Sports
Emmanuel Ani and Comfort Etim Take Center Stage Amidst Naira Showers at Abuja Mountain Bike Festival
Emmanuel Abba and Comfort Etim took center stage at the recently concluded 2nd edition of the Abuja Mountain Bike Festival.
Abba set a new meet record, completing the challenging Karu mountains and valleys course in an impressive 1 hour and 5 minutes. His determination paid off with a cash prize of five hundred thousand naira. Emmanuel Ani secured second place with a time of 2 hours and 13 minutes, while Badamasi Mohammed claimed the third spot.
Reflecting on his victory, Abba spoke about the demanding nature of the Karu hills, emphasizing how he stuck to his game plan throughout the race. “It was an interesting race; even when I wasn’t leading, I stuck to my strategy, and it paid off,” he said. Abba expressed excitement about the next edition, hoping to improve his time.
In the women’s category, Comfort Etim triumphed against all odds, earning a cash prize of two hundred thousand naira. She shared her surprise at the victory, mentioning moments of doubt but ultimately pushing through. “This means so much to me; I never thought I was going to win it,” she said. Etim looks forward to the next edition, intending to train more and enhance her performance.
Dr. Andrew Etsetowaghan, Chairman of the Abuja Chaingang Club, commended all participants, expressing hopes for a larger and more diverse turnout in the next edition. The event attracted notable figures, including former Presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, who participated in the race and emphasized the significance of cycling in combating cardiovascular disease.
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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