Niger State coach charges Nigeria Squash Federation on development

The Nigeria Squash Federation (NSF) has been charged to rise up to the occasion, and revive the game in the country.

Head Coach of squash in Niger state, Segun Afokhai, while analysing the state of the development of the game in Nigeria said that the game is only been played in very few states, a situation he described as absurd.

According to him, "squash is going down, and is just happening in few states like Kwara, Lagos, and maybe Ogun and Niger. And even in Niger State, we are only improvising to train the players because we don’t have squash courts".

Afokhai, who was in Ilorin recently on a three-day training visit with his players, said that the federation needs to really operate like a federation, and a mother to all the components that made up squash in the country.

He said that coaches are not recognised, pointing out that in most national competitions, only players are accommodated, with no provision for the coaches who in the first place, are the ones discovering and training the players to keep the game going.

"Coaches must be recognised, officials must be accorded their rightful place in the system, and the players’ association must also be carried along, and not just some set of people running it," he added.

On the level of improvement of squash in Nigeria, coach Afokhai said that there is improvement in the standard of play of the junior players saying that they are gradually upsetting the senior players.

"In recent times, the improvement is only being witnessed in younger players, and that was maybe because we have more junior tournaments.

The U-19 players are already upsetting the senior players, and the players creating these upsets are from either Kwara or Lagos states."

The team was in Ilorin to sharpen up ahead of 2018 programmes, as well as the National Youth Games. He said that they decided to choose Kwara State because the state has younger players that are good, adding that the team will return to have one or two weeks extensive training in the state.

He commended Kwara Squash Association, the players and coaches for the hospitality, adding that his players have learned a lot during their short stay.

Four players, two male and two female from Niger State played the round-robin friendly against eight players from Kwara State during the three day tour, at the squash court of the Kwara State Stadium Complex, Ilorin.
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Caption:

Nigeria's Yemisi Olatunji (left) during a recent international squash tournament.

2018 NPFL FIXTURES:

Week 1, January 14

Wikki Tourists vs Go Round
Nasarawa Utd   vs Plateau Utd
IfeanyiUbah    vs Yobe Stars
Abia Warriors  vs MFM, Lagos
Katsina Utd    vs Kano Pillars
Kwara United   vs Niger Tornadoes
Akwa United    vs Enugu Rangers
Heartland      vs Sunshine Stars
Lobi Stars     vs Enyimba
Rivers United  vs El-Kanemi Warriors

I will play until my eldest daughter understands tennis------Murray

RECUPERATING Andy Murray has said that he would like to play until his eldest daughter Sophia, who was born in February 2016, is able to watch him and have "a small understanding of what it is I've done for my living".

"That would be cool if she can come along and watch me hit some balls or practise just to see what it is I do. I like watching and seeing a lot of the other kids when they are on the tour with their parents," he stated.
 
Meanwhile, Murray on Monday underwent hip surgery. He was operated on by Dr John O'Donnell at the St Vincent Hospital in Melbourne.

The former world number one, 30, has not played a competitive match since he was knocked out of Wimbledon in July.

The ongoing problem forced the Scot to pull out of the Australian Open, which begins on January 15.
"I'm not finished playing tennis yet. I'm going to be competing at the highest level again," he said. "I'm very optimistic about the future - the surgeon is very happy about how it went."

Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, believes if he can return to 95 per cent of his best, that will be enough for him to compete again at the top level.

He hopes he will be hitting balls on court again after seven or eight weeks, and has been given 14 weeks as a guide for a return from this kind of surgery.

But Murray, who has fallen to 19th in the world, said he is not "interested in coming back for a specific tournament".
"My plan is to be back playing around the grass-court season - potentially before then - but I'm certainly not going to rush anything," said Murray, speaking from his hospital bed in a telephone conference call to a group of British journalists. I want to know when I come back that I'm ready."

Murray withdrew from the US Open two days before the start of the tournament in August last year, and said he realised he was not ready to compete in Brisbane last week when he tested his hip against other top-50 players.
 
"I want to come back when I'm fit and ready to play, not to get into a situation like in Brisbane or New York, where I'm unsure when I turn up at a tournament how fit I am," he said.

Murray has not played a competitive match since his Wimbledon quarter-final defeat by Sam Querrey on July 12.
He said he first felt pain in his right hip during June's French Open semi-final against Stan Wawrinka, though he has had issues with it throughout his career.
"The surgeon felt that my hip will be feeling better than it did a year ago," Murray said.
  "Obviously, I was still doing fine a year ago - I  was ranked number one in the world.
"I'm certainly not going to be putting in the same amount of tournaments and effort to try to get to number one in the world. I'll be playing a reduced schedule, and then focusing more on trying to win major events and big tournaments rather than trying to achieve certain ranking goals.

"I've been fairly competitive with top-50 players in the world in Brisbane when I'm struggling to move, and I made the quarter-finals at Wimbledon when I literally couldn't walk and was in so much pain.

"So if I can get myself to 95 per cent of my best, I believe that's enough to compete at the highest level. No question.

"The rest of my body feels fantastic. I feel really, really good physically apart from this one issue. The surgery allows me to extend my hip well, and I'll be able to sprint."

Though he has become accustomed to soreness in his hip, the pain he has had since last summer has had an impact on his day-to-day life. It has also emerged that he had minor groin surgery on December 18.

That was successful in relieving some of the pain he had been experiencing, and was the reason for delaying his departure to Australia until after Christmas.

Should Murray's rehabilitation go to plan, he will have been out of action for almost a year by the time he returns.

Caption: Murray set to serve during a game.

 

Brisbane International: Muguruza collapses during 2nd round clash Aleksandra

Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza withdrew for the fourth year in a row after suffering cramp during second round match against Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic at the ongoing Brisbane International.
World number two Muguruza who was leading 2-1 in the deciding set in 30C heat collapsed following a serve and had to be helped out of the court.
The 5-7, 7-6, 2-1 defeat ends any hope of replacing Romanian Simona Halep as number one before the Australian Open.
"I cramp very few times," said Muguruza, adding that the problem started early in the second set.
"The last time I cramped up was actually at the Australian Open in Melbourne. Maybe it's the heat. Maybe it's the conditions. I don't know, but it's rare for me."
Muguruza's run of injury problems in Brisbane dates back to 2015 when she withdrew on the eve of the event with an ankle problem. A foot injury ended her 2016 campaign and a thigh problem led to her semi-final retirement last year.
The top seed had started well against unseeded Krunic, the world number 53, converting her seventh set point to win the first set before surging to a 5-2 lead in the second.
But Krunic took four of the next five games to force a tie-break, which she won 7-3 to send the contest into a deciding set.
Meanwhile, British number one Johanna Konta moved into the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win against wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic.
Konta, who ended a run of five straight defeats since August by beating Madison Keys in the previous round, won in two hours 26 minutes.
She will play Ana Konjuh or third seed Elina Svitolina in the last eight.
After losing a fluctuating opening set in which her serve was broken four times, fifth seed Konta raced 5-0 ahead in the next against 24-
year-old Croat Tomljanovic, the world number 118.
Tomljanovic needed a medical time-out for treatment off the court and returned with heavy strapping on her right thigh but Konta soon wrapped up the set, in which her serve improved significantly and she offered no break point chances.
Konta continued to impress with the accuracy of her ground strokes and served for the match at 5-2, but her Croat opponent struck some defiant blows and broke back, before holding serve with an ace.
Tomljanovic had three break point chances to level the match at 5-5 but Konta held on and sealed victory on her first match point.
"There wasn't a lot in it so I'm glad I stayed tough to come through that," the British player said. "It boosts the match fitness, every match is a battle."
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Caption:
Garbine Muguruza down and out during her second round game in Brisbane.

Oshoala favoured to retain Africa Player gong

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is tipped to be crowned 2017 African Player of the Year in Ghana, just as Nigeria's Asisat Oshoala is equally favoured to retain the Women’s gong.
The aiteo/African Football Confederation (CAF) award is scheduled to hold on Thursday, January 4 at the International Conference Centre in  Accra.
Salah who has already been named the 2017 BBC African Footballer of the Year scored 17 goals in the first round of the English Premier League this season.
He was also instrumental in the qualification of Egypt for the 2018 World Cup with his five-star performance.
Salah is to contend with team-mate, Saido Mane of Senegal and the 2015 CAF award winner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon for the title.
It will be recalled that Algeria's Riyad Mahrez won the 2016 edition of the prestigious award.
Meanwhile, Oshoala, who plays for Dalian Quanjian of China, will contend with Chrestina Kgatlana of South Africa who plays for UWC Ladies and  Cameroon's Gabrielle Aboudi Onguene of CSKA Moscow, who was also one of the 2016 final nominees.
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Parker tries to demonise me--Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua says he has "no respect" for Joseph Parker's attempts to "demonise" his reputation in order to secure a heavyweight unification bout.
During a news conference last month, WBO world champion Parker offered money for footage of the Briton being knocked down during sparring.
Joshua said the 25-year-old was "trying to mislead the public's opinion".
"I think it's not nice, I don't really respect it and I have no time for it," said the IBF and WBA champion, 28.
"What's he trying? Be the big bully? Demonise everything I have done?"
Speaking to BBC Sport he added: "In Formula 1, golf, tennis, rugby, they are very classy people, respectable amongst their peers.
"Then you have people like Joseph Parker holding a press conference talking about everything he thinks I am."
Parker's news conference, which featured a video showcasing Joshua being knocked down as both a professional and amateur, was a response to what the New Zealander's team perceived to be a poor financial offer for a potential fight.
Promoter David Higgins said his fighter would not take anything less than a 35 per cent split of revenue if the bout is to be made.
Should the fight happen, the winner could then face WBC title holder Deontay Wilder in a bout which could unify all four major titles in the heavyweight division.
Joshua beat Wladimir Klitschko to claim the WBA title in April, and followed that success with victory over Carlos Takam on October 28, 2017.
"This is the first time in my career where the talk has been about money," added Joshua. "That's what's holding it up.
"With Klitschko it wasn't about the money, it was about getting the fight together for the belts. With Parker it's a different story, and Wilder.
"No disrespect for them, they have their reasons, but I feel like the fans are not getting what they want.
"It would have been great to have it pencilled in now but it will happen in the future once they come to their senses.
"What they are offering is nothing, and what we are offering is 10 times better than what they can bring up themselves."
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Caption:

Anthony Joshua (right) stops Carlos Takam by TKO in the 10th round during his last bout in October this year.

Bellew/Haye rematch rescheduled for May 5 at O2

Tony Bellew's rematch with David Haye has been rescheduled at The O2 on May 5, live on Sky Sports Box Office.
It will be recalled that WBC cruiserweight world champion and fellow Briton Bellew, 34, stopped former heavyweight world champion Haye, 37, in the 11th round in March this year.
The British rivals were forced to put back their planned second fight this month after Haye suffered a bicep injury during training on November 16 that he described as a "freak accident".
But Bellew remains determined to inflict another humbling defeat on Haye following his stunning stoppage victory at the same London venue in March.
"I'm pleased to get a new date in the diary and I look forward to giving boxing fans a great night on May 5," said Bellew.
"To be honest I was looking forward to a great victory in December and a relaxing family break over Christmas, but my mind is still very much on this fight and I will punish him for that.
"I now have a very clear plan for 2018 and that is to knock out David Haye, and then knock out Tyson 'Stavros Flatley' Fury and end both their careers.
"But first thing's first, I need to rid the sport of David Haye on May 5 and I look forward to doing this in what I believe will be an explosive fight."
Haye was "heartbroken" to miss out on a December showdown with Bellew and admits he is fighting to keep alive his career.
"Tony has boasted that the rematch gives him the opportunity to force me into retirement," said Haye. "Unquestionably, I step into the ring on Saturday May 5, with both my career and legacy on the line.
"After my freak accident down a stairwell last month, I was heartbroken not to give everyone the ending to 2017 I wanted. Since then I had to accept the cards I had been dealt, remain positive and focus on factors which are within my control; rehabilitation and rescheduling the fight.
In 2018, 'The Hayemaker' will be back and I will once again give fans the biggest, most explosive, blockbuster fight nights they deserve.
"Over the past five years, I've had a number of challenges to overcome, but learnt often during times of adversity we learn and grow. As a result, come May 5, Tony will be faced with a more experienced and more determined opponent.
"On Saturday May 5, whether you are lucky enough to witness the showcase live, or tune in from home on Sky Sports Box Office, you will not be disappointed. I will give fans the ending I have promised.
"In 2018, 'The Hayemaker' will be back and I will once again give fans the biggest, most explosive, blockbuster fight nights they deserve."
Tickets for the original December 17 date are still valid for this event. If you require a refund, please contact your point of purchase.
Any returned tickets will be returned on general sale via www.theO2.co.uk on Thursday 14th December at midday.
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Caption:
Bellew (right) deals with Haye during their first meeting in March this year. The rematch earlier scheduled for this month has been moved to May 5, 2018.