Sports

NSC inaugurates Electoral Committee for Sports Federation Elections

Published

4 weeks 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

Nigeria Jets Out Tuesday for 2025 Hockey AFCON as Federation President Engr Nkom Backs Teams for Podium Finish

Published

6 hours ago

October 5, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

With the 2025 Hockey African Cup of Nations (AFCON) set to take place in Egypt from October 11 to 18, both the men’s and women’s national hockey teams are set to depart Nigeria on October 7, brimming with confidence and determination to make the nation proud.

The President of the Hockey Federation of Nigeria (HFN), Engineer Simon Nkom, speaking after a series of friendly matches at the Hockey Pitch, Package B of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, said the teams’ early preparation and intensive training camps have positioned them for a successful outing in Egypt.

“In sports—whether it’s hockey, handball, or basketball—fitness is key. That’s why we began camping weeks ago to build the players’ strength and resilience ahead of this major competition. This is the African Cup of Nations—the highest level of hockey on the continent. We’ve prepared well, and I’m confident our teams will finish on the podium,” he stated.

Nkom highlighted the significant progress Nigerian hockey has recorded in recent years, noting that the country’s world ranking improved from 56th to 36th, while in Hockey 5s, Nigeria now stands 12th globally.

“A few years ago, people barely knew hockey existed in Nigeria. Today, our women’s team ranks 3rd in Africa, and the men’s team is 4th. This growth is a product of deliberate grassroots development and consistent effort,” he added.

To ensure smooth participation and avoid past challenges of late arrivals at tournaments, the federation has finalized logistics for early departure.

“We’ve made all arrangements for the teams to leave early to acclimatize and play friendly matches before the competition begins. The players are motivated, relaxed, and ready to give their best. By God’s grace, they will return home with their heads held high,” Nkom assured.

The HFN President also lauded the federation’s board members for their commitment and teamwork over the past four years, which he said has greatly contributed to the sport’s steady rise in Nigeria.

Head coach Ndana Baba Abdullahi, who oversees both the men’s and women’s teams, praised the federation’s support and lauded the players’ work ethic throughout the extended training camp.

“We’ve worked very hard — morning and evening sessions, tactical drills, conditioning. The players have responded excellently. We started with 35 players and are now down to the final 18 who will make the trip,” Abdullahi said, adding that the early arrival in Egypt would give Nigeria a crucial psychological and tactical edge.

Men’s team captain, Michael John, expressed confidence in the squad’s readiness and determination to make history in Egypt.

“We’re perfectly fine — we’ve trained hard and prepared well,” he said. “We’re just waiting for the whistle to blow. By God’s grace, we won’t disappoint our country or those who worked hard to send us there.”

Similarly, women’s team captain, Alfa Cornelius, echoed optimism about the team’s prospects.

“We’ve been camping for over a month, and the coaches have done a wonderful job. We’ve worked hard to match our opponents in both strength and skill. I’m 100% confident that we’ll perform excellently in Egypt,” she said.

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