North West: Dr Are, Aminu Bizi, Others To Represent Zone On Sports Federations Boards

Immediate past Director, Grassroots Sports Development, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Dr. Ademola Are has been elected to represent the North West Zone on the Board of the Rugby Federation of Nigeria.

Also elected to represent Traditional Sports Federation from North West Zone, is Alhaji Aminu Bizi, who beat his opponent, Usman Musa 5-2 votes.

Dr. Are emerge winner after beating his opponent, David Eneana by 4-3 votes at the elections conducted on Wednesday September 22, 2021 at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.

In an interview with sportswriters after the election, Dr. Are said that with his vast experience, the game of rugby is set for integrated development in the country.

North West: Dr Are, Aminu Bizi, Others To Represent Zone On Sports Federations Boards

In a separate interview, Alhaji Aminu Bizi said that with his emergence, they are set to grow traditional sports all over the country.

He assured that plans would be put in place, to aggressively push for NIgeria’s traditional sports to be featured at the Olympics Games.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) representative who conducted the election, Aminu Kasim described the election as free and fair, transparent and credible.

In handball. Aminu Alhaji Bala from Sokoto emerge winner after defeating Musa Hamza from Kaduna 4:3 votes, while in Judo Salisu Mohammed Aliyu from Kano emerge winner after defeating Mai Kadi Abubakar 4:3 votes.

In Tennis. Yusuf Daiti defeated Joel Adi 4:3 votes while in wrestling. Fawole Olawole emerged winner.

Others elected unopposed include Manzari Isa (Wushu Kunfu), Mohammed Maina (Badminton), Demola Ali (Chess), Umar Ladan (Cricket) Kabiru Umar (Deaf),, Abubakar Dan Galadima (Fives).

The rest are Ahmed Mai zare (Gymnastics), Nkom Obadiah Simon (Hockey), Suleiman Abubakar (Karate), Umar Salleh (Kick boxing), Adamu Magaji (Scrabble), Yusuf Umar (Squash), Abdullahi Baba (Taekwondo) and Dr Babangida Hussaini (Weightlifting).

Ex international boxer Calls on FG to invite previous gold and silver medalists for preparation of the National sports festival

Ex International boxer Mazi Ikechukwu Okoronkwo is calling on FGN through the minister of youth and Sports development Sunday Dare to invite all the Gold and Silver medalists at Last National Sports Festival held at Benin to National camp for preparation of World Boxing Championship as a matter of urgency.

Speaking to news men in his residence in Enugu today, Mazi Okoronkwo said that the nation boxers were deprived of Japan Olympics opportunity in the circumstances that is beyond the boxers. The climax of sports development is to expose the discovered youth to International competition for practical human capacity building result. The amount of money the Government will use to expose this able bodies youth can not be compare to the amount of money the nation will lose when the youths get to the street out of frustration.

Mazi Comr Ikechukwu Okoronkwo Nigeria Ex International boxer and Sports Ambassador said that Government should strive harder to immediately call all the concern boxers to National camp for the interest of practical youth empowerment as preached

Speaking further, he said that there is urgent need to call the boxers for closed National camping towards the up coming world championship in Belgrade Serbia next month for better preparation. Just exactly 1 month remaining before the start of the competition. It is a norm that Nigeria boxing board normally invite Gold and Silver medelist with other selected best loser boxers to National camp.

Recalling his boxing days, he said “I (Ikechukwu Okoronkwo) was invited to National camp after I won Gold medal in Light weight at 1992 National open Boxing Championship at Lagos and from the National camp I was developed to International standard Mrs Uche ugbade was the secretary of boxing board with Brai Ayonote as the President of the board as can be seen in my certificate in 1992, also the current secretary of Nigeria Boxing Federation Sunny Obut was with Nigeria boxing board then therefore they have experience the important of boxers’ body conditional through National camping Sunny obut, Mrs Uche ugbade with Gen Ayeni as care taker Committee should know”

Ex international boxer Calls on FG to invite previous gold and silver medalists for preparation of the National sports festival

He concluded by saying that most Nigerian Institution have lost the vision for foundation structures and it is this lost of the foundation structures vision is what is playing out in the decline of our sporting association performance expecially Nigeria Boxing Federation.

Ikechukwu Okoronkwo with Team Nigeria suit and 1992 boxing trophy

Mazi comr Ikechukwu Okoronkwo with some of Boxing medal won in Boxing and grassroot boxing best Technical co ordinator trophy

Mazi comr Ikechukwu Okoronkwo with some of Boxing medal won in Boxing and grassroot boxing best Technical co ordinator trophy

Aisha Buhari, Oshoala, 1999 Super Falcons Dazzle At NFF-Aiteo Football Awards

The third edition of the annual NFF-Aiteo Football Awards took the City of Lagos by storm on Monday night, with the country’s First Lady, Dr (Mrs) Aisha Buhari, as well as four-time African Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala, home-based professional Gift Monday and the Super Falcons’ class of 1999 the star attraction at the glamour event inside the Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island.

Scuttled by the global coronavirus pandemic that has wreaked havoc worldwide since the beginning of year 2020, the third edition of the showpiece event was planned on a smaller scale but blossomed and and became magnified as the night wore on, with the wife of the Chief Naval Staff, Hajiya Nana Aisha Gambo (representing the First Lady); First Lady of Lagos State, Dr (Mrs) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu; FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura; Edo State Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu; Aiteo’s Executive Vice President Francis Peters; FIFA Executive Member Isha Johansen; CAF Executive Member Kanizat Ibrahim; CAF chieftain Danny Jordaan; daughters of the First Lady of the Federal Republic – Halima, Zahra and Noor; NFF Executive Committee Members and Management; top guns of the Lagos State Sports Commission and FA; NFF partners and sponsors; corporate titans; squad members of the 1999 Super Falcons; squad members of the Women ‘A’ teams of Nigeria and Cameroon and; leading football stakeholders, in the hall.

Former NFF President, Col. Abdulmumini Aminu (rtd); Sarah Bareman (FIFA Head of Women’s Football); Barr. Allen Onyema (Chairman of Air Peace); Distinguished Senator Obinna Ogba (Chairman of the Senate Committee on Sports); AIG Garba Umar Baba (Nigeria’s Interpol Officer and NFF’s Senior Adviser on Security); Aiteo Group’s Samira Buhari and; Dr Aliyu Oroje Wammako (President of Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria) were also present.

Aisha Buhari, Oshoala, 1999 Super Falcons Dazzle At NFF-Aiteo Football Awards

President of the NFF and FIFA Council Member, Amaju Melvin Pinnick heaped plaudits on Dr Aisha Buhari, in whose name the six-nation invitational tournament concluded on Tuesday in Lagos was held, and disclosed that her passion, interest, attention and commitment to the challenges confronting women, the girl-child and the less privileged in general motivated the Aisha Buhari Cup event. The First Lady was honoured with the award of Best Supporter of Women’s Football.

Silas Nwankwo and Charles Atshimene, who shared the honours of top scorer in the last NPFL season with 19 goals, were joint winners of the Best Performance of the Year (Men; Nigeria-based) while Paul Onuachu emerged Best Performer for the overseas-based crew. Super Eagles’ forward Onuachu scored 35 goals in 41 games for his Belgian club Genk and two crucial goals in the Super Eagles’ successful qualifying campaign for the 2021 AFCON finals.

Oshoala, who Spanish club FC Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League, emerged best performer (Women; Overseas-based) while Gift Monday, top scorer in the NWFL season, was crowned best performer on the home front.

Akwa United FC, Bayelsa United FC, Kennedy, Boboye, Moses Adukwu, Joseph Ogabor, Patience Madu, Ahmed Musa and NFFTV and NPFLTV were other winners, while Princess Bola Ngozi Jegede was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award (collected by her son, Christopher). There were also post-humous awards to Prince Larry Eze and Ms Henrietta Ukaigwe for contributions to women football development.

Lagos State was honoured with Host State of the Year and Edo State was recognized with Award of Commitment to Women Footbal Excellence.

Comperes Ay (Ayo Makun) and Ufuoma McDermott brought even more glamour and dazzle to the night by calling the members of the Super Falcons class of 1999 to the stage, with 14 of the 20 players present on the night: Nkiru Okosieme, Rita Nwadike, Mercy Akide, Ann Chiejine, Yinka Kudaisi, Marvis Ogun, Maureen Mmadu, Stella Mbachu, Gloria Usieta, Adanna Nwaneri, Florence Iweta, Nkechi Egbe, Judith Chime and Martha Tarhemba. The deceased Ifeanyi Chiejine was represented by her sister.

AWARD WINNERS:

Best Performance of the Year (Men; Nigeria-based): Silas Nwankwo/Charles Atshimene

Best Performance of the Year (Men; Overseas-based): Paul Onuachu

Best Performance of the Year (Women; Nigeria-based): Gift Monday

Best Performance of the Year (Women; Overseas-based): Asisat Oshoala

Club of the Year (Men): Akwa United FC

Club of the Year (Women): Rivers Angels FC

Coach of the Year (Men): Kennedy Boboye

Coach of the Year (Women): Moses Adukwu

Referee of the Year (Men): Joseph Ogabor

Referee of the Year (Women): Patience Ndidi Madu

Memorable Performance of the Year: Bayelsa United FC

Host State of the Year: Lagos State

Best Supporter of Women’s Football: Dr (Mrs) Aisha Buhari

Commitment to Women’s Football Excellence: Edo State

Inspirational Award: Ahmed Musa

Innovation Award: NFFTV/NPFLTV

Special Recognition Award: Super Falcons Class of 1999

Lifetime Achievement Award: Princess Bola Ngozi Jegede

Post-humous Award: Prince Larry Eze/ Ms Henrietta Ukaigwe