Sports Groove

...As Shehu Dikko hails Para stars   By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye      The curtain has fallen on the 3rd National Para Games in Abuja but not without a powerful statement. From March 31 to April 3, Nigeria’s finest para-athletes turned the nation’s capital into a theatre of grit, glory, and unbreakable spirit, delivering a competition that was as inspiring as it was fiercely contested. At the closing ceremony, Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, didn’t hold back in his praise.  He hailed the athletes not just for medals won, but for redefining what sport means in a nation pushing for greater inclusion. “This was more than a competition,” Dikko declared. “It was courage on display. It was resilience in motion. It was Nigeria at its proudest.” The Games, staged in Abuja, lived up to that billing, showcasing athletes who refused to be defined by limitations, instead rewriting narratives with every race, lift, and thro...

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye in Abuja      The curtains came down in grand fashion at the velodrome of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium on Friday, as Enugu State powered their way to overall glory at the 3rd National Para Games. It was a fitting finale to days of grit, resilience, and elite competition, with Enugu finishing top of the medals table in emphatic fashion, 40 gold, 8 silver, and 7 bronze, leaving rivals trailing in their wake. Bayelsa settled for second with a strong haul, while Edo completed the podium in third. Rivers and Lagos rounded off the top five in a fiercely contested championship. The closing ceremony sparkled with high-profile presence, as Nana Kashim Shettima stood in for Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, delivering a powerful message of inclusion and hope. She hailed the athletes as true champions, regardless of podium finishes, praising their discipline and fighting spirit. “Medal or no medal, you are all champions,” s...

...Secures 13 medals as table tennis event comes to an end By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye in Abuja           From grass to grace, this is the inside story of Team Edo State's rise in table tennis, the once uneducated side powered by eagerness is now a consistent medal winner for the Heartbeat State. These are the words of the head coach of Team Edo table tennis, Goriola Olayiwola Wahab in an exclusive interview with FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG's Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye at the ongoing National Para Games in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. Coach Wahab, fond called Mr. Consistent, led Team Edo to secure 13 medals Games, 4 gold, 3 silver and 6 bronze medals. For coach Wahab in the Table Tennis coaching business it all began 1991, in Bauchi, when he teaching special athletes the games of pingpong. He then started working with the Spinal Cord Injury Association of Nigeria to help educate and train more athletes. “I started coac...

By Maxwell Kumoye      The ongoing Nigeria National Para Games is fast becoming more than just a competition, it is a powerful statement of intent, a celebration of resilience, and a bold step toward a more inclusive future for sports in the country. Across venues buzzing with energy and determination, athletes with disabilities are not only showcasing elite talent but also redefining perceptions of ability.  The Games have created a platform where skill, discipline, and passion take center stage, reinforcing the idea that sports in Nigeria is for everyone, regardless of physical limitations. At its core, the Para Games represent inclusiveness in action. It bridges longstanding gaps, ensuring that para-athletes receive the recognition, structure, and opportunities they deserve.  For many participants, this is more than a chance to compete, it is validation of years of hard work in a system that is now paying closer attention to their needs. Beyond th...

...Yahaya sets the pace in Para Badminton By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye in Abuja      Abibat Ibrahim delivered a commanding performance to clinch gold in the women’s Class 8 table tennis event at the ongoing 2026 Para Games in Abuja, capping a dominant run with a straight-sets 2-0 victory over her Abia State opponent. The in-form star barely dropped a set throughout the competition, having earlier dispatched her Bayelsa rival by the same 2-0 margin.  In the final, she showcased precision, control, and confidence to seal the top spot and underline her status as one of the standout athletes of the Games. Kwara’s presence was also felt across other table tennis events.  Ganiyu Yunusa battled his way to a bronze medal in the men’s Class 1-3 category, adding to the state’s growing medal tally. Meanwhile, Taofiq Azeez’s campaign ended in the quarterfinals after a tough loss to Abia. Aminat Adisa kept the momentum going in the women’s Class 6-7 divis...

By Maxwell Kumoye    Host Bayelsa State lit up the mats on Sunday with a dominant showing in the men’s freestyle event at the 4th Governor Douye Diri Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa, storming to three gold medals and underlining their status as the team to beat. Backed by a charged home crowd inside the Indoor Sports Hall of the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Bayelsa’s wrestlers delivered ruthless, clinical performance across key weight classes. Erofagha Dideikenei set the tone in the 70kg category, powering past Rivers State’s Richard Ebigha in the final to clinch the hosts’ first gold of the day. Andrew Ebikeme (Dynamite Club) and Delta’s Ebikedunene T settled for bronze. The momentum continued in the 82kg division, where Solomon Ulabo produced another commanding display to defeat Edo State’s Agbonifo Ehichiel and secure Bayelsa’s second gold.  James Perekeme (Nigeria Customs Service) and Progress Peter (Dynamite Club) claimed bronze medals. Heavyweight Zikeanh...

By Maxwell Kumoye      Defending champions Pakistan Alfred and Augustine Okuro stamped their authority once again, but it was Harrison Onovwiomogbohwo’s breakthrough moment that lit up Day 4 of the Governor Douye Diri Wrestling Classics in Yenagoa. Alfred, representing NSCDC, was untouchable in the 67kg Greco-Roman division, powering through a round-robin field with clinical dominance to retain his crown.  Not to be outdone, Delta State’s powerhouse Okuro bulldozed his way to back-to-back gold in the 130kg class, dispatching all opponents by technical superiority in a commanding display. But the loudest cheers belonged to Bayelsa’s own Onovwiomogbohwo. The freestyle specialist made a bold switch to Greco-Roman and it paid off instantly.  In a statement performance, he dethroned Nigeria Army’s Tobechukwu Udeh to clinch his maiden gold in the 97kg category, announcing himself as a new force in the division. Bayelsa State’s dominance was undeniable, fin...

By Maxwell Kumoye and Trust Ittai      Senegal have drawn a battle line and they are not backing down. In a furious escalation that could shake the very foundations of the game, the Senegalese Football Federation has launched a blistering attack on the Confederation of African Football after being stripped of their Africa Cup of Nations title in a decision now branded “absurd” and “irrational.” At the heart of the storm is FSF president Abdoulaye Fall, who did not mince words, vowing a full-scale “moral and legal crusade” against what he described as an “administrative robbery.” "This is no longer just about a trophy. It is about power, precedent, and the soul of football.” The chaos stems from the dramatic AFCON final in Rabat on January 18, where Senegal walked off in protest after a controversial penalty was awarded to Morocco.  They returned, regrouped, and snatched victory with a 1-0 extra-time winner, seemingly sealing their place in history. But in...

...NSC Earns Plaudits   By Maxwell Kumoye       Nigeria’s women’s 3x3 wheelchair basketball team delivered a moment of pure sporting history on Thursday, powering their way to qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games with a commanding 8-3 victory over South Africa in the final. In a performance defined by grit, discipline, and tactical brilliance, the Nigerian side proved unstoppable, becoming the first team from the country to secure a Commonwealth Games ticket in the event.  Earlier, they had brushed aside Kenya 6-2 in the semifinals, sending a clear warning of their intent. While the athletes rightly take center stage, this triumph also shines a bright light on the proactive leadership of the National Sports Commission, whose timely support and strategic backing have been pivotal to the team’s success.  At a time when para-sports often battle for recognition, the Commission’s intervention has not only empowered these athletes but po...