place takes $6,000, third place gets $5,000, fourth place receives $4,000, fifth place goes home with $3,000, sixth place earns $2,000, seventh place takes $1,000, and eighth place gets $500.
In the Nigerian category, first place earns ₦2,000,000, second place takes ₦1,500,000, third place gets ₦1,000,000, fourth place receives ₦500,000, fifth place goes home with ₦300,000, sixth place earns ₦200,000, seventh place takes ₦100,000, and eighth place gets ₦50,000.
According to the organisers, the prize structure reflects the commitment of PremiumTrust Bank to the growth of athletics in Nigeria and to the encouragement of home based athletes. The separate Nigerian category ensures that local runners are properly recognised and rewarded for their performance.
The half marathon, which covers 21 kilometres, remains an important event for long distance runners. It serves as a test of endurance and preparation, and it provides a competitive platform for athletes building towards major national and international competitions.
The race is expected to draw elite athletes, club runners, corporate teams, fitness enthusiasts and supporters from across Nigeria and beyond. The turnout is expected to be high, given the interest already shown since registration opened.
Organisers have advised interested runners to register early through the official registration portal of the race to secure their participation, as arrangements are being put in place for timing, security, medical support and traffic management on race day.
The prize money is now confirmed, attention will shift to the athletes as they complete their final weeks of training and preparations ahead of the race day.
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