Sports

NSC inaugurates Electoral Committee for Sports Federation Elections

Published

3 months ago

September 9, 2025

Joel Ajayi

The Leadership of the National Sports Commission has inaugurated the Electoral committee for the upcoming National sports federations elections.
The Newly inaugurated committee has been saddled with the responsibility of conducting a hitch free and transparent Elections into 20 National Sports Federations including Aquatics, Chess, Handball, Golf, karate, Darts, Fives and Tennis.
Others are wrestling, Wushu Kung Fu, Scrabble, Hockey, Badminton, Boxing , Taekwondo, Squash Rackets, Traditional Sports Rugby, Kickboxing and Deaf Sports.
Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, after officially inaugurating the Committee, expressed confidence that he has no doubt that they will do a good job to oversee a successful process.
” We have succeeded in choosing a very balanced and compact team for this assignment because we want to set a new standard of how Federation Elections are conducted with topmost integrity and transparency”.
” Myself and my brother the DG were appointed here by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GFCR, to do things differently and change the way sports are being run professionally. This is why everything we do, professionally must be at the forefront”.
” As a commission we have no partisan interest. Myself and the DG have no interest rather than to ensure we have people elected who are aligned to our vision of building a sustainable sports economy in line with the mandate given to us by Mr President.This is our only interest. We will not interfere in the process but will only give guidance because we have a vision and we want only people that understand the vision”.
In his remarks, Director General of the NSC, Hon. Bukola Olopade, maintained that the Commission was very meticulous in putting up the Committee and re-echoed the Chairman’s optimism in the committee’s ability to deliver crises-free polls.
” We are very intentional about everything we are doing at the commission and putting up this robust team for these elections is one of them”.
” We wanted a very astute team that can stand every challenge that comes with elections of this magnitude and this is exactly what we have put together with this committee that is chaired by Dr Simon Ebhonjaiye, a very experienced sports administrator and technocrat alongside other members”.
Chairman of the Electoral committee Dr Simon Ebhojiaye assured the Commission that his team will bring all their wealth of experience and expertise to bear to do a good job in conducting the elections.
” I have no doubt that the decision of the NSC to put the individuals in this committee together will yield the expected results of conducting a hitch free elections”.
“We will follow the commission’s guidelines strictly and we will work very hard to deliver a good job that both the Commission and Nigerians will be proud of”, he assured.
Other members of the Electoral Committee include; the Vice Chairman, Barrister Samson Ebomhe, Lawal Waheed, Hon Tunde Popoola, Barrister Maryam Orotope Paul, Farouk Yelima and the Secretary, Rita Mosindi.

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Sports

Team Nigeria Records Best-Ever Performance at Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh

Published

1 day ago

November 23, 2025

The Gleamer

…Finishes 8th on overall standings, secures Africa’s second best placement

Joel Ajayi

Nigeria finished eighth on the medals table with a total of 30 medals, marking its best-ever performance at the Islamic Solidarity Games, while Turkey emerged at the top of the standings.

This year has been a remarkable success for the National Sports Commission, which has supported more than 40 sports federations in attending international competitions, many of whom have delivered outstanding performances and secured medals – the count includes taekwondo, swimming, cricket, para-powerlifting, para-badminton, among others.

Nigeria’s haul, comprised 11 gold, 12 silver, and 7 bronze, a result that reinforces the National Sports Commission’s (NSC) strategic direction of sending only athletes with strong podium prospects to major international events.

Competing in seven sports, Taekwondo, Boxing, Athletics, Wrestling, Weightlifting, Para-Powerlifting, and Para-Athletics, the team delivered an unprecedented outcome, winning medals in every sports they competed in .

Weightlifting led Nigeria’s medal haul with 6 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze, followed by Athletics, which secured 2 gold, 4 silver, and 3 bronze. Wrestling added 2 gold and 2 silver, Para-Powerlifting contributed 1 gold, while Boxing and Para-Athletics each earned 1 silver. Taekwondo completed the tally with 1 bronze medal.

Director General of the National Sports Commission, Hon. Bukola Olopade, praised the team’s exceptional outing, stating:

“It is not a coincidence that Nigeria won medals in every sport we participated in at the 6th Islamic Solidarity Games. This achievement reflects the new direction we have taken in sports development. After meeting with our team at the Commission and the Elite and Podium Board led by Yusuf Ali, we made a deliberate decision to bring only podium prospects to Riyadh and today, that decision has paid off.”

He added that the performance in Riyadh sets the standard for future international engagements:

“From Boxing to Taekwondo, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Track and Field and Powerlifting, Nigeria secured medals in every sport we entered. This is the new benchmark at the National Sports Commission, guiding our preparations for upcoming competitions, including the Commonwealth Games and ultimately, the Olympics.”

Officials stated that Team Nigeria’s record-breaking finish in Riyadh marks a defining moment in the country’s sporting evolution and strengthens its position as a rising force in global multi-sport competitions.

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