Sports

Elegbeleye tasks NPFL Clubs to Scout for Players at NDSF

Published

4 months ago

March 4, 2025

Joel Ajayi

Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) Clubs have been pointed in the direction of the forthcoming Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) as an organic scouting ground for players.
Hon.Gbenga Elegbeleye, the NPFL Chairman offered the tip while endorsing the festival scheduled to hold from April 1-8 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

The former Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) obviously has the pedigree to speak on the benefits of multi-sports events like the festival having supretended the participation of Nigeria in Commonwealth Games and the Winter Olympics where the country made good medals returns

He is specifically excited by the festival Ambassadors initiative, which he said would feed the aspirational hunger of budding athletes.

The likes of Nwankwo Kanu, Blessing Oborodudu, Victor Ikpeba and Enefiok Udo-Obong have been appointed Festival Ambassadors. There are also Emmanuel Amunike, Tamunosiki Atorudibo, Patience Igbiti, Seun Ogunkoya and Efioanwan Ekpo.

“The organizers could not have done better than to go for those who have made the nation proud in major international competitions like the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and other various World Championships as Ambassadors of the Nigeria Delta Sports Festival.”

“The goals of Kanu, Ikpeba and Amunike were crucial in getting Nigeria an important gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games just as our anchor, Enee ran the race of his life which resulted in Nigeria securing a gold medal in 4 x 400m in Australia, four years later.

“Blessing Oborodudu’s heroics on the mat culminated in a much needed Olympics silver medal while two-time African Athletics Championship winner Seun Ogunkoya’s record in 100m remains intact since 1998”, Elegbeleye stated to support the choice of the chosen sports persons.

Supporting the inclusion of Paralympic athlete and coach, Patience Igbiti who clinched medals in consecutive Olympic Games, Elegbeleye remarked that”Patience’s consistency in Powerlifting got her Olympic Games medals in 2004 and 2008 before becoming a coach of repute.”

An indigene of Ondo State, one of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) mandate states, Elegbeleye said he is proud to be part of the region that has blazed the trail in regional games as a trigger for grassroots sports development.

The festival Ambassadors will be unveiled at a ceremony in Owerri, Imo State on Friday, March 7 and over 3000 athletes and 600 coaches from nine states would be in Uyo to compete for medals in 17 sports.

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Sports

FIFA MA Course: Gusau, FIFA instructors harp on hard work, integrity and fraternity

Published

8 hours ago

June 19, 2025

The Gleamer

The two-week FIFA Member Associations Course for physical and technical instructors, and Young Talents came to a close in Abuja on Thursday with FIFA Technical Instructor Ali Mohamed Ahmed publicly declaring his confidence in the ability of Nigeria’s budding arbiters to reach unprecedented heights in the vocation globally.

The physical and technical instructors’ course was activated between 9^th – 13^thJune, while the Young Talents programme lasted between Sunday, 15^th – Thursday, 19^th June 2025.

President of NFF, Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau (MON), who also doubles as President of WAFU B, told the young talents to endeavour to put all they have learnt during the course into practice, as the Federation is in the process of elevating more of the young talents to take on higher responsibilities, such as handling matches of the Nigeria Premier Football League.

“I am happy that now, we have a total of 86 young talents in our refereeing pool. This deeply gladdens my heart. Last year, we had 40 people undertake this course, and this year, we have 46. Let me reveal to you that 10 of those young talents from last year have been elevated to the NPFL, and none of them was found wanting throughout the season.

“Their record of performance gives great hope to yourselves, and also shows that the NFF is right in our commitment to the young talents. However, in order to keep improving, I charge you to always find ways to fraternize, collaborate in all aspects, and bond together to jointly and severally enhance your capacities.”

Mohamed, who is from Somalia, said: “I am very satisfied with the group that we worked with over the past one week – the young talents. Their level of assimilation is very high and I see them going places in the work of refereeing. Please always have integrity at the back of your mind in whatever you do.

“We know Nigeria is everywhere, qualifying for all major tournaments and winning trophies and putting up podium performances here and there. But it will also be good to have Nigerian referees not only in the AFCON but also at the FIFA World Cup. Having worked with these young ones for the past one week, I can tell you with assurance that the future of Nigerian refereeing is in very good hands.”

President of NRA, Hon. Sani Zubairu thanked FIFA and the NFF for the success of the programme, and asserted that the growing confidence in Nigerian referees at home and abroad can be traced to the support that the referees continue to get from the NFF for their capacity-enhancing programmes, and the intentionality of the NFF President.

FIFA Fitness Instructor Boubaker Hanachi from Tunisia was also present at the closing ceremony, as well as Nigerian instructors Felicia Okwugba, Peter Edibe, Cecilia Ugbuji, Emmanuel Imiere, Stella Emoji and Promise Uwaeme.

There were also President of the NRA, Hon. Sani Zubairu; Chairman of the NFF Referees Committee, Madam Faith Irabor; deputy chairman Rafiu Umar Gusau; members of the committee, Kabiyesi James Odeniran, Calistus Chukwudi Chukwujekwu, Dr Bello Mohammed, Abraham Zakowi, Waziri Abba Gawe and secretary, Mohammed Ameenu; NFF’s Director of Communications, Dr Ademola Olajire and; Chairman of the Nigeria Football Coaches Association, Isah Ladan Bosso.

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