Sports
Okowa emerges AFN President
Joel Ajayi
Chief Tonobok Okowa Of Delta State has emerged the new President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) at the authentic Elective Congress of the Federation that took place at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium Abuja on Monday.
The congress was attended by 35 chairmen of state AFN, who converged in Abuja since Saturday for the congress and elections.
The election was held following the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development invocation of section 10.4 of the 2017 AFN Constitution which led to the dissolution of Board citing the expiration of its term.
The Congress which was presided over by Ambassador Haruna Manta, Chairman of Niger state athletics association, also elected the federation’s First Vice-President and Second Vice-President.
The election was conducted by a team led by Elias Gora, a former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC).
Gadzama Tafida-Wadzani who represents the North-East zone was elected unopposed First Vice-President, with 43 of the 44 votes.
Rosa Collins-Okah who represents NAWIS was elected Second Vice-President with 42 of the 44 votes.
The three of them are joined on the new AFN board by Manta, representing the North-Central zone, Yusuf Liman (North-West), Victor Okorie (South-East) and Solomon Alao (South-West).
The rest are Prof. Emmanuel Ojeme (NAPHER-SD), Maria Wophill (international sports bodies), Samuel Onikeku (institutional sports representative) and Henry Okorie (athletes’ representatives).
Representatives of the technical bodies/coaches association, as well as the philanthropists/sponsors/ex-officio, will join the board alongside the Federation’s Secretary-General for a 14-man board.
Okowa, who is Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission and represents the South-South zone on the board, while thanking the delegates for electing him pledged to reach out for unity.
“We have had free and fair elections here today, and I thank you all for this. I will not disappoint you.
“First of all, my mandate is all about the Athletes and Coaches, we’ll make sure we give them an enabling environment to succeed, we will give priority to welfare package. We have to draw up our programs and ensure we do proper budget especially the one that will favour the Athletes and Coaches and ensure they excel”
The newly elected executive assured that they will work in unison with all zones to fulfill their mandate.
Sports
Vipers VC celebrate captain Esther Mbah on birthday
Cyril Ogar
Vipers Volleyball Club have felicitated with their captain, Esther Mbah on the occasion of her birthday.
In a statement signed by the Vipers VC Team Manager, Suraj Abiodun Jabar; the club described Mbah as a leader who has consistently demonstrated excellence both on and off the court.
The statement also praised the Nigerian international for her valuable contributions to the club.
The statement mentioned her role in guiding Vipers to a second-place finish at the 2026 CAVB Zone 3 Club Championship in Ghana.
It read: “The management of Vipers Volleyball Club wants to celebrate Esther Mbah on the occasion of her birthday.
“She has been an asset to Vipers since joining the club, demonstrating outstanding commitment, dedication and leadership.
“Her contributions to the growth and success of the team have been invaluable.
“We appreciate her efforts, professionalism and the positive influence she continues to have on her teammates. We wish her more successful years ahead, good health and greater achievements.”
The club concluded its birthday message by wishing the experienced player continued success as she leads the team towards achieving more honours.
Beyond her achievements at club level, Mbah won a bronze medal for Nigeria at the 2024 African Games in Ghana, further establishing herself as one of the country’s accomplished volleyball players.
She has also secured qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, adding another milestone to her growing career.
In their separate messages, board members of Nigeria Volleyball Federation, James Datuhun and Chinedu Onikeku (OLY) as well as Coordinator of Vipers VC, Samuel Onikeku wished the Nigeria international a glamorous birthday.
They hailed Esther Mbah for exhibiting a high level of leadership trait since joining the team.
The stakeholders prayed for good health and ultimately success as she prepares for the Beach Volleyball event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
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