Sports

2021 V/ball Nations Cup: Nigeria qualify for Q/finals after 16 years

Published

4 years ago

September 10, 2021

Joel Ajayi

Nigeria breaks 16 years jinks by qualifying for the quarterfinals of the ongoing 2021 African Men’s Senior Volleyball Nations Championship in Rwanda.

Usman Abdallah’s men dug deep to defeat Ethiopia 3-1 (25-20, 25-12, 32-34, 25-17) in their last match of Pool B.

An elated head coach of Nigeria men’s team, Usman Abdallah expressed satisfaction with his team’s display against the Ethiopia and he is now aiming to spring up a surprise in the quarterfinals.

“It was a good performance from the team today, we played really well though it was a tough game from the Ethiopians,” Abdallah said after the game.

“I am happy we could deal with the danger they posed in the first set but they became more determined in the 3rd set where they eventually won by 34-32 points”.

Abdallah said Nigeria wants to better her position in this year’s Nation’s Championship.
In 2019, Nigeria was missing at the African Nations Championship due to unseen circumstances; in 2017, we finished 13th position which was very poor. This time around, Nigeria wants to make a statement at this year’s edition”.

Nigeria will battle Cameroon in their quarterfinal match at the Kigali Arena on Saturday by 4pm.

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Sports

No crisis in NAWIS ahead of AFN elections on Monday

Published

13 hours ago

June 8, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Association of Nigerian Women in Sports (NAWIS), known for its orderliness since its establishment in 1990, continues to uphold its standards ahead of the upcoming Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) elections.

With members across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, NAWIS has consistently operated without external interference.

Over the years, its members have been nominated to various boards of national sports federations after meeting established criteria, including the payment of annual dues.

The association has attracted a strong base of respected sportswomen who have served the country with distinction, both during and after their active careers.

In preparation for the AFN elections, zonal elections were conducted on June 2 and 3, producing representatives for the national exercise.

While NAWIS initially planned to hold its election in Zaria, Kaduna State, the association’s headquarters, it was later rescheduled for Abuja on Monday, June 9, following directives from higher authorities.

Importantly, NAWIS has a set of strict guidelines that govern its electoral process, particularly the requirement for timely payment of annual dues. Failure to meet this condition results in automatic disqualification.

This guideline was the basis for the disqualification of Maria Wophil, who has reportedly not paid her annual dues since 2017. Her attempt to hurriedly settle outstanding debts just before the election was deemed non-compliant with NAWIS regulations.

Who is Fatima Yusuf-Olukoju?

Commonwealth gold medallist Fatima Yusuf-Olukoju is one of the leading contenders for the NAWIS representative position in the AFN.

She made history as the first African woman to run the 400m in under 50 seconds and brought glory to Nigeria by winning a silver medal in the 4x400m relay at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.

Yusuf-Olukoju also claimed gold in the 400m at the 1991 All-Africa Games and silver in the 200m.

Based on nominations and her track record, Yusuf-Olukoju is considered the most qualified candidate. However, three other contenders have also shown interest, and the final decision will be made in the election slated for Monday, June 9, in Abuja.

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