Sports Groove

By Mishael Emmanuel with additional reports by Kola Daniel    The 9th edition of the National Youth Games came to a spectacular close on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State, South-South, Nigeria, with a vibrant display of culture, music, and athletic pride.   In a dramatic shift of dominance, Team Lagos dethroned perennial champions Delta State to claim the overall title, marking a new chapter in youth sports excellence. In a thrilling showcase of talent and competitive spirit, Lagos topped the medal table with 52 gold, 32 silver, and 26 bronze medals.    Delta followed closely with 37 gold, 38 silver, and 39 bronze, while Edo State secured third place with 33 gold, 18 silver, and 28 bronze.    Bayelsa State finished fourth with 18 gold, 12 silver, and 25 bronze, and Kwara State rounded out the top five with 15 gold, 10 silver, and 19 bronze.   HEAR FROM THE ACTORS ★ MALLAM SHEHU DIKKO, Chairma...

By Mishael Emmanuel with additional reports by Pereolotu Amgbare   Bayelsa State' delegation to the recently concluded 2025 National Youth Games raised the bar at the multi-sport event and reaffirmed the state’s growing dominance in grassroots sports development, as they delivered a landmark performance that eclipsed their previous outings. With well over 50 medals in hand, consisting of a health tally of 18 gold, 12 silver, and 25 bronze medals, Team Bayelsa showcased depth, discipline, and determination across a wide spectrum of events —from combat sports to intellectual games, track events to adaptive competitions.    ★ MEDAL HIGHLIGHTS:   Combat & Strength ✓ WRESTLING – 5 gold, 1 bronze   ✓ JUDO – 1 gold, 1 bronze   ✓ BOXING – 1 bronze   ✓ TAEKWONDO – 1 bronze   ✓ PARA WEIGHTLIFTING – 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze   ✓ KUNG-FU – 1 silver   Track & Field ✓ ATHLETICS – 2 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze   ✓ SWIMMING – 3 si...

  Nigerian table tennis icon, Aruna Quadri, has shared an emotional reflection on his 15-year journey in the sport, acknowledging the vital role of private sponsors and individuals in his rise, while lamenting the lack of government support. In a post on his official Facebook handle, Aruna recalled how his career took off in 2010 when he moved to Portugal to play in the Portuguese Super League.  “Fifteen years ago, I arrived in Portugal to play as a professional table tennis player in the Portuguese Super League, competing almost every weekend for my club,” he wrote. Aruna revealed that most of his international outings were made possible through the support of individuals, particularly Barrister Wahid Enitan Oshodi, now the president of the Africa Table Tennis Federation.  “Internationally, I played at least one tournament every month with the backing of Barrister Oshodi. His financial support helped me to improve rapidly,” he noted. The African number one, h...

Team Nasarawa to the 9th edition of the National Youth Games have returned home after the curtains for the multi-sports event were drawn closed in a colorful ceremony held at the prestigious Stephen Keshi International Stadium, Asaba, Delta State, South-South, Nigeria. The contingent returned on Sunday, 7th September, 2025, finishing 24th position out of thirty-six States of the Federation and FCT Abuja after winning nine medals, comprising two gold and seven bronze in the two-week-long event.  Sidi Ibrahim and Godwin Friday won gold in the Boys' Junior Stable Ford Golf event and Boys' Match Play event, respectively. Sidi Ibrahim also won Team Nasarawa a bronze medal in the Eclectic Golf event.  In Shooting Sport, Team Nasarawa settled for the bronze medal in the Mixed Air Rifle event, ahead of seventeen other States. The combination of Sodunke Samuel Opeyemi and Oluwatomiwa Quwiyat trailed their counterparts from Imo and Rivers States who came first and second pos...

In a vital development, Nasarawa State has thrown its weight behind the presidential aspirations of one of the Board Members of the Nigeria Handball Federation, Mr. Jibril Saidu. The endorsement was made when the presidential candidate paid a courtesy visit to the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, in his office in Lafia, on Friday. Kwanta who expressed delight in receiving the presidential candidate disclosed that Nasarawa State is impressed with the numerous achievements and contributions of Mr. Jibril Saidu to the growth and development of Handball in the State. "I started hearing about your great contributions to our State and its athletes many months ago. "It's people like you we want at the helm of affairs of our sports because we are confident that you will add great value in all spheres of our sports. "Nasarawa State is your home, and we haven't received any negative reports about you. "Niger...

The Leadership of the National Sports Commission has inaugurated the Electoral committee for the upcoming National sports federations elections. The Newly inaugurated committee has been saddled with the responsibility of conducting a hitch free and transparent Elections into 20 National Sports Federations including Aquatics, Chess, Handball, Golf, karate, Darts, Fives and Tennis.  Others are wrestling, Wushu Kung Fu, Scrabble, Hockey, Badminton, Boxing , Taekwondo, Squash Rackets, Traditional Sports Rugby, Kickboxing and Deaf Sports. Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Mallam Shehu Dikko, after officially inaugurating the Committee, expressed confidence that he has no doubt that they will do a good job to oversee a successful process. " We have succeeded in choosing a very balanced and compact team for this assignment because we want to set a new standard of how Federation Elections are conducted with topmost integrity and transparency". " Myse...