Sports

ITTFAChamps2023: Sports Minister Showers Encomiums on Team Nigeria

Published

2 years ago

September 19, 2023

…Salutes Quadri, Oshonaike, Bello others for clinching gold medals

The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh congratulates Team Nigeria athletes for making the country proud at the 2023 Africa Senior Table Tennis Championships, held in Tunis, Tunisia, between September 11 – 17, 2023.

Africa’s top-ranked player, Aruna Quadri won gold for Nigeria in the men’s singles after defeating familiar foe, Ahmed Saleh of Egypt by 4-0 (11-2, 12-10, 11-6, 11-6) in the final match played in Tunis. The victory ensured Quadri retained his African title at the same venue where he lost the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games ticket, due to an injury.

In the Women’s Doubles event, Nigeria’s duo of Funke Oshonaike and Fatimo Bello combined their experience and youthful energy to overpower Cameroon’s Sarah Hanffou and Egypt’s Marwa Alhodaby 3-2 (11-8, 8-11, 11-4, 7-11, 12-10), as the Nigerians clinched gold in the pulsating final.

The Minister said “On the behalf of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all Nigerians, I heartily congratulate these incredible athletes for bringing glory to the country in far away Tunisia.

Defeating all-comers on the continent, in a foreign soil takes resilience, hard work, strength, and discipline. While the path to success has not been easy, their sense of patriotism remained unwavering.”

“The Ministry is committed to putting everything in place to ensure that athletes are adequately prepared for championships, with their welfare adequately sorted out too. We understand the need to put athletes in their best shape in and outside competition cycles, and the Ministry will keep working with sports federations to achieve this,” John Enoh added.

He also congratulated Olajide Omotayo and Idowu Saheed who both lost in the men’s singles semi finals, urging them to take pride in their outings and reflect on their performances.

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Sports

From Streets to Stardom: Unique Futbol Academy Scouting Program Inspires Ibadan’s Young Footballers

Published

17 hours ago

November 4, 2025

The Gleamer

Ibadan is buzzing with excitement as the Unique Football Academy Scouting Program kicks off, bringing together top European football clubs and talented young Nigerian players.

The four-day program, which commenced on Monday, features a delegation of four directors from prominent European teams, including two from Kosovo and one from India, led by renowned football agent Diego Martins from Portugal.

The scouting program aims to identify and select outstanding players who will be given opportunities to showcase their skills in Europe.

Successful players will be offered the chance to take their careers to the next level, with the organizers assuring them of opportunities abroad.

According to the Director of the program and founder of Unique Football Academy, Mr. Jelil Oladimeji, this is not the first time the academy has organized such an event.

“This is the 4th edition, and we are proud of the progress and impact we have made so far in terms of exposing our raw talent to the European market,” he said.

The program has already proven successful, with several players from previous editions going on to excel in European leagues. Some notable examples include Haruna Saleh with PAOK in Greece and Praisegod Emersons in Slovakia.

As the program continues, clubs are gearing up to exhibit their talents, and the future looks bright for Nigeria’s young football stars.

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