Sports
Abeokuta agog as Nigeria’s Elite Para Athletes gear up for BetKing 3×3 Wheelchair Tournament
Joel Ajayi
The Sporting city of Abeokuta will come alive in a few days time when the highly anticipated BetKing 3×3 wheelchair Basketball tournament begins from April 3 to 7, 2025.
The entire Ijeja neighborhood in Abeokuta is already anticipating the dunking off of the tournament and also gearing up to welcome top sports dignitaries and athletes from across the Country.
Among the top administrators expected at the tournament include the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, the Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade and the President of the Nigeria Para-Olympic Committee, Sunday Oyebode.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Elite Athletes and Podium Board, Yusuf Ali , is also expected to grace the Championship.
President of the Nigeria Wheelchair Basketball Federation, Seyi Johnson, emphasized the core essence of the tournament which he says it’s primarily to discover new talent and select players for the National team.
” As a board we are very intentional about having a sustainable pool of talents so that at every time the county will not lack athletes for international competitions”.
” Para Sports have always being Nigeria’s area of strength at major international competitions and there is need to maintain that momentum with regular competitions of this nature”.
” Qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is our priority as a board and we know we have a very good chance when we go for the Qualifiers in South Africa later this year”.
” This is why we are not leaving any stone unturned to ensure we have a very good competition with this 3×3 National tournament at the Lake Sports Centre in Ijeja, Abeokuta and we are happy with the kind of support we are getting from the National Sports Commission, NSC”, he concluded.
Sports
NLO’s Shola Ogunowo Earns Praise for Driving Grassroots Football and Exemplifying Integrity
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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