Sports

Fish Out More Young Players, Sports Minister Charges Victorious Scrabble Team

Published

3 years ago

May 23, 2022

Joel Ajayi

Minister of youth and sports development Sunday Dare, has charged the victorious Nigeria scrabble team to go out there and fish out more young players and nurture them to podium.

He gave this charge on Monday at a welcome reception for the team Nigeria who came out victorious at the just concluded West African Tourney in Kumasi in Ghana.

Nigeria team left stone unturned to ensure 9 out 10 prizes won by Nigeria scrabble team.

While speaking Sports Minister Dare, said scrabble is an important game because it needs determination, discipline as well as the right frame of mind and if anyone excels in scrabble he or she can excel in any walk of life.

“Based on this as a government, we want to renew our support and commitment toward the growth and development of the games. Tell us your programs and we will ensure the needed support.

“I want to charge the scrabble federation to go out there and find more young Scrabble players and mentor them to place Nigeria on the path of more success.”

He however asked the federation to provide complete data of performance of the team for record purposes.

In his own addresses, the president of Scrabble Federation of Nigeria Oloboatoke Aka thanked the minister and opined that the minister’s world of encouragement and support propel the team to victory.

“Before we travel to Ghana, you charge us to go for victory and today your world of encouragement propel us to fantastic victory.

“Also, the victory today, was as a result of hard work, almost every month we had championship this indeed help us I can tell you today, Nigeria is best scrabble team in the whole world”

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Sports

Analysis of the 2024/25 NPFL Table (Match Day 22)

Published

2 hours ago

February 5, 2025

The Gleamer

Patrick Ngwaogu (Odogwu)

The 2024/25 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) table after Match Day 22 reveals a competitive title race, a congested mid-table, and an intense relegation battle. Below is a breakdown of the key trends from the standings.

🏆 Title Race: Remo Stars in Control

1.  Remo Stars FC lead the table with 45 points from 22 games, boasting 14 wins, the highest in the league.
2.  Shooting Stars SC sit second with 37 points from 21 games, meaning they have a game in hand that could close the gap.
3.  Rivers United FC (35 points) and Rangers International FC (34 points) remain in contention, but their inconsistent results (only 9 wins each) suggest they will need strong finishes.

🚀 Key Insight: Remo Stars’ defensive solidity (only 16 goals conceded) and best goal difference (+14) make them the current favorites for the title.

⚖️ Mid-Table Battle: Competitive and Unpredictable

•   Teams from 5th place (Abia Warriors, 33 points) to 14th place (Katsina United, 26 points) are separated by just 7 points.
•   Clubs like El-Kanemi Warriors (32 points) and Enyimba FC (31 points) could still push for continental spots if they gain momentum.
•   Kano Pillars and Bayelsa United (29 & 28 points respectively) are sitting in the middle of the pack but could easily be dragged into the relegation fight if results don’t improve.

⚠️ Key Concern: Mid-table teams must be wary of inconsistency, as a few bad results could put them in relegation danger.

🌍 Continental Qualification Spots

•   The top two teams qualify for the CAF Champions League (CAFCL), while the third-place team enters the CAF Confederation Cup (CAFCC).
•   Rivers United (3rd) and Rangers (4th) are currently in the best position to battle for continental spots.
•   Ikorodu City FC (7th, 31 points) and Niger Tornadoes (9th, 31 points) remain dark horses for a top-three finish.

🌟 Key Contenders: Rangers International and Rivers United must improve their consistency to ensure a top-three finish.

⚠️ Relegation Battle: 6 Teams in Trouble

The bottom of the table is highly competitive, with at least six teams in danger of relegation:

1.  Bendel Insurance (25 points)
2.  Plateau United (24 points)
3.  Sunshine Stars (24 points)
4.  Nasarawa United (22 points)
5.  Lobi Stars (21 points)
6.  Akwa United (20 points, bottom place)

📉 Key Observations:

•   Nasarawa United, Plateau United, and Bendel Insurance have had 3 points and 3 goals deducted due to league violations, which has severely impacted their standings.
•   Akwa United (20 points, -8 GD) has the worst goal difference and could face serious relegation trouble unless they turn things around.

🔥 Key Battle: Lobi Stars, Nasarawa United, and Akwa United must fight hard to escape the drop zone in the remaining matches.

🔑 Key Takeaways

✅ Remo Stars are strong favorites for the title.
✅ Shooting Stars have a game in hand, making the top-two battle interesting.
✅ Mid-table is highly competitive, with several teams still in contention for continental football.
✅ Relegation battle is wide open, with six teams fighting to survive.

🚨 What to Watch For Next: Will Shooting Stars close the gap? Can Rivers United push for a top-two finish? Who will survive the relegation scrap? The remaining fixtures will be crucial in shaping the NPFL season’s outcome.

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