Sports
NPFL clarifies On Opening Day Fixtures, Says only Shooting vs. Plateau will hold
Joel Ajayi
The Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) curtain raiser fixture in Ibadan will be the only game to be held on the opening day of the 2023/24 season.
Chairman of the NPFL, Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye disclosed to the League Media outfit, the NPFL Media that the decision is consistent with the tradition established last season under the then Interim Management Committee (IMC).
“Remember that last season’s opening day fixture was the match in Uyo between Akwa United and Bendel Insurance. The other nine fixtures were played the following weekend and it is one of the traditions we are bringing into the new league era”, remarked Elegbeleye who is now the 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) by virtue of the football statutes.
Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) will be hosting former champions, Plateau United at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Adamasingba, Ibadan on Saturday, September 9.
The NPFL Boss also noted that the decision was also necessitated by the Super Eagles match on Sunday, September 10 in Uyo.
“Some of our clubs prefer playing their home matches on Sundays to attract a full house of fans and we cannot start from the first day to have scattered fixtures hence all other games apart from the curtain raiser have been moved to the following weekend”, he added.
In a related development, the match in Ibadan will be the first to be streamed on the new NPFLLive app on mobile phones and other devices.
Authorities of the Lekan Salami Stadium have completed the construction of a camera stand with a safe staircase where the AI Camera crew and commentators will operate.
Chairman of 3SC, Hon Babatunde Olaniyan revealed this in Abuja during the Annual General Meeting and Draw ceremony on Tuesday.
“We promised the broadcast team during their inspection visit that the camera stand staircase will be installed and our Governor approved funds for this because he wants the stadium to meet all requirements”, Olaniyan told NPFL Media
Sports
NSC, NCC Enter Bold Alliance to Make Nigeria E-Sports Capital – From Stadium to Server
Joel Ajayi
The National Sports Commission (NSC) is taking Nigerian sports beyond the track and pitch into the digital arena.
In a move that could redefine the future of sports development in the country, NSC Director General, Hon. Bukola Olopade, on Thursday led a high-powered delegation on a strategic working visit to the Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Hon. Idris Olorunbe.
The meeting aimed at forging a groundbreaking partnership to accelerate sports digitalisation and position Nigerian e-sports on par with global standards.
During the meeting, Hon. Olopade made it clear that the NSC is ready to embrace technology as a core driver of growth.
“Our intention is to work closely with the Nigerian Communications Commission to improve sports science, especially e-sports, through viable sponsorship. We are counting on the NCC to help deepen connectivity and attract the kind of corporate backing that modern sports demand.”
He further emphasized the need for private sector involvement.
“Corporate Social Responsibility must play a stronger role in sports development. We cannot build a 21st-century sports ecosystem without the tech and telecommunications sectors at the table. With strong cohesion between the NSC and NCC, there will be measurable improvement in sports sponsorship and digital infrastructure.”
“The NCC has a critical role to play in making e-sports work in Nigeria. From internet speed to gaming infrastructure, their support is essential if we want our athletes to compete and win on the global stage,” the DG added.
NCC Chairman, Hon. Idris Olorunbe, responded with a strong statement that set the tone for what could become a landmark partnership:“Everything that can be done in traditional sports can also be done in e-sports. The question is not if we will do it, but how we are going to do it.”
He also highlighted the economic potential of the collaboration.
“There is huge economic value attached to this synergy. What we are trying to build goes beyond sports, it touches youth employment, digital innovation, and national branding. It is commendable that the DG has taken this step.”
Hon. Olorunbe further stressed the shared national objective driving both agencies.“The essence of this collaboration is to make our country better. For the sake of our e-sports athletes, we must build gaming hubs. We must create the environment, bandwidth, and policies that allow Nigerian talent to thrive.”
Both parties agreed to establish a joint technical working group to develop a roadmap for sports digitalisation, e-sports league structuring, and a national framework for attracting sponsors into the digital sports ecosystem.
The NSC–NCC alliance marks a significant step, potentially the first formal collaboration between Nigeria’s sports and communications regulators to build a sustainable digital sports economy.
-
Featured7 years agoLampard Names New Chelsea Manager
-
Featured6 years agoFG To Extends Lockdown In FCT, Lagos Ogun states For 7days
-
Featured6 years agoChildren Custody: Court Adjourns Mike Ezuruonye, Wife’s Case To April 7
-
Featured7 years agoNYSC Dismisses Report Of DG’s Plan To Islamize Benue Orientation Camp
-
Featured5 years agoTransfer Saga: How Mikel Obi Refused to compensate me After I Linked Him Worth $4m Deal In Kuwait SC – Okafor
-
Sports3 years ago
TINUBU LAMBAST DELE MOMODU
-
News1 year agoZulu to Super Eagles B team, President Tinubu is happy with you
-
Featured7 years ago
Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones
