Winners Of Africa Tour Event [2018]

Winners have emerged in the 2018 Africa Tour Event used as a test run for upcoming Africa Senior Athletics Championships. The Africa Tour Event was hosted at the newly built Stephen Keshi stadium in Asaba, Delta State.

Divine Oduduru won the 100 meters with a time of 10.44 seconds while the duo of Ogho-Oghene Egwero (10.46) and Enoch Adegoke (10.52) emerged second and third respectively.

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Rivers State Wins 2018 Asaph Zadok National Scrabble Championship

Team Rivers have emerged as the best state at the 2018 Asaph Zadok National Scrabble Championship in Abuja.

The state dethroned Lagos state to win the title with trophy and 100,000 prize. Lagos and Oyo states came second and third best respectively.

Moses Peter, representing Akwa Ibom state emerged the individual champion after winning 17.5 games with 1,247 aggregate. Moses Peter is the first Nigerian to win the national championship twice, also won trophy and 150,000.

Ogedengbe Olawale came second in that category with 17.5 games and 939 aggregate as well as 100,000.

The 2015 world scrabble champion, Wellington Jighere, came third with 17 games with 453 aggregate and went home with 70,000.

Moses Peter dedicated his victory to God, saying that hard work and the fact that he read hard and had been competing with others helped him a lot.

Winners Of 2018 CBN Senior Open Tennis Championship

Emmanuel Sylvester and Sarah Adegoke have emerged winners of the 40th edition of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN Senior Open Tennis Championship.

Emmanuel Sylvester in the men’s category, ended his third final encounter with Babalola 6-3, 7-6 and 6-4 as well as defeating NTF number one seed, Joseph Imeh, in the quarter-final. Sarah Adegoke in the women’s category defeated Agugbom, a former Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) number one seed 4-6, 7-5, 6-0.

In the words of Emmanuel Sylvester:

“I played very good tennis and it worked for me, I thank God for that. I was happy to defeat my opponent (Babalola) in our third encounter today; it was not easy winning this tournament but I thank God for His blessings.”

However, Babalola and Agugbom still emerged winners with final cups in the men and women’s double.

Babalola paired with Lawal Shehu to defeat Nonso Madueke and Henry Atseye 6-2, 6-3. In addition, Agugbom and Blessing Samuel equally won the women doubles trophy by defeating Rose Abu and Bukola Olowu 6-2, 6-1.

Also in the CBN Senior Open Tennis Championship, which is usually organized in collaboration with NTF, the physically challenged persons participated.

Alex Adewale defeated Wasiu Yusuf in the men’s Wheelchair tennis final 6-1, 6-1, while Kafayat Omisore won Chituru Nwaozuzu 6-1, 6-3 in finals of women wheelchair tennis.

Ifedayo Akindoju, NTF President said:

“I am happy for the successful conclusion of this 40th edition of CBN open, which is the first to be hosted by our board.

More tournaments are going to come up this year through the board’s efforts which will further develop the game of tennis in the country.

We will continue to appeal to CBN and other supporting sponsors of the game so that an academy can be established which will greatly influence our global performance in not distant future.”

CBN Open and Dala Hard Court are the two national tournaments currently organized by NTF to rank tennis players.

Nigeria Emerge Overall Winner At The 2018 Ivory Coast International Badminton Championships

Nigeria has emerged overall winner of the 2018 Ivory Coast International Badminton Championships; competed in four out of five categories, with three gold, one silver and one bronze – same number of medals the country won last year.

In the mixed doubles event, Clement Krobakpo and Dorcas Adesokan beat Chongo Mulenga and Evelyn Siamupangila of Zambia to clinch gold.  In the men’s doubles, Godwin Olofua and Anu Opeyori defeated the pair of Perderson Mathias (Denmark) and Persson Jonathan (Germany).

Adesokan defeated fellow Nigerian Ruth Ebere to win the women’s singles while Opeyori lost to Adams Mendrak of the Czech Republic in the men’s singles.

Twelve countries participated in the 2018 Ivory Coast International Badminton Championships, which is one of the International Series in the Badminton World Federation’s calendar in Africa.

The participating countries were Nigeria, Ghana, Zambia, Belgium, Sweden, Maldives,  Denmark,  Jordan,  Mexico,  Czech Republic, Germany and  Ivory Coast, who are the hosts.

President of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria Francis Orbih stated:

“The players did well in Abidjan and we are proud of them.

This was even a team that we had to reduce because of funding challenges. I believe that Dorcas and Clement will do us proud at the 2020 Olympics because they are raking in the points needed to qualify.”

Mr. Orbih said the Ghana International Badminton Championships and the Lagos International Classics are next for the players.

Divine Oduduru Wins National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Title [2018]

Divine Oduduru has won his first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) title in the men’s 200 meters final with a time of 20.28s at Hayward Field, Eugene.

Despite running from lane 8, Oduduru secured the win for his school Texas Tech, winning by a one-hundredth of a second. Florida State’s Andre Ewer was 2nd in 20.29s, while Kendal Williams finished 3rd in 20.32s

The NCAA organises national championship among tertiary institutions in the United States of America (USA).

Divine Oduduru joins other Nigerian athletes to win the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) title, which includes Blessing Okagbare and Oluwatobiloba Amusan.

In the words of Divine Oduduru:

“Today when I found out I was in lane 8, I was like I have to do something because 2014 I was here for the World Juniors and I ran from lane 8 also and I qualified. So I said okay, if I could do that at the World Juniors, I could do that here too.

So that was part of my encouragement, and I encouraged myself, and I beat myself up and said okay it’s time to go. I just had to do what I have been doing at practice and I got the result.

I told God, ‘if you make me win this race, I’m going to dance a dance that shows that I’m grateful to you’.”

Divine Oduduru is the first Texas Tech athlete ever to win a 200 meters National Title.

Winners Of The 20th Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship

Father O’Connell Science College Minna, Niger State and St. Jude Girls Secondary School, Amarata, Bayelsa State, have emerged champions of the 20th edition of the Milo Secondary School Basketball Championship in the male and female categories respectively at the indoor sports hall of the National Stadium in Lagos.

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