Those German ladies show no mercy mehn!!! Hahahahahaha..... The Banyana Banyans should be thankful they aren't facing the Germans.

The south Africans could earn themselves respectable results against China PR (or could beat them if all goes really well). But Brazil and Sweden are another matter entirely..... But It won't be as bad as facing the Female Die Mannschaft..... #smiles

Bonne Chance ladies....

The Dream Team Eagles..... well, I tip them to make it out of the "not easy but not the toughest" group.

I also believe they can go beyond the quarters.... far beyond if possible. It's gonna be interesting facing two continental champs in Sweden and Japan.

Colombia's always dangerous as most South american teams are. (Abeg, James go make am? e go make sense ooo but he also has the centenary Copa America.. time will tell). #smiles

CFCman:


I'd expect the Dream Team to advance to the quarter finals. Anything more than that is a bonus.

The Germany v Zimbabwe game will end up like the WWC match between Germany and Ivory Coast which ended 10-0

TheSuperNerd:
Those German ladies show no mercy mehn!!! Hahahahahaha..... The Banyana Banyans should be thankful they aren't facing the Germans.

The south Africans could earn themselves respectable results against China PR (or could beat them if all goes really well). But Brazil and Sweden are another matter entirely..... But It won't be as bad as facing the Female Die Mannschaft..... #smiles

Bonne Chance ladies....

The Dream Team Eagles..... well, I tip them to make it out of the "not easy but not the toughest" group.

I also believe they can go beyond the quarters.... far beyond if possible. It's gonna be interesting facing two continental champs in Sweden and Japan.

Colombia's always dangerous as most South american teams are. (Abeg, James go make am? e go make sense ooo but he also has the centenary Copa America.. time will tell). #smiles

James Rodriguez could play in the tournament, but I doubt if Real Madrid would allow him to play in two summer competitions where he could, in theory, play in up to 12 matches combined.

Neymar is also having the same dilemma with Brazil and Barcelona. Barca are insisting that Neymar shouldn't be a part of both Brazil squads; that he should only play in one tournament. But the latter want him for both.

Brazil will especially need him at the Olympics because they are yet to win gold in the event (and the women's football event).

Yeah... Neymar's is a headliner. Reports say he won't mind featuring at both tournaments. But Barca will have none of that.

It's possible they could reach a compromise but I know Neymar will be in Rio no matter what.

James, Willian (if picked as one of Brazil's overaged), and a few others may have to choose but time will tell.

post=44711167:

James Rodriguez could play in the tournament, but I doubt if Real Madrid would allow him to play in two summer completions where he could, in theory, play in up to 12 matches combined.

Neymar is also having the same dilemma with Brazil and Barcelona. Barca are insisting that Neymar shouldn't be a part of both Brazil squads; that he should only play in one tournament. But the latter want him for both.

Brazil will especially need him at the Olympics because they are yet to win gold in the event (and the women's football event).

Nwanneka Okwelogu wins women’s Shot put at Penn Relays!

African Championships Silver medallist Nwanneka Okwelogu was in fine form for her school, dominating the field to win the College Women’s Shot Put Championship on Thursday, April 28 at the ongoing Penn Relays.

The Harvard Junior was the only athlete to have recorded a throw beyond 17m, winning the competition with a distance of 17.16m, while Tennessee’s Cassie Wertman and Penn State’s Alyssa Robinson followed with 16.91m and 15.99m respectively.The 20-year old first recorded a throw of 16.11m, before securing her winning distance of 17.16m at her second attempt. Her third attempt saw her make a throw of 16.87m, while she was fouled on her fourth throw.

While speaking with The Inquirer,Okwelogu revealed her initial disappointment at having to compete in the morning. She said:“I was a little disappointed at how early it was because it kind of takes me a while. I think it takes everyone a while to warm up. But I tried to bring what I had. I knew it was going to be a really good competition. I was expecting to have to throw far in order to win.”Okwelogu has a Personal Best (outdoor) of 17.32m set last year, but recorded an indoor PB of 17.66m last month.

Her first outing for Nigeria was at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, before proceeding to Marrakech for the African Championships where she took Silver behind compatriot Chinwe Okoro.

http://www.makingofchamps.com/2016/04/29/nwanneka-okwelogu-wins-womens-shot-put-penn-relays/

Good news guys


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04/05/2016 NEWS
Ezeli in Nigeria’s preliminary squad for Rio Olympics

Festus Ezeli (NGR) - Golden State Warriors (NBA). Photo courtesy of www.nba.com/warriors
ABUJA (Rio 2016 Olympics) - Eight new faces have been included in Nigeria's 27-player preliminary squad for the Rio 2016 Olympics, the country's basketball federation (NBBF) announced on Tuesday.

Among the newcomers are Golden State Warriors center Festus Ezeli and Thanasis Antetokounmpo of the New York Knicks' D-League affiliate Westchester Knicks, with both players set to compete for final roster spots.

Sharpshooter Derrick Obasohan - a key member of Nigeria's team that competed at the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament - is looking to return to the national having last featured at the London Olympics.

All 12 players that suited up for Nigeria on its title run at AfroBasket 2015 have been included in the squad that will hold a training camp.



Ezeli has often expressed his intentions of representing his country and his turn might just have arrived.


Antetokounmpo, the older brother of Greece international Giannis Antetokounmpo, has long been linked to the African champions.

This past season, the 23-year-old forward had a short stint with New York Knicks, but it was with the Westchester Knicks that he made some noise, averaging 10.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in the D-League.


While Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo is yet to decide on his future with the D'Tigers, this seems to be strongest possible group coach Will Voigt could have put together.

Umar Tijjani, NBBF Chairman, told FIBA.com: "These are the players that our head coach thought were right to work with."

With warm-up games against Olympics champions USA set for July, the NBBF and Voigt made sure to include home-based players Abubakar Usman and Stanley Gumut.

This looks like a pretty strong group of players. It is one of the strongest in the last years. So we’ll see who coach Voigt takes to Rio. - Tijjani
"The 28th name was supposed to be Victor Oladipo but he has not yet decided and we don't want to put his name out before his decision," Tijjani told the local media. "He has been in training camp with the US national team and he has not made the team. So, sometimes decisions can be very tough when it comes to that."

At Rio 2016, Nigeria will play in Group B and face Spain, Argentina, Lithuania, Brazil as well as one of the three teams that will qualify via the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs).

The team's training camp is expected to open in Los Angeles or Bakersfield in June.

Nigeria 27-player preliminary squad for Rio 2016 Olympics: Usman Abubukar, Alade Aminu, Al-Farouq Aminu, Josh Akognon, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Suleiman Braimoh, Folarin Campbell, Ike Diogu, Ebi Ere, Festus Ezeli, Michael Gbinije, Stanley Gumut, Ekene Ibekwe, Shane Lawal, Trevor Mbakwe, David Nwaelele, Derrick Obasohan, Ike Ofoegbu, Andy Ogide, Chamberlain Oguchi, Stan Okoye, Jamal Olasewere, Olumide Oyedeji, Mike Umeh, Mfon Udofia, Ekpe Udoh and Ben Uzoh.

FIBA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CHWxUCiYEw

[size=15pt]Nigeria's Prep For Olympic Games[/size]

Nawa no more news to post?

There still is Sir.....

7 players dropped from D’Tigress




The build up towards a final 12- man list for Nigeria’s D’ Tigress ahead of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Nantes, France continued Monday in the Abuja camp of the team with no less than seven players dropped.


Informed sources told Daily Sunsport that the players were given the news of decampment on Monday by the technical crew, urging them not to be discouraged but work harder as they stand a good chance of being in the next set of national team players.



Those affected include, Akaraiwe Nkem, Chinyere Juliet, Okeke Ebere, Umeh Gloria, Okpe Patience, Idoko Patience and Ibiam Elem.


The cut now brought to 16 the number of players left in camp from the total list of 23 players given the absence of Joyce Ekweremadu and Ify Ibekwe that failed to show up in Abuja.

They are therefore out of the team if they fail to report to the camp in Turkey where the team was billed to engage the Turkey women’s national team in a double header friendly billed for May 27th and 28th respectively.



However, head coach of D’ Tigress, Scott Nnaji would neither admit nor deny the dropping of the players.

According to him, a final decision was yet to be taken on the number of players that would be dropped.


Only yesterday, Daily Sunsport reported that eight players had been pencilled down for the drop.


Nigeria was drawn against Belarus and Korea in Group C for the 2016 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament holding from June 13 through 16 in France.


Source: http://sunnewsonline.com/7-players-dropped-from-dtigress/

Date of news publication: 24th May, 2016.

isaiah9:
Nawa no more news to post?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-FPv8IN-yE

Okagbare places 2nd in Rabat Diamond League meet with a time of 11.11 secs - her season's best so far.

@TheSuperNerd, thanks for the update.

D'Tigress have the wherewithal to advance to the quarter finals of the OQT.

I pray oladipo commit to Nigeria. If he does nigeria will definitely go for.

You welcome Boss CFCman.....

And I concur with you, D'Tigress shouldn't have problems brushing aside Korea and Belarus... "On paper".

Anyway, I wish them the very best. Hope they pull off a surprise like D'Tigers did in Olympic qualifying in 2012.

CFCman:
@TheSuperNerd, thanks for the update.

D'Tigress have the wherewithal to advance to the quarter finals of the OQT.

TheSuperNerd:
You welcome Boss CFCman.....

And I concur with you, D'Tigress shouldn't have problems brushing aside Korea and Belarus... "On paper".

Anyway, I wish them the very best. Hope they pull off a surprise like D'Tigers did in Olympic qualifying in 2012.

I also hope they make it to the knockout stages of the Olympics.

WOQT-bound Turkey and Nigeria to face off in Istanbul warm-up games

The 12-team 2016 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament (WOQT) tips off next month in Nantes, France, but Turkey and Nigeria - two teams looking to secure two of the remaining five tickets for the 2016 Rio Olympics - are making sure to get ready for the battle by facing off in a two-game warm-up series in Istanbul on Friday and Saturday.

The WOQT runs from 13-19 June.

While Turkey made adjustments to its coaching staff with the return of head coach Ekrem Memnun, Nigeria has trimmed its preliminary squad from 25 to 16.

Although Memnun - who led the team to a fifth-place finish at EuroBasket Women 2015 - is yet to announce the final roster for the WOQT, he is aiming at instilling a new team mentality.

In the meantime, Nigeria head coach Scott Nnaji dismissed criticism for cutting seven home-based players and building a team around Nigerian-Americans based overseas.

He hopes to capitalise on Nigeria's third-place finish achieved at AfroBasket Women 2015.

"All we are after is getting the best team out there to give us the best performances and having been in camp for the last couple of days has given us an opportunity to look at all the players and what they can offer," Nnaji said.
http://www.fiba.com/oqtwomen/2016/news/woqt-bound-turkey-and-nigeria-to-face-off-in-istanbul-warm-up-games

It looks like Mikel and Ighalo are shoe-ins as part of the over-age trio to the Olympics..
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/05/race-rio-olympics-age-players-rages-siasia-meets-mikel-ighalo/

Rio 2016: Asumnu joins Okagbare


Gloria Asunmu.


Nigeria’s women 100m champion, Gloria Asumnu, during the week joined the country’s overseas-based athletes who have qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.



Asumnu ran a season’s best of 11.24secs to meet the qualifying standard of the women’s 100m at the Altis Invitational in Phoenix Arizona. She has therefore joined Blessing Okagbare and Peace Uko in sealing a spot in the event at the Games.



Asumnu finished second behind Jamaica’s Schillione Calvert, who won the race in 11.19secs, while Shai-Anne Davis placed third in 11.48secs. The former African 200m champion had earlier clocked 11.35secs in the heats, which was just 0.01sec shy of her former SB set in Texas earlier in the month.



Also Nigeria’s Toyin Augustus competed in the 100m hurdles of the event, where she finished third overall in the heats in a time of 13.25secs. She lowered her time to 13.14secs in the final where she also placed third behind Morgan Snow (12.92secs) and Evonne Britton (13.02secs).


Augustus is also seeking to return to action for Nigeria at the Olympics after being out of the team for a while. The standard for the 100m hurdles is 13.47secs.



Another Nigerian Also in action at the Shoenhair Track and Field Stadium was Abiola Onakoya who placed 6th in the men’s 400m in 47.40secs.


Meanwhile, Patience George also added to Nigeria’s list of qualifiers for Rio when she met the standard of 52.00secs at last week’s Sapele Golden League of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria.


She ran the exact time of 52.00secs to set a new season’s best to qualify for the women’s 400m. George also during the week finished second at the fourth IAAF World Challenge in Dakar, Senegal.


She ran 52.20secs to finish behind Bostwana’s Lydia Jele, who ran 52.18secs. The Nigerian champion finished ahead of Jamaica’s Patricia Hall who was third in 52.75secs.


George, who last year ran two PBs of 50.76secs and 50.71secs respectively, will be hoping to get close to that mark this year. She would be wary of the threats of Margaret Bamgbose, who has run 51.11secs this season, and the returning Folashade Abugan.


Source: http://www.punchng.com/rio-2016-asumnu-joins-okagbare/

^^
Good for her and the country.

For the women's 4x100m relay, it won't be a bad idea to deploy Ese Brume to the quartet, because she is also interested in running the 100m and 200m.

I will retire after Rio 2016 – Toriola


Segun Toriola.


Africa’s first athlete to qualify for seven consecutive Olympics, Segun Toriola, told Idris Adesina about his plans for the Games in Rio, his plans for retirement and many more in this interview.





How are you preparing for the Olympics?

Olympic preparations have begun after the just-concluded ITTF Premier Lotto World Tour here in Lagos. The federation has started making their plans known to us and a lot will be done in the next couple of weeks to get us in tune for the Olympics. Although everyone of us, who qualified for the Olympics, has begun training in our own ways, the federation knows that we still have to get to a number of competitions before the Games to put us in the right shape for Rio. If we just keep on training for a tournament and we don’t compete before it, we might find ourselves struggling at the Olympics.







What really happened at the Nigerian Open where you exited at the semifinal stage after you had been tipped to win it?

I will attribute that to the pressure on the home players to win the tournament for the first time. Quadri Aruna wasn’t around and there were just two of us in the quarterfinal – Bode Abiodun and I. Bode was beaten in the quarterfinal by Olah (Benedik) and I was the only one left. I really tried but I would say that Olah was luckier than I was. When a game comes to a 10-9, 10-10 score, it hinges on luck for you to win. But it showed that the guy was good because after beating me, he went on to win the title.








You recently created an African record by qualifying for your seventh consecutive Olympics. How does it feel achieving such a milestone in your career?

It is a thing of pride because it is not something we see around here every day. I think it is possible because of the sport I do – table tennis. Being the first African to achieve such feat is an exciting thing and also being the first Nigerian athlete to do such is another thing I am proud of. It goes to show that Africans are capable of good things and the future ones will draw inspiration from it to put more effort into whatever they are doing. It is also a record for other sports to try and achieve and I believe it is possible in the nearest future.







How will you describe your experience at the past six Olympics?

Since I made my first Olympic appearance at Barcelona in 1992, the experience at each Olympics has been quite different from the others. The farthest I have gone at the Olympics was at the Beijing 2008 Olympics where I got to the Round of 16 in the men’s Singles. It was a moment I can’t forget – in fact every Olympic outing is a memorable one for me. But at the end of each one, I learn a lot of things which impact my game in one way or the other.







What has been your source of inspiration all these years?

My greatest source of inspiration is God. I also draw inspiration from senior players like Atanda Musa, Sunday Eboh, Monday Merotohun, and the others – when I was a junior player, I always aimed and targeted at being like them. My family and fans have also kept me going even during a time when I was injured and it seemed I won’t play again.







In your seventh Olympic appearance in Rio, do you think Nigeria can win that elusive medal?

It is a tough thing to say Nigeria will win or that Nigeria won’t win. The new format of the Olympics that was recently put out by the ITTF has made it possible for other countries to have a shot at the table tennis medals. Gone are the days when China packs a lot of players to the Olympics and they will be the one to sweep all the medals. Back then, even top European teams like Germany, struggle to win medals. The format is such that only two players can represent each country in the men’s and women’s singles, so there is an equal advantage for all countries which have qualified. Since we are competing in the singles and the men’s team events, I believe we can win a medal this time around because of the quality of our players both on the men and women’s side.







Looking at table tennis in Nigeria, you have been on the scene for more than two decades. When do you hope to retire from the national team?

I have been saying it for a while that I will leave the national team after the Olympics in Rio – that was even before the qualifiers for the Games. But I will still be playing for my club. I am happy with what I am seeing in the team now. We have a lot of good and young players in the national team who can step up to the occasion. The reason I am still in the team for now is to take the pressure off Quadri Aruna and the other senior players. They are all improving in their games and they can step up when I finally leave. I have often been told that being there doesn’t give the younger players the opportunity to grow but I do say that the players have also learnt from my being in the team. It will be a sad thing to see the team struggling after leaving because it shows that all the years and effort you put into the team have really little impact.







After retirement what do you want to do for the Nigerian team?

I have already started with being a player coach for the team. I have been coaching some junior players here – and at my club. I will always be around in the country to support the federation because I don’t want to go the way of some of our former players – some of them are in the country while others are abroad but I don’t blame them for not coming around because they have their reasons. The NTTF needs a lot of help from experienced former players as it is done in Europe – which is why sports develop better there than here. Really, former players can help the sport grow in Nigeria if they come around. That is part of what they can give back to the country.







Talking about your professional career, how is Argentan Bayard faring in the French Pro B?

We are doing quite fine and I can say that the club has really helped my career because I have learnt a lot from them in Europe. We are currently fifth in the table. Our league is played in the team format, so everyone has a role to play. Europe – apart from China where the game originated from and is still reigning – is a place where the most up-to-date development in the sport can be learnt. What we have at home is quite the talent which will be refined there. Playing in a league for eight to nine months will teach you a lot and will develop your playing style. If I hadn’t played in Europe, I can confidently say that I may not have become the Segun Toriola that is known today.







Nigeria has yet to have a table tennis league. How do you think this can be done?

The impact of a league in the career of a table tennis player is not a small one. I think the NTTF is doing their best to float a league that will run across all the levels – junior, senior, male and female. They started with a pilot league sometime last year and the players really loved it. They have also done something with the junior players this year. It is the problem of sponsorship and funding that I think is delaying it because I have been opportune to see what development can be brought about into the sport with the league. It will keep the players busy and the federation will also have a pool of players to pick from. For now, after major events. The players are mostly idle except when training on their own. If the right sponsorship is gotten, I think the league will come up early enough.







Egypt are the toughest challenge for Nigeria in the sport in Africa. What do you think led to their seeming dominance now?

Egypt did what we are not doing – that is spending money on the sport to develop the young ones. Although the NTTF is currently doing that now but the fund is not available. They go through a lot of stress to do the little they are doing now. When Nigeria was dominating Africa and winning all the medals, Egypt went home to plan and develop young players. It is the players they developed then that are now yielding positive results and giving us a tough time. They don’t want Nigeria to become dominant again. I tell people that we have more talent than they have but we don’t have the money they have. If Egypt didn’t challenge us, Nigeria would have remained giants in Africa but we will relax and not develop on the world stage. The rivalry is a good thing for the sport and I know it will bring the best out of us. For instance, Egypt have been give close to $5m to prepare for the Olympics whereas Nigeria have yet to know what will happen before the Games. That is what drives them and they will keep getting good results if they keep doing that.
A part of the challenges you talked about is coaching.







What can be done to improve our coaches?

Really Nigerian coaches are good but they have yet to evolve with the modern trends of the game. Table tennis is a sport that is ever-evolving. I am surprised to still see some of our players using the playing style I had last used when I was leaving for Europe. We need more coaches in the sport but they need constant training and retraining to keep them abreast of the latest dictates of the game. The national team coaches too should be trained often to enable us to compete favourably with the best in the world.







How did you begin table tennis?

I started table tennis at a very young age in my father’s compound – that was in Abeokuta, Ogun State. I am from a sports-loving family, so it was very easy for me to do it. My dad was such a person that does not allow his children go into the streets in the name of doing sports. So he bought table tennis equipment for us at home and we do play at home. I will say he and my brothers were my first coaches because he really supported and encouraged us to do sports. People say they played table tennis on the streets but I did not have that kind of chance. I never played on the streets. When I first represented Ogun State, I was taken from my father’s compound to the stadium to play. After school, we must not be found on the streets, so we all took solace on the table.







Would you allow your children to play table tennis?

Really, that is left for them to decide. Sports is a thing that has to come from the mind if one wants to be successful. I wasn’t stopped from doing sport when I chose table tennis, so I won’t stop any of my children if they choose to play it or any other sport.








What is your advice for up-and-coming table tennis players?

They should be patient, courteous and focused. A lot of players don’t want to persevere. They want to make money even without fine-tuning their skills. I always tell players that money will come after you have established yourself. Players are distracted these days and they don’t see it as a wrong thing. They will be in training and the next thing their phone rings. Whatever you have taught them before their phone distracted them will be forgotten. They all want to be stars but they have forgotten that it is not easy. They should take their time and train well and money and fame will come to them.


Source: http://www.punchng.com/will-retire-rio-2016-toriola/

Yeah... ESE Brume should be able to combine the relay sprints with her long jump activities.

Nigeria could have a really crack 4x100m women relay team if all goes well.

CFCman:
^^
Good for her and the country.

For the women's 4x100m relay, it won't be a bad idea to deploy Ese Brume to the quartet, because she is also interested in running the 100m and 200m.

Guys how did the match between our female basketball team and their turkey counterpart end?

isaiah9:
Guys how did the match between our female basketball team and their turkey counterpart end?

Turkey won the game by 68-56.

Blessing Okagbare achieves Long Jump Rio Standard at the Prefontaine Classics

Blessing Okagbare on Friday night May 27th 2016 met the Olympic Standard for the Long Jump at the Rio Olympic Games with a Jump of 6.73m at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meet in Eugene Oregon USA, placing fourth in the event. From Eugene the African and Nigerian superstar expressed some reservation but mostly satisfaction in her performance, as she was thankful that she had met the Rio Standard for the Long Jump.

The take away from her performance at the Long Jump in Eugene on Friday night is that she beat several of the top level performers in the world this year including the likes of Tiana Bartoletta of the USA, Janay Deloach of the US and Shara Proctor of the UK and is gradually getting the form she desires for Rio.

Blessing will now turn her attention to the short sprint of the 100 meters today May 28th 2016 where she will lock horns will fellow African Muriel Ahoure of the Ivory Coast, Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce of Jamaica and once again Carmelita Jeter of the USA.
http://www.africansportsmonthly.com/news/-blessing-okagbare-achieves-long-jump-rio-standard-at-the-prefontaine-classics#.V0nYWZErLIV

In the second friendly game today, Turkey beat D'Tigress 67-56.
Yesterday, the same team beat D'Tigress 68-56.

The Turkish ladies are ranked number 10 in the world.

CFCman:
In the second friendly game today, Turkey beat D'Tigress 67-56.
Yesterday, the same team beat D'Tigress 68-56.

The Turkish ladies are ranked number 10 in the world.

Nawaooo our girls need to improve before the qualifying tournament commence.

isaiah9:
Nawaooo our girls need to improve before the qualifying tournament commence.

True

But I expect them to beat both South Korea and Belarus. I'm not sure they'll win their quarter final game, but they would still qualify if they emerge as the "best loser" via the classification matches.

Nwanneka Okwelogu (shot put) has qualified for the Rio Olympics. She threw 17.91m at the NCAA East Regional preliminary competition last weekend

She is also a student at Harvard University, studying Human evolutionary biology

ONYALI PREDICTS DOOM FOR TEAM NIGERIA




Track queen, Mary Onyali, has expressed doubts over the possibility of Team Nigeria making any appreciable impact at the Rio 2016 Olympics arguing that apart from starting too late, it takes six to eight years for an athlete to win an Olympic gold medal.




Speaking in Abuja when the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) formally launched an official partner to provide online content of the Olympics events to Nigerians, Onyali tactically posited that attention should rather be focused on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.


According to her; “I would have comfortably stayed behind in US but I choose to return and give back to the country that gave me everything. I find it extremely difficult to look at the faces of our athletes these days to see the torture they are going through daily, training to lift our green and white flag high.”



“They put in their best in every part of the world they are competing but unfortunately they get very minimal or no support. That alone contributed to my coming back to Nigeria. Sponsors and sponsorship in Nigerian sports is very difficult to find these days.



“Our athletes need them now more than ever. I have to do my best to team up and support the NOC and every other partner that may be participating in this programme. If our athletes are not going to the Olympics there would be no reason for any of us to be there.”



“I have always believed in three things, athletes centred, coaches’ lead, and sponsors or partners driven. The latter is the key to the other two. If we don’t have the sponsors and partners to contribute to the welfare of these athletes and coaches, all of us will have to reason going to Rio unless we want to just go as visitors.



“Although it is a bit late going to the Olympics, but it is better late than never. Our athletes have always been very resilient when it comes to showing surprises at the last minute. They are all over the world training, they don’t just want to go there to participate but to win medals, get a feel of what it is like and prepare themselves for the next edition.



“This Rio edition is not the only Olympics, we still have Tokyo 2020, the earlier the better. It takes six to eight years preparation to win an Olympics goal medal. We must key in the future and not just on Rio 2016 but to focus beyond it so that we can be better prepared. I challenge everyone inside and outside to support Team Nigeria sponsorship or partnership wise to win at least 10 gold medals in the 2020 Olympics,” she pleaded.


Source: http://sunnewsonline.com/rio-2016-onyali-predicts-doom-for-team-nigeria/

This is good news. Another Young athlete making her mark and flying the country's flag high....

CFCman:
Nwanneka Okwelogu (shot put) has qualified for the Rio Olympics. She threw 17.91m at the NCAA East Regional preliminary competition last weekend

She is also a student at Harvard University, studying Human evolutionary biology

Olympics-bound Quadri rescues Jura Morez from relegation





Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri has helped his French club, Jura Morez, escape relegation from the Pro A Table Tennis League, which ended during the week.


Quadri, who missed the 2016 ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria Open due to his club commitment, helped Morez to a 4-1 win over Boulogne Billancourt in their final game of the season.



Morez finished seventh in the 10-team Pro A League with 32 points. They played 18 matches – out of which they won seven and lost 11.
Pontoise-Cergy AS won the league with 49 points from 15 wins, a draw and two losses while Chartres finished second with 41 points and Angers Vaillante Sport were third with 40 points.



However, Egypt’s Omar Assar was not as lucky as the Nigerian as his club Istres dropped to the second division in the French League after losing 4-2 to Pro B side Villeneuve in the relegation play-offs on Monday in Paris.
Assar, who also missed the Nigeria Open, was in good form in the match but his efforts could not save Istres.

They finished 9th with 29 points while Villeneuve were second in Pro B to determine who would stay in the elite division.
Meanwhile, Quadri has apologised to Nigerians on his absence from the Nigerian Open, saying he would work hard to make an impact at the 2016 Olympics.



“I am using this medium to apologise to all my fans and particularly the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation for my inability to feature in this year’s Nigeria Open. My mind was with the tournament throughout but my club needed me as we were on the verge of going into relegation,” Quadri was quoted as saying in a statement.



“We were four players in the team and one of my teammates was injured and for us to play in any league match we have to be a three-man team and this was what prevented me from coming to Lagos.



“But despite all, I want to promise my fans that I will continue to represent my country and make my nation proud. I have started my personal preparation for the Olympics and I hope I can repay their trust with good performance at the Rio Olympic Games in Brazil.”


Source: http://www.punchng.com/quadri-rescues-jura-morez-relegation/

End of the Road at Rio 2016?






Fans at the recently concluded ITTF Premier Lotto Nigeria open table tennis championship in Lagos were disappointed that no Nigerian qualified for the final of the competition, a situation that led to calls from some quarters for the services of a foreign coach for the nation’s players.

In this piece, Kunle Adewale writes about national team player, Olufunke Oshonaike’s of a foreign coach
Germany-based Funke Oshonaike, a five-time Olympian and was optimistic after the draws for the ITTF Lotto Nigeria Open that she had all it takes to cart away the biggest prize of the competition considering her form and the kind of training she has had. But it was not to be. She was knocked out in the semifinal to the disappointment of the crowd at the Molade Okoya Sports Centre of the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos.
“These people (foreign players) are just coming here every year to take away our money (prize money) and our players could not just do anything. Our last hope had just been dashed,” a fan who could not hide his disappointment said as he watched Oshonaike bow to the superior play of her Portuguese opponent.
Questions were then raised about the quality of training new players get and why no players has been able to dethrone Oshonaike over the years, so much so she would be in Rio for her sixth Olympics.


Oshonaike feels that with the number of ex-internationals around, Nigeria does not need the services of a foreign coach.


“We have some very good coaches in the country that could hold on to their own anywhere, calling for the service of a foreign coach who does not understand our culture, mentality and nature would be a wrong move at this time,” the Olympian said.


The player is indeed hoping to coach the table tennis national team after her career which she admitted has at its twilight, should the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation consider her as a coach.
“I would gladly accept the offer to coach the country if it would mean adding quality to Nigerian table tennis. After all, I’m over 40 years with lots of experience in the game during my long stay abroad. I understand those areas many Nigerian players are lacking which have in most cases prevented them from rising to the world stage in the game,” she noted.


Oshonaike also lamented the lack of enough competitions to keep players busy. A situation she said was killing the sport.


“Things were not the way it used to be when I started the game as a schoolgirl. Then, there were lots of competitions to participate in, which kept us busy and also improved our skills. But not so any more, which is very unfortunate and its really taking its toll on the upcoming players. It’s the main reason table tennis in Nigeria is going down every now and then.


“I’ll therefore suggest that the federation should aggressively seek sponsors to save the sport from sinking further. But unfortunately, the economy is not buoyant as most corporate organisations that would have come to the rescue of the game are struggling to keep afloat. But maybe some wealthy individuals should just come and save table tennis and help young potential players fulfill their dreams,” she noted


The other area Oshonaike wants the federation to pay attention to is grassroots table tennis not because she began her career from there, but due to the burgeoning potentials at that level for the good of the country.
Oshonaike explained that if the grassroots coaches played their role by discovering and harnessing these young talents, they could be integrated into the national table tennis team where they would be under the tutelage of national coaches.


She noted: “We have a lot of problems with grassroots table tennis because the grassroots coaches are not doing enough to bring young players for professional coaching.


“For instance, when I started playing table tennis, there was the cadet, junior and senior. Then, if you are in the cadet level and they observed that you played very well, you would be moved to the junior team and consequently, if you performed well, you would be moved to the senior team. Therefore, a player should begin from grassroots before playing at the national level. The coaches at the grassroots have to do their jobs before the coaches at the national level can come in.”



For every glorious career, there is always a starting point. Oshonaike’s foray into table tennis began in elementary school on the streets of Shomolu, a bustling suburb of Lagos. While in Shomolu, Oshonaike started developing her potential which she described as a “talent from God” using a makeshift table and soak away slabs to play the game with her elder brother.


From there, the ship sailed to her secondary school, where she represented the school at competitions, earning her awards and recognition. This opportunity did not only launch her into limelight, but set her apart as a rare talent with promises and potential.


“I started playing table tennis at the age of 12, during my primary school days in Shomolu and I was driven by the belief that it was a God-given talent and the role my elder brother played was also an inspiration. We had a small makeshift table to play with before somebody in my street bought a table tennis board and from there a coach discovered me. Then I started representing my school, the state and the country. At the state level, I won several awards and was also recognised by the state.


“The journey has been wonderful and I have no regret whatsoever. Table tennis has taken me everywhere and given me everything I have achieved today. Though, there have been some challenges, but that is life; nothing good comes easy. There have been good and bad times in my career, but I try to move on despite these ups and downs.


One of the saddest moments in my career was during the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2011, when I was dropped from the team. Despite that, I did not lose faith in the team and the country; today I still represent the country.


“Table tennis is something I have the passion for; so much so that over 40 years I am still playing. Sometimes, the situation of the country tends to weigh me down. I think probably it is because of my German lifestyle. Over there, things are quite different. But I realise that this is Nigeria and we have a way of doing things. I am hopeful that one day things will change,” Oshonaike said.




The All Africa Games in Congo, Oshonaike again booked a ticket to represent Nigeria at the Brazil 2016 Olympic Games slated for Rio, which will be her sixth appearance, something she attributed to hard work. “Hard work does not kill but would rather help one to do things effortlessly where others are struggling,” she pointed out.


She admitted that Rio would be her last Olympics after which she intends to take to coaching.


The 2003 All Africa Games would however remain special to the Sports Club Poppenbuttel III player. “It was just some few months after I gave birth to my first child and I therefore had to take the baby to camp and ironically, the games turned out to be my best ever, after winning four gold medals to emerge Nigeria’s best athlete in the competition,” she recalled.




Oshonaike was indeed full of praise for the President of Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, Enitan Oshodi, for the wonderful work he is doing to move the sports to greater height, while admitting that it was because of the support of Oshodi and the board that she is still in the sport despite her age.




She added that the federation had provided a lot of facilities for the development of the sport and this gesture is really laudable. She explained that the facilities have helped players to train better. Though the only thing they are lacking, according to Oshonaike, is money, on the whole, they are doing excellently well.


Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/06/04/end-of-the-road-at-rio-2016/