university hockey

Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife recorded victory on Tuesday at the ongoing Hotlink/NUGA Hockey Championship at the OAU Sports Complex just as Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria recorded victory as well.

The hockey championship that is being sponsored by Hotlink Sports Shop in conjunction with OAU Sports Council and being supported by Industrial General Insurance (IGI) has lived to its billing being the first of its kind in the anal of the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA).

In the group B match played, OAU team led by its energetic skipper, David Ogbuke had difficulty to penetrate the defence line of their opponent from University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAAB) throughout the first half of the tension soaked game while they managed to score the lone goal of the game in the 43 minutes by the skipper in a goal mount scramble.

However, the NUGA games champion efforts to increase the tally proved abortive as the Dr Osigwe Cyril led Abeokuta based team defended well to maintain the score-line despite mounting pressures from the home side just as they gave a good account of themselves to the admiration of the OAU supporters who thronged the venue to cheer all the teams.

 Similarly, ABU hockey team coached by Ndana Baba Abdullahi had the mince meat of their opponent, University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka as they scored two un-replied goals in each half of their group A match decided at the complex.

Kichem Gomerep score the curtail raiser in the 32 minutes of the game to give his team a slim lead before Abubakar Musa increase the tally in the 52 minutes thus gave his side a resounding and comfortable lead in the group chart.

Moreover, the UNN team frantic moves to reduce the goal deficit failed to materialize as every progress made almost resulted to another goal from the highly determined Zaria based team who claimed to have set their pace in motion for the championship.

CIRCUIT TENNIS

As a result of interest and effort to improve Nigerian players in their rankings and development, the Local Organisng Committee of the Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis Championship has decided to source for sponsorship for the players who are able to get to the quarterfinal stage of the tournament forthwith.

Tournament Director of the ITF approved championship; Prince Wale Oladunjoye said that Nigerian players that qualify for the quarterfinal of the tournament will be sponsored to a minimum of three circuits within African continent. According to him, the players will have the opportunity to play in ITF rated tournaments at least every three months.

“This will enable the luck players to be competition ready and would have been further exposed to feature in the Governor’s Cup. Playing circuits across Africa will further help our players improve their chances during the Governor’s Cup Lagos Tennis, which serves as a window for them to interact, expose and improve their skills with foreign stars coming to Lagos-the 3rd emerging Mega City of the world- to garner points and prize money,” said Prince Oladunjoye, who is also the Senior Special Assistant on Grassroots Sports Development to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State.

Prince Oladunjoye emphasised that the players will be chosen on merit and will be expected to meet certain criteria which include their conduct  on and off the courts, as well as regular improvement in their chosen career.

HIV TABLE TENNIS

Office of Sports of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development in collaboration with the Lagos State Aids Control Agency (LSACA) is organizing an eight (8) week State Table Tennis League and HIV Sensitization Seminars which will commence from Thursday, 3^rd November, 2011 and it is to be concluded on Saturday, 17^th December, 2011. The League is to be played every Thursdays of the week through to Thursday, 15^th December, 2011 while the finals will be concluded on Saturday, 17^th December, 2011.

 

Barrister Wahid Enitan Oshodi, the Honourable Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development stated the above in his office. He also said that the League was an initiative of the Lagos State Table Tennis Association when he was the Chairman of the Association. The League which stopped abruptly after his resignation as the chairman is re-birthing courtesy of the Office of Sports of the Ministry.

 

Alongside the competition proper, arrangement has also been made for HIV Sensitization Seminars for all the Sports men and women in the State using the League as a platform. Each Sports Association is expected to attend the seminars with twenty male and twenty female athletes on the various dates allotted to each Sports Association specifically on Thursdays of the League Competition days between 8:00am to 10:00am. The various Sports Associations Secretaries have been duly notified on the days they are to invite their athletes for the HIV Sensitization Seminars in collaboration with LSACA.

 

Interested Table Tennis players in Lagos State have been advised to register and participate in the Men’s Singles and Women’s Singles events. Registration form is to be obtained, completed and necessary fees paid by each player. The form could be obtained from the Table Tennis Association Secretary at Rowe Park Sports Centre, Adekunle, Yaba, Lagos. The closing date for registration and payment is Monday, 31^st November, 2011.

 

The Honourable Commissioner further opined that the various Sports Associations will also enjoy one competition or the other which they organised on a quarterly basis as time goes on. This quarterly competition are aimed at  preparing Lagos athletes for any competition at anytime instead of competition based ad-hoc open and closed camp preparations and also preparing Lagos Athletes for the 18^th National Sports Festival to be hosted by the State. The competitions are also to ensure efficient and effective data base for Lagos athletes’ performance, he concluded.