Saturday, 8 July 2017

2017 NPFL Match Day 28 fixtures

Sunday, July 9, 2017
 
Rivers United      vs MFM, Lagos  (pp)
Wikki Tourists    vs Kano Pillars 
Rangers               vs Shooting Stars
Katsina United   vs Lobi Stars 
Remo Stars         vs FC IfeanyiUbah 
Enyimba             vs Niger Tornadoes 
Plateau United   vs Akwa United 
Gombe United   vs El-Kanemi Warriors
Abia Warriors   vs Nasarawa United 
ABS FC, Ilorin  vs Sunshine Stars

Friday, 7 July 2017

Team Oluyole face Teams Anambra, Police College for 2017 NCC Tennis League ticket

Oyo State will have to engage in playoffs to make debut in the 2017 season of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Tennis League Cup and the players of Team Oluyole are in high spirits to clinch a ticket.
 

Team Oluyole of Ibadan will confront Team Anambra of Onitsha and Team Police College of Ikeja for the last available spot for the 2017 season scheduled to kick off next month.
 

According to the draws held recently in Lagos by the International Tennis Academy, organisers of the championship, 14 teams including six new entrants registered for the 12-team League including six new teams, while Ekiti, Ibadan and Jos join the host cities for the 2017 season.
 

The organisers said 11 teams bagged automatic spots based on their collective team rankings of players, while the three-lowly rated teams have to go for the play-offs in Lagos for the last spot a week to the kick off of the main League.
 

Top 10 players were awarded three points, top 20 two points and the rest one point each to arrive at the team rankings. 

 The Blue Group consists of 2015 champions, Team NSCDC of Abuja; Team Kalotari of Port Harcourt; Team Muller of Lagos, Team Optiweb of Ilorin; Team VGC Lions of Lagos and the qualifier from the playoffs.

The White Group has defending champions, Team Offikwu of Kaduna; Team Ndoma-Egba; Team Goshen of Ilorin; Team CBN Futures of Lagos; Team Oyetade of Ekiti and Team Tech Vibe of Jos. The top two finishers in each group qualify for semi-finals and on to the finals.


Vice chairman of the Oyo State Tennis Association, Mr Babatunde Oyediran said Team Oluyole would have earned automatic slot, but for 'late' registration just as he expressed hope that his players won't let the opportunity slip off. 


"We didn't register in time for the league if not, we would not have been part of the teams to engage in playoffs but all the same, there is no cause for alarm. Our players are determined and they are ready to do the needful to make our debut in the NCC League a reality," Oyediran said.


He stated that Team Oluyole boast tested players who can make things happen for the state.
"We have quality players who can deliver the goods like Wale Samson, Wasiu Ibrahim, Sunday Okechukwu and three others, while our female players are Colleen Orji and Bukola Popoola. We hope to make a good representation in the league as this serves as a great opportunity
for our players to play themselves into national reckoning," Oyediran said.
 

Meanwhile, aside the winner of the NCC Tennis League going home with N7million, the runner up with N5million and the third and fourth placed teams getting N3million and N2million as prize money, each of the 12 teams will also receive N500,000 as logistic support from the
organisers for participation.


It will be recalled, that Team Offikwu won the NCC Tennis League last year in their debut and went home with N7million as prize money.


Team Tombim got N5million for coming second, while Team Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) finished third with N3million as prize money as Team FCT received N2million for finishing fourth in the then 10-team league format.

.............
Caption: One of the female players of Team Oluyole, Collen Orji before a game. She is battle-ready for the NCC Tennis League playoffs.







Friday, 30 June 2017

I can't wait for NCC Tennis League debut for Team Oluyole---Colleen Orji

Team Oluyole player, Colleen Orji has said that having an opportunity to feature in the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Tennis League would give her career a new lease of life.
 

Orji is one of the female players to be paraded by Team Oluyole as they make their debut in the NCC Tennis League later in the year.
 

The University of Ibadan graduate said she will make the best use of the opportunity of playing in the top flight NCC League which she believes would take her career to the next level.

"I am happy that I'm going to be part of Team Oluyole that will make debut in the NCC League. This will help us {players} a lot. I am eagerly looking forward to playing in the NCC League. Playing against top players in the country in the NCC League will help us to
perform better in other NTF-ranked competitions," said the 17th ranked Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) player.
Orji also revealed how she embraced tennis as an under graduate.


"I actually started tennis late. It was when I was studying Human Kinetics and Health Education at the University of Ibadan and Dr Molahan was our tennis coach and he encouraged us to choose one sport which we must partake in and that was why I chose tennis. 


"It's been fun playing tennis. I represented Oyo state at Eko 2012 National Sports Festival and since then, I have featured in a number of tournaments. I finished my degree programme two years ago and today, I combine tennis with fashion designing for a living," said the Abia state-born Orji. 

The dark-skinned player said she didn't feel bad losing in the first round of the 39th Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) senior Tennis Championship which ended on June 3 in Lagos.


"I lost to Patience Onebamhoin {6-1, 6-0} in the first round {at CBN Tennis} and I was not in any way disturbed by the defeat because I learned a lot from my opponent which will surely help my game. So, I was happy that I played against a top-ranked player in the country.  The match exposed my flaws and I was able to realise that I have a lot to do in my tennis career.
"Last year I also featured at Dala Hard court Tournament and it was a rewarding experience too. I lost to Loveth Donatus 6-2, 6-2 but  that gave me the ticket to play in this year's CBN tournament.


"As I said, playing in this year's CBN championship has boosted my game and I never regret losing to a better ranked player like Patience," Orji, who urged the new leadership of the Nigeria Tennis Federation to organise more competitions for female players in the country said.

Caption:
Colleen Orji before a tournament in Lagos.





Sunday, 25 June 2017

Babalola wins sixth CBN Senior Tennis title ... As Adegoke rules women's category

VETERAN Abdulmumuni Babalola on Saturday, June 3, 2017 at the centre court of the National Stadium, Lagos, clinched the 39th Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Senior Tennis title.
 

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) man defeated Joseph Imeh in two straight sets 6-4, 6-3 to claim his sixth victory in the annual prestigious tournament and the star
prize money of N700,000.
 

Ibadan-based Babalola who last won the CBN title in 2014 at the expense of Henry Atseye (6-2, 6-2) had sent a warning signal to reclaim the title he last won in 2014 when he sent Spain-based and highly-favoured Sylvester Emmanuel packing after three sets 3-6,
6-3, 6-4 in the semi-final.
 

Babalola with this victory needs one more title victory to equal the seven record wins held by David Imonite (1982, 83, 84, 87, 88, 89, 91).

'Munaco' as he is fondly called, it will be recalled, won the CBN title in 2002, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2014 before the 2017 victory.


It was a tournament to remember for Babalola as he had earlier  claimed the men's doubles title, when he paired age-long partner Shehu Lawal to beat Joseph Imeh and Mohammad Mohammad 7-5, 7-5.



Interestingly, another Ibadan-based player, Sarah Adegoke claimed the women’s’ singles title when she outclassed former junior sensation Marylove Edwards 6-0, 6-3 in the final.


It was Adegoke's first title win in the CBN senior championship having lost in the 2012 final to former number women's number one, Fatima Abinu.


The final was not a difficult one for Adegoke especially in the first set as she put her wealth of experience to bear on the day to overwhelm 12-year-old opponent.


Edwards coached by Kayode Savage emerged the revelation of this year's CBN championship having defeated experienced players including Blessing Samuel 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 in the semi-final.


However, Adegoke alongside Amina Quadri had lost to Christy Agugbom and Blessing Samuel in the women’s doubles final after three hard fought sets 6-2, 3-6 10-8.
................
Caption:
 

From left, men's singles champion, Abdulmumuni Babalola; sponsor of Dayak tennis and newly-elected President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Mr Dayo Akindoju and the winner of the women's singles of the 39th CBN Senior Tennis championship, Sarah Adegoke after
their victories in Lagos.



Sunday, 18 June 2017

2017 NPFL match day 25 results

Abia Warriors  2 Plateau Utd   1
Shooting Stars 2 ABS                0
Kano Pillars   3 MFM               1
El-Kanemi      2 Remo Stars     0
Akwa United    2 Katsina Utd   0
Sunshine Stars 2 Gombe Utd   1
Nasarawa       1 Enyimba               0
FC IfeanyiUbah    0 Wikki Tourists 0

Sunday, 11 June 2017

2017 NPFL Match Day 23, 24 results

 Match Day 23 results:

*Akwa United    2 Wikki Tourists 0
Musa Newman        (25th min)
Christian Pyagbara (45th min)

*Gombe United 1    Enyimba 1
*FC IfeanyiUbah 2  ABS, Ilorin 0
*El-Kanemi Warriors 1 Rangers 1
*Lobi Stars 3      MFM, Lagos 1
*Shooting Stars 0 Kano Pillars 0
*Niger Tornadoes 1 Rivers United 0
*Nasarawa United 2 Katsina United 0
*Sunshine Stars 1 Plateau United 2
*Abia Warriors  0 Remo Stars  0


 Match Day 24 results:

*MFM, Lagos     1 Shooting Stars    0
*ABS, Ilorin        1 Lobi Stars           0
*Rivers Utd        2 FC IfeanyiUbah   1 
*Wikki Tourists  3 Niger Tornadoes  1
*Rangers            1 Akwa United        0
*Katsina Utd     3 El-Kanemi            0
*Remo Stars      1 Nasarawa Utd      0
*Enyimba          2 Abia Warriors      1
*Plateau Utd     5 Gombe United      1 

*Kano Pillars    3 Sunshine Stars     1


Saturday, 10 June 2017

2017 NPFL Match Day 24 fixtures

Sunday, June 11

*MFM, Lagos     vs Shooting Stars
*ABS, Ilorin        vs Lobi Stars
*Rivers Utd         vs FC IfeanyiUbah 
*Wikki Tourists vs Niger Tornadoes
*Enugu Rangers  vs Akwa United
*Katsina Utd    vs El-Kanemi Warriors
*Remo Stars     vs Nasarawa United
*Enyimba        vs Abia Warriors
*Plateau Utd    vs Gombe United
*Kano Pillars   vs Sunshine Stars