Sports

Rowland Adewumi Golf Tournament Tees-off in Grand Style

Published

2 years ago

June 15, 2024

Joel Ajayi

The maiden edition of the Rowland Adewumi Classic golf Tournament teed off in grand style on Saturday morning at the Prestigious IBB International Golf and Country Club in Abuja where both professional and amateur golfers are slugging it out for honour.

The competition was part of activities lined up to celebrate Otunba Rowland Adewumi’s 50th birthday

The celebrant arrived at the flourishing IBB golf course looking sporty and hearty in a celebration mood accompanied by his beautiful wife, Mrs Bukola Adewumi “The Yeye” as well as IBB golf Captain Ibrahim Babayo, Ladies Captain, and other dignitaries who graced the occasion as he officially teed-off the tourney when with he styles sent the ball into the fairway in his first drive to open the the tournament.

While speaking the soft-spoken Otunba Adewunmi said the reason for the tourney is part of his desire to grow the game of golf further.

According to him, I think the game of golf has been lagging, so I just decided to make my contribution to develop the game better.

“This is the inaugural tournament and I intend to make it a yearly affair in the spirit of developing the sport further, so apart from the game, we intend to do charity today, so we are supporting about four charity homes and orphanages and widows, so it’s not all about the game but at the same time supporting charity.

“The tournament has come to stay, I love the game, this is the inaugural one, and believe me subsequent years will even be better than this, and we intend to go international if possible.

“We need to support the pros in the country,, because if you look at the ranking in the world, Nigerian pros are not performing better, so I think the private sector, the government, and other stakeholders need to support the pros as well to lift up the game to a higher height,” he said.

In his remark, the IBB International Golf and Country Club Captain Ibrahim Babayo extolled the support and commitment of the celebrant toward the growth of the game of golf in the country and beyond.

“We are here for the maiden edition of the Rowland Adewumi professionals and Amateurs golf classic and to also celebrate Adewumi who is an excellent golfer (handicap 7) who is celebrating his 50th birthday and also starting his Pro-Am tournament which he has told me is going to be a yearly event.

“We can’t thank him enough because this is what the game needs in Nigeria.

“We have got talents that are not opportune to be exposed to this game and this gentleman, a philanthropist is doing that, creating the platform for the talents.

“I can tell you what he has done for us in this club is unprecedented, so we wish him a happy birthday and pray.

“We thank him for deepening the game of golf in Nigeria, we thank him for the sponsorship he’s been doing in IBB golf club, he’s one of our biggest donors and he’s been supportive of all our programs.

“In July we have an annual clinic, where for two weeks, the young ones come here to train and out of them we pick the best and we put them under our academy, we have an academy in IBB golf club that nurtures these young talents, we try to catch them young, so very soon we will be seeing some of our young talents, maybe in the West African tour, the African tour, the European tour and the ultimate maybe the PGA, so we that as a serious part of IBB golf club and Rowland Adewumi has been one of the people that have been supporting this cause for quite a while.”

However, the maiden edition of the Rowland Adewumi Classic Tournament highlighted the vibrant golfing talent in the country and provided a thrilling spectacle for all involved.

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Sports

Badminton Federation of Nigeria Targets Grassroots Growth, Coaches’ Capacity Building

Published

14 hours ago

May 14, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, says the federation has launched an ambitious reform programme anchored on structured planning, grassroots development, and long-term athlete progression across all levels of the sport.

Speaking on Thursday in Abuja, after two-day retreat at ANOCA building where board members, technical experts, and stakeholders gathered under the theme: Repositioning Badminton for Sustainable Growth’ gathered to chart a way forward for the Game.

Orbih said the sessions were designed to align stakeholders on a unified four-year strategic roadmap focused on improving governance, strengthening performance systems, and expanding participation nationwide.

He noted that key priorities discussed include technical development, coaching education, athlete welfare, and a more coordinated grassroots structure through school-based programmes.

According to him, the federation has approved the creation of 11 committees to drive implementation of its reforms, with emphasis on accountability, coordination, and measurable performance outcomes.

“We wanted a collective approach where decisions are jointly owned and implemented, with clear and measurable results.

‘’A major pillar of the plan is grassroots badminton development, particularly in schools.’’

He explained that while outreach programmes have existed, the federation is now shifting toward a more structured and data-driven approach with wider national coverage.

Orbih disclosed that the federation currently reaches an average of 25 to 30 schools per zonal outreach programme, but plans are underway to expand coverage across more states and increase consistency of engagement.

He also highlighted gaps in coaching capacity, noting that the number of certified coaches in Nigeria remains relatively low compared to other countries. The federation, he said, will intensify coaching education and certification programmes to close the gap and improve technical standards.

“We have over 100 coaches in Nigeria, but many are not actively engaged in continuous training. We want to strengthen that system and raise the standard,” he added.

The BFN president further confirmed the introduction of structured age-grade development pathways, covering under-12, under-15, under-19, and other youth categories to ensure seamless progression from grassroots to elite level.

President added that, federation plans to organise more age-group tournaments to sustain player development and improve competitive exposure.

Speaking also, the Technical Director of the federation, Tunde Kashim, also emphasised that the technical department remains central to the reform agenda, describing it as the “engine room” of badminton development in the country.

He said the department is reviewing player databases, coaching structures, and competition pathways to ensure a stronger performance system.

Kashim added that efforts will be made to upgrade coaching levels across the country, including progression through certification tiers, while also addressing the declining number of active coaches in the system.

He further revealed plans to expand youth competitions across multiple age categories, including under-12, under-15, under-16, and under-19 levels, aimed at strengthening the talent pipeline from schools to elite competition.

According to him, the federation is also working with state stakeholders to improve facilities and increase participation, while preparing for upcoming national and continental engagements.

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