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Published

3 years ago

July 27, 2023

Ukraine’s Kharlan disqualified after refusal to shake hands with Russian opponent

Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan has been disqualified after refusing to shake hands with Russian Anna Smirnova at the World Championships in Milan on Thursday.

Kharlan, a four-time Olympic medallist and world champion, won the individual sabre bout 15-7 and then refused to shake hands with her opponent.

Smirnova remained on the piste for over half an hour after the incident, speaking with a number of officials before leaving.

Ukrainian athletes in other sports – including tennis players Elina Svitolina and Marta Kostyuk – have also refused to shake hands with Russian and Belarusian opponents following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with Moscow using Belarus as a staging ground for what it calls a “special military operation”.

In fencing’s rules, shaking an opponent’s hand is mandatory and failure to do so results in a ‘black card’.

“We fully support Olga Kharlan in this situation. We are preparing a protest,” Mykhailo Illiashev, president of Ukraine’s fencing federation (NFFU), said in televised comments.

“We will appeal this decision, because the referee who judged this match did not give directly a black card or disqualify her.

“It was only later that the underhanded games began and this disqualification appeared already after the next opponent was determined, already after a judge for the next competition was determined.”

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ICC U-19 WC Qualifiers: Nigeria Back to winning Ways, beat Tanzania by 42 runs

Toss won by Nigeria and elected to bat first after passionately singing the National Anthem. Not the start Nigeria wanted as 2 wickets fell in 2 overs on 2 runs only. Steady partnership by Damian Okeke and Victor Samuel to see Nigeria finish on 14 runs after 10 overs of Batting power play.

Still under the 50 runs, Nigeria lost 4 more wickets of the top 6 batting order despite building some form or partnership from the 10th over to the 25th. The players still playing with a lot of handbrake made it difficult for the runs to come as Nigeria continued to struggle.

Nigeria finally hit the half century mark after 26 overs. 2 back to back boundaries from Solomon Chilemayan relieved the pressure on the Nigeria bench temporarily as Tanzania continued to bowl spin as they had done from ball one.

Tanzania finally changed to some pace after 33 overs in a bid to break the partnership between Solomon and Sunday Joshua leaving Nigeria with their tournament’s highest score of 78 runs for the loss of 7 wickets after 35 overs.

A priceless 50 runs from Solomon Chilemayan proved to all that this team is capable of playing and Nigeria sat comfortably at 115 runs when Sunday Joshua was stumped out, bringing in Chiemelie Udekwe at Number 10. Basking in confidence, he opened his account with a 6 off long on and a 4 down fine leg. Nigeria eventually finished with 149 all out in 47.4 overs.

Solomon Chilemayan was the star performer with the bat for Nigeria, unbeaten at 66 runs off 80 balls.

Damian Okeke and Ridwan Abdulkareem scored 15 and 16 respectively as the other double figures for Nigeria.

In the second innings, Nigeria decided to play the same script like Tanzania by starting with spin, only that Nigeria rewrote the script even better to leave Tanzania on 43 runs for the loss of 4 wickets after 20 overs.

Tanzania slowly started building a partnership but Joshua Asia was having none of it as he took the 5th wicket with Tanzania on 49 runs midway in the innings.

Nigeria took the 6th wicket off the bowling of Damian Okeke in the 29th over with Tanzania in all sorts of trouble. Relief in the faces of the Nigeria coaching crew and smiles from the supporters as the team looked familiar once again.

At the end of 35 overs, Tanzania were 78 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. The game pretty much went the same way till the 40th overs with Tanzania needing just 6.4 runs per over to win the game but would have to do that with 2 wickets.

Nigeria introduced medium pacer Izuchukwu in the 42nd over to change things a bit but unfazed by it, Tanzania continued to grind and picking up a couple of boundaries in the process.

At 9 wickets for 98 runs in 44 overs, it was a matter of time before Nigeria tasted their 1st victory. In the end, Chiemelie signed off with the last wicket which meant Nigeria restricting Tanzania to a decent score of 107 all out in 48 overs.

Solomon Chilemayan was named player of the match..

Nigeria won by 42 runs..

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Eight Athletes, 11 Medals: Applauding Asagba’s Sports Leadership At DELSU

Published

2 weeks ago

October 14, 2026

The Gleamer

By Godspower Odedede

Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, has recorded an impressive outing at the 15th West Africa University Games (WAUG) 2026, winning 11 medals with just eight athletes who represented the university in only three sporting events.

The university won seven gold, two silver and two bronze medals to occupy seventh position on the medal table, an achievement that underscores the potential of its athletes and the importance of purposeful investment in university sports.

DELSU participated in the men’s 100-metre sprint with two athletes, women’s judo with two athletes, and swimming with four male athletes. Despite the limited number of athletes and sporting events, the university’s medal haul was a commendable performance and a source of pride for the institution.

The achievement deserves particular recognition given the restricted scope of DELSU’s participation. With representation in only three sports, the university demonstrated that focused preparation, adequate support and the effective deployment of available talent can produce encouraging results at major university competitions.

A major highlight of DELSU’s preparation for WAUG 2026 was the approval by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Samuel Ogheneovo Asagba, for a quality two-week training programme for the university’s athletes in Asaba.

The camp provided the athletes with an opportunity to prepare using the excellent and up-to-date training facilities available in the state capital.

The initiative is particularly noteworthy as it represents a significant commitment to structured preparation for university sports. Rather than relying solely on athletes’ natural abilities, the training programme recognised the importance of preparation, access to appropriate facilities and institutional investment in performance.

Professor Asagba deserves commendation for this intervention and for demonstrating a willingness to provide practical support for sports development at DELSU. The university’s WAUG performance offers an encouraging indication of what can be achieved when athletes receive purposeful preparation and administrative backing.

The Vice-Chancellor’s broader vision for sports infrastructure is also encouraging. Plans are understood to be underway for the construction of an ultra-modern sports complex for the university in the near future. If delivered as anticipated, the facility could significantly strengthen DELSU’s capacity for athlete development, training, competitions and sports science activities.

Such infrastructure would also support the university’s ambitions to improve its performance at national and international university games. A modern sports complex could provide a foundation for more systematic talent identification, performance monitoring, coaching development and the preparation of athletes across a wider range of sporting events.

Special recognition must also go to Mrs Epebi-Ebi Noah, the swimming coach, who was physically present at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, with the DELSU swimming team during the competition. Her presence and involvement underline the importance of coaching support, technical guidance and close supervision of athletes during major sporting events.

The performance also calls for commendation of the Chairman of the University Sports Committee, Professor Ochuko Nabofa, whose leadership has brought renewed attention and energy to sports development at DELSU. His role in supporting the university’s sports administration and helping to strengthen the sporting environment deserves recognition.

Similarly, the Acting Director of Sports, Peter Omojuwa, deserves commendation for his administrative responsibilities and contribution to the university’s sporting programme. The Chief Coach, Lucky Ajaino, should also be recognised for his role in the technical preparation and development of DELSU athletes.

The combined efforts of the university management, sports committee, sports administrators and coaches are essential to sustaining progress. While medals provide a visible measure of success, the systems established to prepare athletes and support their development are equally important to the long-term growth of university sports.

DELSU’s WAUG achievement follows another notable outing at the last Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA) Games, where the university finished fourth. That result was regarded as one of the finest performances in the institution’s sporting history and strengthened expectations that DELSU could become an even more formidable force in university sports.

The latest WAUG performance provides another reason for optimism. However, the university’s participation in only three events also reveals an opportunity for further growth. Expanding participation across more sports, identifying talented students and improving access to specialised training could help DELSU compete for a higher position on future medal tables.

The proposed sports complex, if realised, could play a central role in this expansion. It should ideally be supported by sustained funding, modern equipment, qualified coaches, athlete welfare programmes and collaboration with relevant sports science professionals. These measures would help ensure that infrastructure investment translates into measurable improvements in performance.

The university could also consider strengthening performance analysis, sports medicine, strength and conditioning, talent identification and systematic monitoring of athletes’ progress. Such an approach would help transform individual successes into a sustainable university-wide sports development programme.

DELSU’s performance at WAUG 2026 is worthy of celebration. Eight athletes competed in just three sporting events and returned with 11 medals, including seven gold. The result reflects the potential within the university and provides a strong basis for building a more ambitious sports programme.

Professor Asagba’s approval of the two-week training camp and the prospect of an ultra-modern sports complex offer reasons to look forward to the next phase of DELSU sports development. The challenge now is to sustain the momentum, broaden participation and ensure that the university’s sporting ambitions are matched by consistent investment and effective implementation.

With continued support from the Vice-Chancellor, the University Sports Committee, the Directorate of Sports, coaches and other stakeholders, DELSU can build on its recent achievements and strengthen its position among Nigeria’s leading sporting universities.

The message from WAUG 2026 is clear: DELSU has demonstrated what a small but well-supported contingent can achieve. With broader participation, sustained preparation and modern sporting infrastructure, the university has the potential to accomplish even greater things.

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