Sports
Commonwealth Games 2022: We want podium performance from athletes-Sports Minister
Joel Ajayi
Nigeria’s Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Sunday Dare has revealed that Nigerian are demanding podium performance from the athletes that will represent the country in the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Scotland.
Minister stressed that Nigeria went through an exhaustive process to scientifically analyse and determine the nine sports that would fly the flag of the country at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
In a chat with newsmen in Abuja, the Minister said, “We are putting our best foot forward and we decided that based on limited resources and very scientific analysis, we would want to leverage on the sports in which we have our sports men and women amongst the top 10 or 15 in the world.
“If in a particular sport we are 128th in the world and the goal of going to the Commonwealth Games is for podium performance and not rehearsals, we won’t go where we are ranked that low. We brought out all the statistics and crunched the numbers to pick the sports we are strong in, so we are going with a smaller team, but to compete in a big way”.
Nigeria will be competing in Athletics, Wrestling, Boxing, Karate, Table Tennis, Weightlifting, Para-athletics, Para-powerlifting and Para-table tennis.
Amongst others, medal prospects include World no. 11 in Table Tennis Aruna Quadri, reigning African Games Table Tennis champion, Omotayo Olajide alongside 2022 African Table Tennis Cup finalist, Fatima Bello, Esther Oribamise and Ajoke Ojomu.
In Athletics, African 100m Wowen’s hurdle record holder, Oluwatobiloba Amusan, National 100m champion, Favour Ashe, Africa’s second fastest women’s 200m sprinter Favour Ofili, World U-20 200m Champion, Udodi Onwuzurike are a few of the medal prospects for the country.
In Wrestling, Commonwealth champions, Blessing Oborududu and Odunayo Adekuoroye represent huge threats to opponents in their different weight classes.
These amongst other immensely talented athletes will be vying to do Nigeria proud in Birmingham from July 28th to August 8th 2022.
Sports
Aliyu Baba Shines with Six Goals in Five NNL Appearances for Sporting Lagos
Joel Ajayi
Striker Aliyu Baba of Sporting Lagos, continues to court attention in the Nigeria National League (NNL) with his impressive goalscoring return, netting 6 times in five starts in the second division.
Aliyu, 21, scored a hattrick in a must-win away match against Solution FC on Sunday evening, taking his tally to 6 goals from just five starts.
The lagos-based club signed him from Mahanaim FC during mid-season transfer window, after it struggled to find the back of the net in the first stanza of the season.
Aliyu opened his Sporting account scoring a brace in a 3-2 away win over Abakaliki FC. He followed that with a goal against First Bank FC after coming from the bench.
The deadly striker then produced another stunning away performance, scoring a hattrick in the 3-3 away draw against Solution FC.
He delivered 6-goals in 9 total appearances (5-starts and 3 substitute apps) for the Lagos club, despite only joining them in March during the mid-season window.
This goalscoring prowess has now attracted many football followers and clubs in the country.
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