Sports Groove

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye          It's the start of a new dawn for Nigerian sports, a signal for something better in sport as the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) will be inaugurating the Olympafrica Centre and the groundbreaking of the highly anticipated Olympic Resident Estate Project. For years, the Olympafrica Centre has quietly nurtured athletics talent across Nigeria. Now, it is stepping into the spotlight as the centerpiece of a bold new vision for sports development. The initiative represents a strategic evolution for the NOC, combining world-class athletic facilities with an innovative residential concept designed to foster a sustainable sporting ecosystem. At the heart of this development is the Olympic Estate, a state-of-the-art residential project integrated within the NOC grounds. The estate embodies a “Live-Train-Play” philosophy, a model increasingly adopted globally, ensuring that elite training facilities and modern l...

By Maxwell Kumoye        Gaborone is bracing for a sprint spectacle as the countdown to the 2026 World Athletics Relays hits top gear, with powerhouse nations already setting the tone before a single baton is passed. In Nairobi, Jack Tuwei, President of Athletics Kenya, delivered a firm message of belief and expectation as he addressed the national relay squad ahead of departure.  The Kenyan team is scheduled to leave on Wednesday for Gaborone, carrying the hopes of a nation eager to make its mark on the global relay stage. The event, part of the World Athletics Relays 2026, will take place from May 2–3 in Gaborone, where the world’s fastest teams will clash in a high-stakes battle of speed, precision, and teamwork. While Kenya fine-tunes its preparations, the United States national track and field team has already touched down in Botswana.  However, their arrival comes with a notable absence, the men’s 4×400m relay squad, traditionally one of t...

...Eyes podium finish and qualification slots Maxwell Kumoye    Team Nigeria will be departing for the World Athletics Relay Championship in Gaborone, Botswana, with high hopes of securing qualification spots for major global competitions. The contingent, made up of 24 athletes blending youth and experience, will leave for the Championship today via Ethiopian Airlines, with a scheduled stopover in Addis Ababa before arriving in Gaborone.  The team will compete in all six relay events at the championship, which runs from May 2 to May 3, 2026. Backing the squad are four coaches led by the Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Gabriel Okon, as preparations intensify for what is expected to be a fiercely competitive outing. An advance party, headed by AFN Secretary Israel Inwang, had earlier arrived in Botswana on Sunday, following the team’s official photo session ahead of departure. This year’s World Relays carries added significance, ...

By Maxwell Kumoye        President of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Okraku, has confirmed that Ghana will host the 2027 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations. The announcement was made on Sunday, April 26, 2026, via a post on his official Facebook page. Ghana will be hosting the tournament for the first time in nearly three decades, having last staged the competition, then known as the African Youth Championship in 1999.  On that occasion, the Black Satellites reached the final but finished as runners-up to Nigeria. Since then, Ghana has remained a strong force in the competition, most recently winning their fourth title in 2021.  However, the country has not had the opportunity to host the tournament again until now. The confirmation marks a significant milestone for Ghana football, as preparations are expected to begin towards staging a successful continental tournament in 2027.

By Maxwell Kumoye      De Sapele Lions FC wrote a new chapter in their history on Sunday after edging defending champions Warri Wolves 3-2 on penalties to win their first-ever Delta Football Association Arthur Ferdinand Federations Cup at the Southern Delta University Stadium, Ozoro. The final, which kicked off late due to the Lions’ delayed arrival following a vehicle breakdown, began with Warri Wolves on the front foot.  The champions pressed early and nearly took the lead when Igbunu Evwerhurhoma unleashed a curling effort that rattled the crossbar. After weathering the early storm, De Sapele Lions grew into the contest and controlled proceedings towards the end of the first half.  The second half saw them push Wolves deep into their own half, with increased intensity and sharper attacking transitions. The breakthrough arrived in the 68th minute after the introduction of former Delta Force midfielder Adams Balo proved decisive.  His set-piece...

By Maxwell Kumoye        Africa’s athletics circuit has surged into global prominence in recent weeks, delivering a seamless blend of elite competition, technical precision and growing international appeal yet the same standard still appears frustratingly out of reach for Nigeria. From the bustling tracks of Addis Ababa to the electric atmosphere at Nairobi’s Nyayo Stadium for the Kip Keino Classic, and onward to Gaborone for another Grand Prix, the continent has hosted a string of high-calibre meets that have drawn top athletes from the United States, Europe and Africa.  The season had earlier gathered momentum with the Lefika International Relays, effectively setting the tone for what has become a vibrant African athletics renaissance. Beyond the star power on the track, it was the technical excellence behind the scenes that stood out.  Competitions were executed with precision, meeting global standards and earning commendation from World Athl...

  The 21-year-old edged out Luis Lauret Rodriguez by just one kilogram to claim gold at the European Weightlifting Championships in Georgia. The Armenian star secured his third senior title in a high-stakes battle that went down to the final lifts. The men's 110 kg category was the only weight category in which medals were awarded on the seventh day of the competition. Four top athletes were among the gold medal contenders: double European champion Garik Karapetyan of Armenia; his teammate and double Olympic silver medallist, Simon Martirosyan; the returning European runner-up and former Pan American champion, Luis Lauret Rodriguez, who has represented Romania since 2024; and the 2022 European champion, Hristo Hristov of Bulgaria. Karapetyan set the pace early on in the snatch discipline, successfully lifting a new European record on his final attempt. However, he was later surpassed by Hristov and Lauret, who lifted 190 kg. Lauret, a former Cuban athlete, went on to fi...

The EWF Senior European Weightlifting Championships in Batumi concluded with a world-class duel between two of the sport's most decorated women and a dominant display of strength in the men's heaviest category. The women's super-heavyweight (+86 kg) session produced the most intense head-to-head of the week as Great Britain's double Olympic medallist Emily Campbell faced off against Norway's Solfrid Koanda. The contest was a clash of champions, with Koanda entering as the reigning Paris 2024 Olympic champion in -81 kg and reigning World champion in -86 kg stepping up to challenge the British icon. The lead changed hands throughout the afternoon as both athletes pushed the continental limits. Koanda asserted her strength early in the snatch, setting a new European Senior Record with a successful 119 kg lift to take the discipline gold. However, Campbell responded with a her strong clean & jerk. The British lifter successfully cleared 159 kg, establish...

The women's competition at the 2026 European Wrestling Championships in Albania concluded on Friday with a staggering display of dominance by the blue and yellow national team with six gold medals, a silver, and a bronze. Ukraine finished at the summit of the team standings with 193 points. Türkiye followed in second place with 122 points, while Poland secured third with 114 points. The emotional heart of the tournament was Mariia Vynnyk in the 59kg division. After eight years of competing at the highest level and accumulating silver and bronze medals, Vynnyk finally climbed the top step of the podium. She defeated Poland's veteran Jowita Wrzesien 8-4 in a final defined by tactical patience. "It’s actually been a very tough road to this victory," Vynnyk reflected. "I've been training since I was eight and Ive always pictured myself on the podium with a gold medal. Today that dream came true." The bronze medals in the 59kg category went to Sve...