Sports

Delta In A Early Lead At Asaba 2022

Published

3 years ago

December 3, 2022

…as Zamfara languish at the last spot

With the 21st edition of the National Sports Festival hitting day three, the host state Delta state has already distanced themselves from other states as they are currently comfortable on the table with 14 Medals comprising of 8 Gold, 4 Silver and 2 Bronze Medals.

Bayelsa State is in a distant second with 6 Medals; 1 Gold, 2 Silver and 3 Bronze Medals, as Abia occupied the third position after amassing 2 Medals; a Gold and a Bronze.

Delta State is currently the defending champion and are ready to make it 7 Titles after winning the last 6, with the recent one at Edo 2020.

13 states already won medals with the rest still looking forward to their first podium finish, as Zamfara State occupies the last position on the log. Other states with medals are Oyo (1 Gold, 1 Bronze), Lagos (4 Silver, 2 Bronze), Edo (1 Silver, 5 Bronze), and Nasarawa who at the time of going to press are on 2 Bronze Medals.

Anambra, Imo, Kwara, Ogun, Osun and Rivers States each have a Bronze Medal.

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Sports

NLO’s Shola Ogunowo Earns Praise for Driving Grassroots Football and Exemplifying Integrity

Published

5 hours ago

June 7, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Nigerian football community has lauded Mr. Shola Ogunowo, Chief Operating Officer of the Nationwide League One (NLO), for his unwavering commitment to integrity and the development of grassroots football, earning him widespread respect and admiration across the sporting landscape.

In a statement released in Abuja and signed by Okechukwu Okebugwu, Mr. Ogunowo was praised as a transformative leader who has redefined the ethics and standards of football administration at the grassroots level. According to the release, Ogunowo has emerged as a “leading figure in the fight against match-fixing, bribery, and all forms of corruption” that have plagued the lower tiers of Nigerian football for decades.

Through consistent enforcement of transparency, fairness, and accountability, Mr. Ogunowo is steering the NLO toward becoming a credible platform where talent can be discovered and nurtured based on merit, rather than manipulation or favoritism.

“In an environment where shortcuts and compromises are all too common, Shola Ogunowo has remained a pillar of integrity,” Okebugwu stated. “He is restoring credibility to grassroots football by ensuring that fair play, discipline, and professionalism are non-negotiable.”

Since taking over as COO, Ogunowo has spearheaded a number of structural reforms aimed at instilling discipline and operational excellence among participating clubs. These include stricter licensing requirements, performance audits, and compliance monitoring to ensure clubs uphold the league’s code of conduct. His administration has also emphasized youth development, with a renewed focus on coaching education and player welfare.

The result is a reinvigorated Nationwide League One that is beginning to attract renewed attention from fans, corporate sponsors, and local communities. Observers say Ogunowo’s leadership is helping reshape perceptions of grassroots football—not just as a stepping stone to the elite leagues, but as a vital foundation for the future of Nigerian football.

“His leadership is not only impacting the pitch—it’s rebuilding trust, creating real value, and setting a good standard for sports administration in Nigeria,” Okebugwu concluded.

As the NLO season progresses, many stakeholders believe that with figures like Shola Ogunowo at the helm, the future of grassroots football in Nigeria is not only secure, but promising.

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