Sports

Our Aims Is For Athletics To Retain Its Lost Glory-Onikeku

Published

4 years ago

June 15, 2021

Joel Ajayi

The newly elected representative of Military and Para-military (institutional sports) into the board of Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Samuel Onikeku, expressed that the Board’s desire is to help the country’s Athletics retain its lost glory. The elated Nigeria Customs Service sports secretary gave this on Monday, shortly after he was elected into the AFN Board in Abuja.

According to him, we have a President, and as a Board member representing Military and Para-military, we shall work with President to see that the objectives of the Board is put in place, as an ex-international, we shall make sure that the welfare of athletes and coaches are put first because without the Athletes and Coaches, there will be no Board or Board members.

“So, the first thing to do is to help the President to make sure that the objective of athletic track and field is achieved.

“I am the sports Secretary for NCS, that deals with all sports so, and you know, when I was competing, I competed in Athletics even though I played volleyball at low level but as a sports administrator, you should be able to function at any sports that will bring excellence. So, being elected into the Board today is another opportunity to serve and ensure Athletics retain its lost glory as it was in the 1990s and early 2000.”

Speaking on the verge of progress made in the club championship recently, the Secretary General, Nigeria Customs Service sports unit, Samuel Onikeku, vowed to do everything humanly possible to ensure the team win the next year’s club championship: “Every year we improve, we will use the league to start preparing for the next year club championship, because we are among the top 4 in Africa but what we’re aiming for is to get to the final and win the club championship, and I’m using this opportunity to thank our Controller General of Custom (CGC) for all the motivation and supports he has been giving to us. So, next year we are going to win the club championship.”

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Sports

LEADERSHIP Newspaper’s Salifu Usman Receives SWAN Fellowship In Recognition Of Sports Development Efforts

Published

12 hours ago

November 2, 2025

The Gleamer

Salifu Abubakar Usman, Group Sports Editor of LEADERSHIP Newspaper, has been honoured with the Fellow of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) award, in recognition of his exceptional support for the association, professional journalism, and his significant contributions to sports development in Nigeria.

The esteemed accolade was presented during SWAN’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration, held in Abuja, marking 60 years of excellence in sports journalism across the nation.

Upon receiving the award, Salifu expressed profound gratitude, describing the honour as a source of inspiration and renewed motivation to further his lifelong dedication to sports reporting, promotion, and growth.

“This award gives me hope and motivation to do more. It’s a source of inspiration for me and my family, and I believe it will encourage me further in sports reporting and sports development in Nigeria,” he stated.

Salifu highlighted that this recognition serves as a morale boost following decades of hard work and impactful contributions within Nigeria’s sports community and beyond.

The SWAN Diamond Jubilee Celebration attracted prominent figures from sports administration, the media, and government sectors to celebrate individuals and organisations whose efforts have significantly advanced sports development and journalism in Nigeria.

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