Sports
Kada Queens, Kada Stars Hockey Teams Return To Nigeria with Bronze Medal from Africa Cup for Club Championship
Joel Ajayi
The Kada Queens Hockey Team of Nigeria who etched their name in African Hockey history by clinching the bronze medal at the just-concluded 25th Women’s Africa Cup for Club Champions (ACCC) in far-away Egypt returns to the country on Monday.
It will be recalled that just a few days ago, the Kaduna-based women’s team and Nigeria’s representatives, Kada Queens, emerged as bronze medal winners at the 26th Africa Cup for Club Hockey Championship in Ismailia, Egypt.
The Queens beat the Kenyan side, Mombasa, 1-0 in a keenly contested match. The Nigerian club finished 2nd in Group B after winning 3 out of 4 games to qualify for the knockout phase.
Also, their male counterpart, Kada Stars, who participated in the same tournament, could not win, but one of their players, James Smalia, won the highest goal scorer of the tournament as a consolation prize for the male team as well, returning home.
The team arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Monday at 2:00 pm, where they were welcomed by Nigerian and hockey enthusiasts.
Speaking was an elated coach of the two teams, Abdullahi Babagana. “I wouldn’t say I’m not excited. I am, but it was not what we planned for. We planned to clinch the gold medal, but at the end of the day, all short, we got the bronze medal. We still thank and appreciate God for giving us the bronze medal. It’s not really easy.
“In fact, the weather, whatever you call it, the journey, the stress, it begins with a lot of good things, wonderful performances from them. So we thank God. But it’s a lesson. We’ve learned our lesson against next year’s African Club Championship. When we go back there, it will be a different ball game. I believe, with the experience they gained, we will do better.”
When asked whether the team had learned anything from the tournament, he replied, “Well, you know, when we left, we left on the 29th, getting there on the 30th. On the 30th was our first match. We got to the hotel around five to six in the morning, and the match was scheduled for 10 o’clock. So there was no rest, we rushed into it. Some of them did not even take breakfast, and it was not easy. That was how it started, and that was the match we lost.
Losing a match in a tournament of this nature, you know, it’s always a problem. Maybe by next year, the preparation will be early, we’ll go early, and all this will not affect us, and I believe we’ll do better. I commended my players for standing against strong opposition and coming back with the bronze medal. It was a great competition for us. We’ve added to our experience as a team.”
He, however, expressed gratitude to the Kaduna state government for ensuring that the teams participated in the championship despite the meager resources of the state.
On her part, the team’s captain of Kada Queens, John Alfa Cornelius, expressed that the late arrival to the venue really affected the team’s performance: “Really, the bronze medal is not our target, but that is the game. We still appreciate God for that. We arrived late, and we swung into action, but we couldn’t meet up.”
Two other Nigerian clubs in the women’s category, Delta Queens and Plateau Queens, finished respectively 3rd and 4th in Groups B and A.
Sports
AFN COO, Dr Nneka Calls For Increased Investment In Grassroots Athletics, Sports Facilities
By Joel Ajayi
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Operating Officer, COO, Dr Nneka Ikem Anibeze has called on state governments and universities across the country to invest in athletics facilities and grassroots competitions to discover and nurture emerging talents.
Anibeze, who expressed delight at Nigeria’s achievement at the just concluded Youth Olympics where Nigeria won 3 Gold medal in athletic in Dakar, Senegal, said sustained investment in infrastructure, coaching and regular competitions would help the country build a strong pool of homegrown athletes capable of representing Nigeria successfully at international competitions.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Youth Olympic Games, she described Nigeria’s performance as encouraging and unprecedented, expressing satisfaction with the progress being recorded by young athletes.
The Senior Assistant Media & Publicity to the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy Anibeze particularly commended the National Sports Commission (NSC) for creating opportunities for athletes to participate in international competitions, noting that exposure to major championships was essential for their development.
According to her, taking athletes to competitions, including the youth championships in Oregon, has helped expose young talents to international standards and provided valuable experience for those travelling outside Nigeria for the first time.
Anibeze noted that although some athletes were still developing, their performances demonstrated the benefits of regular international exposure and the need to sustain the momentum.
She said: “I feel very happy that this is happening in our time. It is unprecedented, and I am particularly delighted that we are beginning to see the results of these efforts.
“We must also appreciate the National Sports Commission for making it possible for our athletes to be exposed and given more competitions to participate in.”
The AFN COO stressed the need for Nigeria to look beyond athletes based abroad and deliberately develop the enormous athletic potential within the country.
She maintained that Nigeria had abundant homegrown talents who could compete at the highest level if provided with the right opportunities, facilities and support systems.
Anibeze explained that the federation was working towards securing sponsorship for more competitions, including all-comers meets, grassroots championships and school sports programmes.
Also She stated that plans were underway to organise more intermediate and grassroots competitions in Lagos and other parts of the country, particularly next year, to expand the talent discovery network.
According to her, such competitions would provide opportunities for young athletes to demonstrate their abilities and progress through the national athletics development structure.
She identified inadequate sporting facilities as one of the major challenges confronting athletics development in Nigeria, urging state governors to construct standard running tracks and mini-stadia in their respective states.
“If we have more tracks in our communities, people will not have to wait until they come to Abuja before they can train and compete.
“You can imagine that the girl who just performed was fine-tuned within two or three weeks. If she had access to better facilities and a good coach, the sky would be her limit,” she said.
Anibeze also urged universities to prioritise sports infrastructure, citing the University of Oregon in the United States as an example of how educational institutions could contribute to the development of world-class athletes.
She said Nigerian universities could build athletics tracks to support students with sporting potential, adding that stronger university sports programmes would also improve the country’s representation at the World University Games.
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