NIGERIA'S Stanley ‘Edo Boy’ Eribo on Boxing Day at the the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, made his kinsmen proud when he defeated Ghanaian Isaac Sowah by unanimous decision to become the new African Boxing Union (ABU) welterweight champion.
His heroics also earned him the N1.5m star prize and the Mojisola Ogunsanya trophy as the best boxer of the 10th Gotv Boxing Night promoted by Flykite Promotions.
Sowah had come in as a replacement for Tanzania's national champion, Meshack "Smart Boy"
Mwankemwa.
Interestingly, Eribo had clinched the best boxer of the night award on December 26, 2015 with the N1.5million star prize when he stopped Sunday "Capo" Olalekan in the ninth round of their 12-round contest to become the national welterweight champion.
On Monday night also in the sports city, ‘Edo Boy’ as Eribo is fondly called dominated the better part of the 12-round contest as his Ghanaian opponent resorted to occasional throw of punches in order not to make the bout a one-sided affair.
One of those punches took Eribo to the canvas in the early rounds but the Nigerian was able to beat the mandatory count and never fell to his opponent's kick-boxing style again while the fight lasted.
The Ghanaian exhibited spirit of sportsmanship after the fight as he took time to exchange pleasantries with the home boy even before the judges' scorecard was made public.
In one of the supporting bouts, reigning national lightweight champion, Otto Joseph floored his arch-rival, Fatai "Prince" Nurudeen for the third time.
The 2012 National Sports Festival gold medallist this time, silenced Prince Nurudeen, a former national champion with a knockout in the fourth round of their six-round national lightweight challenge.
When both boxers first clashed at GOtv Boxing Night 4 in 2015, Joe Boy stopped Prince Nurudeen in round five as the latter attributed the loss to an injury sustained on his right hand.
Also, Joe Boy after 12 rounds won by unanimous decision during the second meeting at GOtv Boxing Night 7 on May 1, 2015 to become the new national lightweight champion. Joe Boy also clinched home the best boxer of the night award which attracted N1million then.
However, on Monday night, the dream of Prince Nurudeen to floor Joe Boy at least before bidding for a title fight later in the New Year to reclaim his lost title ended in round four. He tried to reignite his old good days form in the ring but it failed to materialise.
The wizardry of lad who represented Nigeria at the 2014 Commonwealth Games came to the fore in round four as he delivered a straight punch which sent Prince Nurudeen to the canvas and finally back to his corner to remove his gloves perhaps for another day.
In another supporting bout, reigning national featherweight champion, Waidi "Skoro" Usman knocked out Dare "Fighting Machine" Oyewole in round four of their eight-round contest.
It was a rematch as well as Skoro had in 2014 defeated Oyewole to become the national champion.
In what turned out to be the shortest fight of the night Kabiru Towolawi almost turned pro debutant, Emmanuel "Man Mopol" Igwe to punching bag before the referee stopped the light heavyweight bout in round two.
Rilwan Oladosu "Real One" also triumphed over Prince "Lion" Nwoye by unanimous decision in a lightweight bout, while Rilwan Babatunde "Baby Face" also secured a unanimous decision victory over Sikiru Shogbesan in a light welterweight bout scheduled after the cancellation of the West African title defence by Nigeria's Olaide “Fijaborn” Fijabi against Ghanaian Raphael "Iron King" Kwabena.
Fijabi sustained an injury while preparing for the fight and he has since apologised to his numerous fans for his inability to show up on Boxing Day, just as he looks forward to meeting the Ghanaian challenger again who he beat at GOtv Boxing Night 9 to win the sub-regional title on February 2017.
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Caption for Photo 1 above: Stanley Eribo, the new African boxing welterweight champion.
Caption for Photo 2: Otto Joseph (right) lands a punch in the face of Fatai 'Prince' Nurudeen during their lightweight contest earlier in the year before the Boxing Day's showdown.
Heartland FC of Owerri on Thursday released a list of new management and technical crew members with Atlanta ’96 Oympic gold medallist, Mobi Oparaku, Rangers International and Iwuanyanwu Nationale star, Ramson Madu and former Sun Newspapers senior correspondent, Cajetan Nkwopara occupying positions.
The Naze Millionaires will however, for the first time campaign in the Nigeria National League (NNL) when the 2016/17 season kicks off next year, having finished in the relegation zone at the outgone Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.
The list which was signed by the club Chairman, Honourable Goodfaith Chibuzo Etuemena saw Nkwopara move in as secretary cum media manager, while Oparaku retained his position as team manager.
Madu will also continue as the chief coach of the Nigeria National League (NNL) bound team.
Other names include Veronica Aghalanya who will serve as the assistant secretary, Emmanuel
Emelu will hold sway as welfare officer, while Clifford Eze holds the position of chief security officer.
Emmanuel Ugo is the new deputy security officer, Anthony Okoro holds the post of assistant coordinator while Sunny Ndubuisi Opara combines the posts of scouting and marketing manager.
On the technical bench, Madu will be assisted by Patrick Awaja as assistant coach, while Bob Acholonu remains the chief fitness trainer.
Charles Uzo holds the junior team as head coach of Team B, Longinus Duru is the goalkeeper
trainer, while George Iheanacho retains his position as the team’s physiotherapist..............
Caption: Coach Ramson Madu, can he bring back Heartland to the Nigerian top-flight league in 2017?
The Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) has commended the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for its support for the development of tennis through the NCC League.
The second edition of the NCC League- a team tennis championship- was concluded last Sunday in Lagos with Kaduna-based Team Offikwu emerging winners after beating 2015 champions, Tombim of Abuja 4-2.
NTF president, Engineer Sani Ndanusa expressed gratitude to the NCC stating that their coming into Nigerian tennis has provided a platform for tennis players to improve and showcase their talents.
He noted that NCC League has also developed interest in the sport and given recognition to top tennis players through the enticing prize money.
“It is worthy of note that the NCC League helped Nigeria to a decent outing at this year’s Davis Cup Euro Africa Group III in Madagascar in July. We were able to retain our place in the group because the NCC League was used as part of our build up for the Davis Cup,” he said.
Ndanusa, who revealed that it is being considered by the NTF that the winning team automatically gets the nod to represent Nigeria at the Davis Cup, also paid tribute to the International Tennis Academy (ITA) which has Godwin Kienka as its Director.
He noted that aside organising the NCC League, which is the first of its kind in Africa, the ITA has helped Nigeria solidify its top rankings in junior tennis in Africa as highlighted by Nigeria’s impressive record in the past few years through its (ITA) several junior programmes.
Team Offikwu received N7 million as prize money, while runners-up, Team Tombim got N5million. Team Civil Defence pocketed N4million for placing third, while Team FCT which finished fourth earned N2million as prize money.
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Caption:
Edwards Christopher, featured for Team Offikwu at the just-ended NCC League.
A member of the Nigerian Olympic Fund Group, Mr Jide Fashikun, has said the establishment of a gymnasium in Offa, Kwara State, is a project known as BOOST by 10 Nigerian sports brands headed by the former African queen of the track, Chief Mary Onyali-Omagbemi.
Fashikun said that he and other eight Nigerian sports brands behind the Basic Olympic Opportunity Sports Training (BOOST) project are Nduka Odizor, Professor Sadiq Abdullahi, the late Sunday Bada, the late Shaibu Amodu, Bose Kaffo, Pat Itanyi, Ruth Ogbeifo-Balofin and Charlton Ehizuelen.
He stated that BOOST will be in phases to achieve its set objectives.
"We have three phases for the delivery of the project. There is the elite athlete programme. 90 athletes from five sports: athletics, wrestling, taekwondo, table tennis and tennis will enjoy a N35million each budget to prepare them specifically for Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Renowned coaches have been contracted to train youngsters in all the mentioned fields.
"The second is the all-comers programme and the school project. The All-comers is for those who are 11 years to 17 years whose span is mid-term and children in primary and secondary schools who we will catch young and help to have a long span in sports.
Each of the 11 of us on the project is entitled to a community development project. The first toss was for Chief Ruth Ogbeifo-Balofin, a Sydney 2000 Olympic silver medallist, who hailed from Kokori in Delta State but chose Offa.
"When she (Ruth) finished at the 7th All Africa Games in Johannesburg, South Africa where she won three gold medals in weightlifting, she had a career threatening injury and was abandoned.
"Private sources were launched by journalists in Ilorin and the proprietor of Olalomi Hospital took over her treatment, flight etc. In return, Ruth took the project back to his benefactor's community which incidentally is Offa," said Fashikun who further disclosed that N10m worth of sporting equipment are already in Lagos that would be installed in Offa Club House where the training would be carried out from January next year.
He stated that the BOOST would be funded through lottery funds.
"It is a community project, the Nigeria Olympic Fund will raise the fund but a local governance structure will manage the funds to achieve the objectives. Every child that lives in that community or ancillary communities are allowed to, as of right, participate in any sport of their choice.
"All funds are to be raised by lottery (national and community), celebrity endorsement and other measures but no single kobo will come from any government account. If government personnel give us in their private capacities, we shall take but not official funds," he added.
Meanwhile, the 1994 Commonwealth Games 100m champion, Onyali, had during a courtesy call on the Oloffa of Offa, Oba Mufutau Gbadamosi in his palace last weekend with members of the sports brands said the project is aimed at reviving the declines fortunes of athletics in Nigeria.
“All of us have been to the Olympics several times, so we know it inside out, and we are determined to revive Nigeria’s athletics, by reproducing stars who are far better than us,” Onyali, the 1992 and 1996 Olympic bronze medallist said.
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Caption:
Nigeria's first Olympic medallist in weightlifting, Ruth Ogbefo-Balofin, a member of the BOOST project.
