Sports Groove

...Okowa hails, Aghazu, appeals for more support  By Maxwell Kumoye      As preparations intensify for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games Trials in Lagos, athletes and coaches have received a major morale booster following the introduction of a special performance-based reward scheme designed to inspire excellence among home-based competitors. The laudable initiative, known as the Ben Aghazu Prize for Excellence in Athletics, was instituted by the 2nd Vice President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Akuchukwu Chineze Aghazu, in honour of her late father, Ben Aghazu. The prize will see outstanding athletes rewarded with N100,000 each for achieving predetermined performance standards in 14 events during the Commonwealth Games Trials scheduled to hold in Lagos from June 20 to 22. In a further demonstration of her commitment to grassroots athletics development, Aghazu also announced that two exceptional coaches, one male and one female have been s...

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye and Mishael Emmanuel in Ilupeju, Lagos    The curtains came down on the sixth edition of the Jordan Nwora Basketball Camp at the Warriors Basketball Court, Ilupeju, Lagos, after three days of intensive training, mentorship and competition. The camp, which attracted over 200 young basketball talents from across Nigeria, provided participants with a unique platform to learn, improve their skills and showcase their abilities under the guidance of experienced coaches and mentors. Among the standout participants was Ogun State's promising young basketball player, Mojoyinoluwa Mash, who comes from a rich basketball background and has already begun making her mark on the court. Speaking in an exclusive interview with FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG's Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye, Mojoyinoluwa described the camp as a rare opportunity to learn, compete and elevate her understanding of the game she loves. "It is a great opportunity to b...

By Maxwell Kumoye       Nigeria's Damola Hannah Ojo and Esther Kolawole added to the country's medal haul at the Ulaanbaatar 2026 United World Wrestling (UWW) 3rd Ranking Series in Mongolia, joining Christianah Ogunsanya on the podium. The Ranking Series tournament, which offers valuable seeding points for upcoming global championships, saw Ojo produce a dominant performance on her way to the final. The reigning African champion opened her campaign with a commanding 10-0 victory over Mongolia's Tuvshinjargal Tarav before defeating India's Priya 5-1 in the semi-finals. However, her impressive run ended in the gold medal bout, where she fell 0-8 to India's Kajal, settling for a well-deserved silver medal. Earlier, Esther Kolawole secured bronze for Nigeria with a convincing 10-0 victory over China's Huan Yang in the third-place match. Kolawole had earlier made a strong statement by defeating world No. 1 Amina Tandelova, competing under the neutral bann...

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye at the Warriors Basketball Court in Ilupeju, Lagos      The President of FIBA Africa Zone 3, Retired Colonel Sam Ahmedu on Friday described the Jordan Nwora Basketball Camp as the highway to success in the slamming and dunking game for young jammers looking to take their game to the next level.  Colonel Ahmedu gave this assurance in an exclusive interview with FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG'S Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye. He emphasized that the benefits of participating at the camp cannot be overemphasized, from skill acquisition to scholarships. “We have been able to fulfill our objective, the major one being to teach the youths the fundamentals of the game. We are also discovering some new and talented players from Liberia to Ghana and now Nigeria, we want to help them take their game to the next level,” he stated. For the retired army officer, his love for youth development spans over 40 years. He explained that lack...

By Maxwell Kumoye      Nigeria's Christianah Ogunsanya delivered a commendable performance to claim a bronze medal at the ongoing 3rd World Wrestling Series Tournament in Mongolia, becoming the first Nigerian wrestler to reach the podium at the prestigious ranking event. The reigning African champion fought her way to the bronze medal after edging Mongolia's Bayanmunkh 6-6 on technical criteria in a thrilling contest that silenced the home crowd. Often regarded as one of the toughest wrestling competitions outside the World Championships and Olympic Games, the World Wrestling Series has attracted elite wrestlers from across the globe seeking valuable ranking points and international exposure. Ogunsanya's journey to the podium began with a dominant 10-0 superiority victory over Mongolia's Tsovoo Gankhuyag. However, her quest for gold suffered a setback in the semifinals where she fell 10-0 by superiority to Japan's Kiyooka M. Undeterred, the Nigerian star...

By Maxwell Kumoye    Uganda's emergence as host of the 2031 African Games has been linked to the rotational hosting policy of the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA), a framework designed to ensure equitable distribution of the continent's biggest multi-sport event among Africa's regions. Investigations have revealed that the East African nation benefited significantly from the policy, which seeks to spread hosting opportunities across the continent rather than concentrating them in a few countries. The decision is also understood to have been aided by Nigeria's withdrawal from the race, leaving Uganda as the sole candidate for the prestigious event. For Nigeria, supporting the rotational arrangement aligns with the country's longstanding contribution to the growth of the African Games movement. The nation has already hosted the continental showpiece twice, first in Lagos in 1973 and again in Abuja in 2003, making it one of only ...

...As Nigeria celebrates historic seven-medal haul in Bamako By Maxwell Kumoye    Morocco reaffirmed its status as Africa's taekwondo powerhouse by winning the African Taekwondo Championships for a third consecutive time, while Nigeria recorded one of its best-ever performances at the continental showpiece with a historic seven-medal haul in Bamako, Mali. The championship, held from May 29 to 31, attracted more than 300 athletes from 32 countries, who battled for continental honours across various categories. Morocco once again dominated proceedings, finishing top in both the men's and women's divisions to successfully defend the title it has held since 2022. The North Africans secured six gold medals through Soufiane El Asbi in the men's +87kg category, Haitam Zaghouti in the men's -80kg division, Mohamed Amine Dhaheri in the men's -68kg class, Amina Dehhaoui in the women's -57kg category, Farah Touzani in the women's -46kg division and Ouma...

...As Sanwo-Olu promises world class Games By Maxwell Kumoye   Lagos State has received a major vote of confidence ahead of the maiden National Intermediate Games after the Main Organising Committee (MOC) concluded a comprehensive three-day inspection of facilities and infrastructure earmarked for the championship. The high-powered delegation, led by the Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness displayed by the host state, reinforcing expectations that the inaugural event will set new standards for grassroots sports development in Nigeria. The inspection team toured several key venues scheduled to host competitions, including: • The Teslim Balogun Stadium • National Stadium Complex • National Institute for Sports • Rowe Park Sports Centre • Yaba College of Technology • University of Lagos sports facilities and hostels • Elegbata Sports Centre • The Cricket Oval at Tafawa Ba...

  By Maxwell Kumoye      Nigeria maintained their unbeaten record against Poland at senior international level after goals from Terem Moffi and Paul Onuachu earned the Super Eagles a hard-fought 2-2 draw against the White-Reds in Warsaw on Wednesday night. Determined to bounce back from their disappointing 2-0 defeat to Ukraine on Sunday, Poland started brightly and almost took the lead in the fourth minute when Jakub Kaminski's close-range header narrowly missed the target, with Maduka Okoye beaten. Backed by more than 54,000 passionate supporters inside the 58,000-capacity Stadion PGE Narodowy, the hosts pressed aggressively through experienced striker Robert Lewandowski, Kaminski, Karol Swiderski, Piotr Zielinski and Kacper Potulski as they searched for an early breakthrough. However, it was Nigeria who struck first. The Super Eagles displayed composure and precision in attack, and in the 23rd minute, captain Wilfred Ndidi threaded a superb pass to Mos...