Sports

Kontagora Invitational Tourney: 37 Teams Indicate Interest

Published

5 years ago

January 6, 2022

By Joel Ajayi

No fewer than 37 teams are expected to take part in this year’s edition of the Kontagora Invitational Volleyball Challenge slated for the First Quarter of 2022.

According to the sponsor of the Kontagora Invitational Challenge, Major General Taritimiye Gagariga, he revealed that 21 teams will battle for honours in the male category, while 16 teams will vie for the top prize in the female category.

Maj Gen Gagariga who doubles as the Chairman, Nigeria Park Volleyball stated that the objective of the competition was to complement the vision of the current President NVBF, Engineer Musa Nimrod, to promote unity, empower youths, strengthen grassroots diversity, encourage mentorship and inculcate the spirit of sponsorship in the game of volleyball across the country.

“As part of efforts to activate park volleyball in the country, 6 of the invited teams had indicated interest to participate in the Park Volleyball Exhibition Matches during this year’s Kontagora Invitational Challenge.

“Within the last 3 months, all NVBF Board Members have in one way or the other promoted the game of volleyball with donations and organized competitions across the 36 states. The Kontagora Challenge is just one of the many that would herald other well-graded programs of the NVBF for 2022.”

He implored participating teams, match officials, coaches, and referees to embrace discipline as well as sportsmanship spirit of perseverance.

In a related development, to ensuring capacity building of Nigerian Volleyball Coaches Association (NVCA), a 2-day Coaching Seminar for all the participating teams will be organised during the competition. The Chairman NVCA, Coach Elishama Elam has assured all participants that the seminar would be beneficial for coaches to develop the game at the grassroots level and that Coach Tony Oghuma had been contacted as the Resource Person for the seminar.

The teams that have indicated interest are Defence Spikers of Abuja, COAS Spikers of Zaria, Navy Sailors of Lagos, NAF Rockets of Kaduna, Super Stars of Kontagora, G-RANK Spikers of Kachia, Bayonet Spikers of Jaji and Rhino of Jos. Other teams are Scorpion Spikers of Abuja, Kaf Ambassadors of Kafanchan, Stinging Bees of Katari, Yelwa of Bauchi, Games Village Volleyball Club Abuja. Life Camp Volleyball Club Abuja, Victory Spikers Owerri, Offa Volleyball Club, Nasa Thunders of Nasarawa, Nile University Abuja, Niger Brass Minna, Kada Kings Kaduna, and Katsina United Volleyball Club

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Sports

AACT 2026: Girls in Golf initiatives kick Start week-long Activities.

Published

2 hours ago

November 2, 2026

The Gleamer

The week-long activities designed as part of 2026 All Africa Challenge Trophy got underway Monday with Girls in Golf initiative.

The Ladies Golf Association of Nigeria, LGAN says initiative will empower young girls and inspire the next generation of female golfers in Nigeria.

Dr Lami Ahmed, LGAN President and Chairperson, Local Organising Committee for the All Africa Challenge Trophy said this during a training programme for no fewer than 60 young girls at the IBB International Golf and Country Club, Abuja.

Ahmed said the initiative was designed to extend golf’s impact beyond competition by investing in young people and creating opportunities for their development.

“We believe that charity calls on us to touch lives and invest in others. Golf is not just about playing the game; it is also about giving back to society,” she said.

She explained that the future of women’s golf depended on introducing girls to the sport early and providing them with the skills and opportunities to excel.

Dr Lami said the Girls in Golf initiative was designed to introduce young girls to the sport, ignite their interest and expose them to the opportunities available through golf.

According to her, the initiative will also help girls develop valuable skills, build confidence and make informed decisions about their future careers.

Ahmed said the association had observed an increase in the number of female caddies across the country, making it necessary to create structured pathways for girls interested in golf.

She added that the initiative would encourage girls to explore different opportunities within the sport, including playing professionally and pursuing other golf-related careers.

Ahmed expressed gratitude to Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, wife of the President and founder of the Renewed Hope Initiative, for supporting the programme and the 2026 AACT.

She said the first Lady had demonstrated a strong commitment to human capital development, particularly initiatives that empower women and the girl-child.

“Her Excellency readily embraced the project because she believes in giving back to society, especially by supporting children and creating opportunities for them to thrive,” Ahmed said.

She added that preparations for the championship were progressing well, with teams from various African countries already in Abuja.

The week-long continental women’s golf championship is expected to end on Friday, with teams from at least 20 African countries expected to compete for honours.

Ahmed said LGAN remained committed to using golf as a platform for youth development, empowerment and the promotion of greater participation by women and girls in sports.

She urged stakeholders to support initiatives that would make golf more accessible to young girls and create sustainable pathways for their participation in the sport.

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