Newly acquired Ujpest of Hungary striker, Peter Ambrose has reiterated his commitment to play for Nigeria under 23 eagles if called upon by the technical crew.

Ambrose who joined the Hungarian giants in a mouth watering four year deal from Turkish side, Balikesirspor has already hit the ground running by getting on the score sheet in his new side 3-1 loss to Paks FC

The Nigerian who spoke with Vice President, John Utaka Academy,Usman Abubakar Chata said he is happy to score for his team but not happy that they lost.

‘ I am happy to have scored but unfortunately we lost but we hope to bounce back in our next match, however, the league is a marathon so we will raise our heads and look forward to the next match’.

Ambrose also reiterated his resolve to play for Nigeria if given the opportunity

‘i have been monitoring the under 23 team and I am impressed with what the did in the last match against Tanzania and also the home based eagles against Costa Rica’

‘Coach Salisu is an experienced tactician with achievement at club level and at the national team,all he just need is everybody’s support to achieve’.

He went further by saying he ready to make personal sacrifice to play for Nigeria

‘I am ready to come down to Nigeria to assist the country in ensuring that we qualify for the Olympics,’he concluded.

The former Super Eagles coach alongside Evolution Cup project strategist, Olatoye Olawale was welcomed by Remo Stars coach, Daniel Ogunmodede to the full tour of the facilities including the pitch, VIP areas, players camp, and workout facility on Sunday.

“This is quite an edifice for a proper football team. Remo Stars is a team that should be competing for the NPFL title, as they have everything in place to succeed. I’m really impressed with everything in this stadium.

“Evolution Cup being hosted here is a great opportunity for the players to get used to good stadium.” Bonfrere said at the tour.

Remo Stars coach, Daniel Ogunmodede said it was an honor to finally meet the man who won Olympics Gold for Nigeria.

“It was an honor to finally meet the coach, who won Gold for Nigeria at the Olympics. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, and I really appreciate your visit.” Ogunmodede said.

Evolution Cup strategist, Olatoye Olawale revealed that things are now in place for the next Evolution Cup and a visit to the venue was a good plan made for the ambassador.

“We just unveiled Bonfrere Jo as the ambassador for Evolution Cup and this is a part of the whole process. He needed to visit the stadium used to host the tournament and here we are.

“Preparations are now in place for the next edition of Evolution Cup, which comes up in few months.” Olatoye said.

The next edition of Evolution Cup will come up in February 2023.

The Olympic Eagles drew 1-1 with Tanzania in the first leg encounter at Benjamin Mpaka Stadium and will hope to zoom to next round of qualification for U23 Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.

Taofeeq who has been a nightmare to defenders in the Belgian Challenger Pro League this season believes the team has what it takes to overcome their Tanzanian opponent.

The Oyo born forward made this disclosure in a chat with the Media from his base in Belgium on Friday afternoon.

“I believe the Olympic Eagles would get the job done and dusted in Ibadan,” Ishmael Taofeeq said.

“There are good players in the team who are capable of ensuring that Nigerians have something to cheer on Saturday.

“The likes of Nathaniel Nwosu, Success Makanjuola and Ibrahim Sunusi are players I know very well. So the team shouldn’t have problem winning the game,” he added.

Lorient owned Ishmael Taofeeq has already racked up three assists for SK Beveren this season.

The Federal Government has tripled the prize money award for Team Nigeria medallists at the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Making the announcement Tuesday in Tokyo after Wrestler Blessing Oborodudu won Team Nigeria’s second medal of the Games, Director, Federation and Elite Athletes Department, FEAD of the Youth and Sports Development Ministry, Dr Simon Ebohdjaiye says the gesture is in appreciation of the impressive and historic performances put up by the athletes.

“The gesture is to drive home the point that the Federal Government rewards superlative efforts,” said the Director who praised the athletes for their massive exploits in Tokyo.

“Gold medallist will now be rewarded with $15,000 while silver and bronze medal winners will each get $10,000 and S7,500 respectively. The earlier award is $5,000 for gold, $3,000 for silver and $2,000 for bronze”.

Oborodudu who made history as the first Nigerian wrestler, man or woman to win an Olympic medal courtesy of the silver medal she won in the women’s 68kg freestyle will get $10,000.

Long jumper Ese Brume who officially won Nigeria’s first medal at the Games, a bronze will get $7,500 as a reward. Her medal is the first won in track and field since 2008 at the Beijing Olympics where Blessing Okagbare and the women’s 4x100m relay team won a silver medal each.

There are still three Nigerians left in the Wrestling event led by world number one in her category, Odunayo Adekuruoye. Also within the medal range is Chukwuebuka Enekwechi who will be competing in the men’s Shot Put final on Thursday.

In bold move to step up the fight against doping by athletes, the Federal Ministry of Youth and sports Development is to partner with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO.

Speaking during a courtesy call on the Minister of Youth and Sports Development Mr Sunday Dare, the Nigerian Ambassador to UNESCO, Hajiya Hajo Sani commended the Minister for his innovations and sustained efforts “we want to commend the Ministry for all the youth and sports focused initiatives that’s has been running and yielding results. On our part we will continue to ensure that our sportsmen and women compete clean in all competitions in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and beyond by not taking any substances that violate rules of Sports”

In his response, the Minister said “This meeting is coming at an opportuned time when we are just few days to the commencement of the Tokyo Olympics. I believe your job as Nigerian Ambassador to UNESCO is a choice that is justifiable. In a deliberate way we seek partnerships and collaborations in any organisation that is Youth focused.As a Ministry we will keep availing the youth of our country the benefits that are available. We are barely 8 days to the commencement of Tokyo 2020 Olympics and emphasis has been on the need to have clean sports as we’ve been charging the Athletes to compete fairly and clean without using any banned substances. In another few days we will see over 58 of our athletes in 9 different sports competing with the best from the world in Tokyo. Through the years of preparations, the emphasis has been on making sure we do not violate any of the guidelines provided by the World Anti-Dopping Agency.”

Signed

Media office of the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports Development

Nigeria women’s team is through to the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Beach Volleyball Qualifiers in Agadir, Morocco.

Nigeria will face The Gambia today in one of the quarterfinals in its bid to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic next month.

Nigeria face Cape Verde in a great Pool B showdown; both side enforced power, technique and skills but it was Nigeria who steal the show in the golden match after a hard fourth 2-1 win.

The final phase of the CAVB Continental Cup for women will includes Morocco, Mozambique, Egypt, Rwanda, Kenya, The Gambia, Nigeria and Cape Verde.

Meanwhile, Nigeria men’s team has crashed out of the beach volleyball qualifiers despite beating Mali 2-1 in the third Pool B match.

In pool B Kenya set a ground breaking victory over Mozambique in one of the competition’s best face offs which extended to a golden match after Mozambique won the first match 2-1 before Kenya neutralised winning 2-0, then they won the tiebreaker 2-1. Kenya and Mozambique qualified, while giants Nigeria were eliminated.

The top eight line up confirmed at the Men’s Continental cup after Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Mozambique, Ghana, Egypt, Gambia and Rwanda made it to the single elimination chart after they finished on top 2 position in each of the four preliminary pools.

According to Adegoke, “it has been really awesome for me knowing fully well that immediately after the Honourable Minister adopted me, that was the tonic I needed to give out my best in the track and field event. As you can see, I just emerged winner in the race here in Lagos and Recall that we went to the United States for Preparations the Olympics, everything has been working perfectly well and you know we needed money for the camping and the Minister made it available for me by adopting me.

“This means all I needed for the training, food, coaches and the rest were taken care of by the Minister.”

” I appreciate him for giving me the opportunity to be at my best. He adopted me with 10,000 US Dollars. Aside myself, the Minister has been supportive to the Athletes generally and he is a motivator to everyone. He visited us in the United states and he’s also here at the National Open trials.

“This shows his passion and interest and the fact that he cares about our success. All we can do is reciprocate his gesture with a podium performance in Tokyo”… Adegoke concluded

The Tokyo Olympic trials will begin on Thursday June 17 with some of Nigeria’s best athletes aiming to either earn tickets that will get them a place in the Tokyo-bound flight or to confirm their qualification after scaling the qualification standard hurdles set by World Athletics for the Games.

The much anticipated championship will witness the best of Nigerian track and field and a celebration of the new board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, led by Chief Tonobock Okowa.

Complete Sports brings you 5 of the best Nigerian athletes who will grace the Day 1 of the Championship on Thursday.

Blessing Okagbare (100m):
Blessing is undoubtedly the greatest sprinter Nigeria has ever seen and she will be the cynosure of all eyes as she attempts to win her eighth 100m title.

Only former African queen of the track, the delectable Mary Onyali has won more (11) and Okagbare will be looking to pull clear of ‘The Bulldozer’ Endurance Ojokolo who dominated the national 100m scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning seven national titles.

The 32 year old Okagbare holds the Nigerian record in the event (10.79) and has broken 11 seconds a staggering 21 times, 19 more than any other Nigerian sprinter.

This term, Okagbare is coming to the trials in superb form after running a personal season’s best of 10.90 seconds last May at the second leg of the Wanda Diamond League in Doha, Qatar.

The beautifully built, long striding Sapele-born sprinter has ducked inside 11 seconds three times so far this term and holds the 11.02 seconds championship record she set on her last appearance in the competition in 2016 in Sapele.

Tobi Amusan (100m Hurdles):
Since Glory Alozie retired, Tobi has proved to be her perfect successor and the former will be watching with keen attention as the reigning Commonwealth Games champion attempts to run her first sub 13 seconds race at the championships, break Angela Atede’s 12.63 seconds championships record and Alozie’s 12.44 seconds African record!.

Amusan came close to breaking the African record but for a tailwind that renders her 12.43 seconds run in Florida early this month illegal. Alozie knows it is just a matter of time before the 24 year old breaks her record.

Two years ago at the African Games, Amusan erased from history books Alozie’s 12.74 seconds Games record set 20 years earlier with a first sub 12.70 seconds (12.68) performance in the history of the competition.

This year, Amusan has broken 13 seconds an incredible seven times ( five legal) and the petite hurlder will be eyeing her third in the month of June and eight overall.

Nzubechi Grace Nwokocha (100m):
No home based athletes has run faster in Nigerian than Grace in over two decades!. The 20 year old stormed into national consciosness like a bolt out of the blues when she raced to an 11.09 personal best at the MOC Grand prix in Lagos at the end of March.

That was the fastest time on Nigerian soil in five years and the fastest by a home based athletes in over 20 years.

Grace has won every 100m race in Nigeria since 2020 but she will face her biggest test yet when she lines up against Blessing Okagbare in what local athletics watchers believe will be one of the most exciting 100m races since the late 1990s and early 2000s.

She has become one of the few home based athletes to make the qualification standard for the Olympics right here in Nigeria and the first since Ese Brume jumped 6.83m to qualify for the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Grace also set a new 22.79 seconds in the 200m to win the half lap gold at the Edo 2020 National Sports festival.

Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (Shot Put):
Chukwuebuka will be looking to win his first national title since he came into the Nigerian shot put scene in 2018 when he won the shot put and discus throw titles at the Abuja Nigeria Sports Festival.

The 28 year old came into national consciousness in early 2018 when he won a silver medal for Nigeria at the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia.

He has gone on to win the African Games gold medal two years ago in Rabat, Morocco and became the first and so far only Nigerian to make the last eight at World Athletics’ flagship event, the World Athletics Championships.

Annette Echikunwoke (Hammer Throw):
During his inauguration of the Tonobock Okowa led board of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Sports Minister Sunday Dare says ‘this is a new dawn for Nigerian athletics’.

The Minister is right. While we are having a new seed replacing the rotten one sowed by Solomon Dalung in 2017, in far away United States of America, Annette has been busy rewriting the Nigerian hammer history with a series of throw of 70m.

No Nigerian hammer thrower has ever hit the 70m mark but Annette has done it not just once but five times this season. He has now set the Nigerian record multiple times this season with the 75.49m she threw last May at the USATF Throws Fest in Tucson, Arizona the new National record.

Annette also made history as the first Nigerian woman to qualify for the Olympics in the event.

Okagbare, who is eyeing her eighth 100m title to move one clear of Enduarance Ojokolo as the second most decorated sprinter in the blue ribband event after Mary Onyali (11 titles) last competed in the competition in 2016 when she ran an 11.02 seconds Championships record in Sapele.

The Olympics, World, Commonwealth and African Games medallist will be wary of the form of Nwokocha who stormed to an 11.09 seconds personal best at the end of March on the track of the Yaba College of Technology track, venue of the 2021 National Championships.

It was the fastest 100m title by a home-based sprinter in about two decades and the fastest since Okagbare ran 11.02 seconds five years ago in Sapele.
Okagbare will also be looking to become the first Nigerian sprinter to run inside 11 seconds at the championships.

The Commonwealth Games double sprint champion is the reigning Nigerian record holder in the event ( 10.79) and the only one who has run under 11 seconds among the competitors for the 100m title.

She holds a personal season’s best of 10.90 seconds she ran at the second leg of the Wanda Diamond League in Doha, Qatar in April and has broken 11 seconds thrice this season.

She has already booked her ticket to the Olympics in Tokyo where she will be aiming to become the first Nigerian, man or woman to make a podium appearance in the most glamorous track event.

The key event for the opening day of the Championships is the 100m with both the men and women’s finals taking place in the evening after the preliminaries set to hold in the morning.

Morning events will witness the 20km women and men final, the 100m prelims, 400m heat (men and women), 1,500m women’s final and the hammer women’s final.

Also on Thursday, reigning African Shot Put king, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will be the cynosure of all eyes as he eyes his first National title in the event.

Enekwechi, who has also secured a place in Team Nigeria’s flight to Tokyo is the only Nigerian shot putter who has hit the 21m mark and over so far this season.

Sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan will be praying for a favourable weather as she aims to challenge not only the 12.63 seconds Championships record set by Amgela Atede in June 1997 in Lagos but also the 12.44 seconds African record she came close to breaking early this month at the NACAC New Life Invitational at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida, USA where her 12.43 seconds finish was aided by a +4.5mps tail wind.

Amusan will also be looking to become the third athletes after Atede and Glory Alozie (twice) to run inside 13 seconds in the history of the championships.
The petite sprint hurdler’s only sub 13 seconds run in the event (12.97) was achieved in Ozoro, Delta state at the Warri Relays in 2017.

The atmosphere around the Yabatech Sports Complex is currently wearing a new look ahead of the 2021 National Championships and Invitational Relays starting on Thursday, June 17.

The trials, which will be used to select Nigeria’s contingent to the delayed Games of the XXXII Olympics in Tokyo which is scheduled to hold from July 23 to August 8, 2021, will see 11 events taking place on the opening day.

The fans will have the opportunity of watching queen of the track, Blessing Okagbare (100m and 200m) competing alongside other top athletes like Tobiloba Amusan (100mH), Ese Brume (Long Jump), Grace Nwokocha (100m and 200m), Ruth Usoro (Long and Triple Jump), Annette Echiunwoke (Hammer Throw), Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (Shot Put) among others.

The National Championships is the flagship event of the AFN where the nation’s top athletes will converge to compete for honours and qualifications for major Championships and Games.

Morning events will witness the 20km women and men final, the 100m prelims, 400m heat (men and women), 1,500m women final and the hammer women final.
Apart from the 100m finals expected to take place in the afternoon, there will be the shot put men final with all eyes on Chukwuebuka Enekwechi.

Tobi Amusan will be geared up towards erasing the African Record in the women’s 100m hurdles when she takes to the track in the heat with the men’s 110m hurdles also taking place on Thursday.

Other events on the opening day are javelin men final and the 5000m men final.