Sports
Abia Warriors Will Play Her Second Round Matches In Umuahia-Obu
The Chairman of Abia Warriors FC Coach John Obu has assured the teeming fans and supporters of the club that their darling team Abia Warriors FC, will continue to play their matches at their home ground, Umuahia Township Stadium.
Speaking on the state of the Umuahia Stadium concerning the recent pronouncement of the NPFL, banning the Umuahia-based team from using the Umuahia Township Stadium for the second stanza of the league until such a time that the areas of deficiencies are tied up.
Quoting his words, the former U-17 & U-20 Head Coach said “Actually we have done a lot of work on the pitch since we received the NPFL directives. We have improved on the state of the pitch, and it will be very okay to host matches as soon as the league resumes.”
Giving a background on the decisions of the NPFL to banish his team, Obu who tutored the Golden Eagles to win the silver medal at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2009, said “this issue started when we went for the draws of the league. The management of the League body called me and said that they would not approve the Umuahia stadium for us to use unless we improved on certain things. This we worked on, and at the end of the inspection, the team that came gave us a thumbs up and encouraged us to improve on the seating arrangements and the entrance.
“It is baffling that after we have invested money in putting everythinh in order at the stadium, before the first stanza of the league could end, the NPFL came up with that directive. The annoying aspect of it is that they base their claims on what they read on social media or what the teams said. None of the bosses at the NPFL have visited the stadium to see things themselves. Even with what we are doing now, nobody gave directives on where to improve. It is very disheartening that it is only when teams come to Umuahia and get beaten that they will realize that the pitch is bad. But you hardly hear comments from those who got positive results from the pitch. We have the worst astro turf pitches that teams are using for matches, and no one is looking at that. Everyone is interested in killing the grass pitches”.
Obu, however, insisted that they will put the pitch in a better shape before the commencement of the second stanza of the NPFL season “before then, we intend to conduct a media tour of the stadium, and invite the leadership of the NPFL to come for a first-hand inspection before the resumption of the league” he concluded.
Sports
No crisis in NAWIS ahead of AFN elections on Monday
Joel Ajayi
The Association of Nigerian Women in Sports (NAWIS), known for its orderliness since its establishment in 1990, continues to uphold its standards ahead of the upcoming Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) elections.
With members across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, NAWIS has consistently operated without external interference.
Over the years, its members have been nominated to various boards of national sports federations after meeting established criteria, including the payment of annual dues.
The association has attracted a strong base of respected sportswomen who have served the country with distinction, both during and after their active careers.
In preparation for the AFN elections, zonal elections were conducted on June 2 and 3, producing representatives for the national exercise.
While NAWIS initially planned to hold its election in Zaria, Kaduna State, the association’s headquarters, it was later rescheduled for Abuja on Monday, June 9, following directives from higher authorities.
Importantly, NAWIS has a set of strict guidelines that govern its electoral process, particularly the requirement for timely payment of annual dues. Failure to meet this condition results in automatic disqualification.
This guideline was the basis for the disqualification of Maria Wophil, who has reportedly not paid her annual dues since 2017. Her attempt to hurriedly settle outstanding debts just before the election was deemed non-compliant with NAWIS regulations.
Who is Fatima Yusuf-Olukoju?
Commonwealth gold medallist Fatima Yusuf-Olukoju is one of the leading contenders for the NAWIS representative position in the AFN.
She made history as the first African woman to run the 400m in under 50 seconds and brought glory to Nigeria by winning a silver medal in the 4x400m relay at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics.
Yusuf-Olukoju also claimed gold in the 400m at the 1991 All-Africa Games and silver in the 200m.
Based on nominations and her track record, Yusuf-Olukoju is considered the most qualified candidate. However, three other contenders have also shown interest, and the final decision will be made in the election slated for Monday, June 9, in Abuja.
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