Nigerian sports festival: Day 7 Round up

Boxing ( Kano in Blue with Delta in Red) 1

Boxing ( Kano in Blue with Delta in Red) 1

Delta, Kano fined N50, 000 each for using ineligible weightlifters

The Nigeria Weightlifting Federation (NWF) on Tuesday fined Delta and Kano states N50,000 each for using ineligible weightlifters at the going 18th National Sports Festival in Lagos.

Boxing ( Kano in Blue with Delta in Red) 1
NWF Secretary Uche Onwumeh said that a female weightlifter, Bilikis Otunla, 69kg, was caught representing Delta after attending two international competitions.

Onwumeh said she was identified by some officials and reported to the judges, leading to her suspension from the Games by the federation’s adjudicators.

“An investigation was carried out and evidences confirmed that Otunla was faulty and Delta was therefore told to pay a fine of N50, 000 before the end of the competition,’’ she said.

The secretary said that failure by Delta to make the payment to the NWF would result to the withholding of the medals won in the event.

According to her, the Delta State Weightlifting Association coach is also warned to desist from acts capable of violating the rules governing the Games from achieving its aims.

Also, a male weightlifter, Aminu Aliyu, 77kg, from Kano was also discovered to have been using three different names to participate at the last three sports festivals after a petition by Delta.

Hockey (Ondo in Lemon with Bauchi in White 2
Onwumeh said Aliyu participated in the Gateway Games in 2006 in Abeokuta, KADA Games in 2010 in Kaduna and Garden City Games in 2011 in Port Harcourt.

He was said to have used Aminu Aliyu, Aliyu Suleiman and Aminu Sale for the Games respectively.

“The athlete has been dishonest in three consecutive festivals but luck was against him this time around,’’ she said.

Onwumeh warned that the NWF would not tolerate the use of ineligible athletes and urged states to desist from any act that would bring the federation’s name to disrepute.

NHF disqualifies Ekiti male hockey team from festival

The Nigeria Hockey Federation (NHF) on Tuesday disqualified the Ekiti male hockey team from participating at the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival (NSF) over identity distortion and fielding of ineligible players.

Walter Imoedemhe, the NHF Technical Director, who disclosed said that the offence was against the sports festival’s rules.

He said that Team Rivers on Monday protested Team Ekiti’s fielding of ineligible players which led the NHF jury, after a thorough investigation, to disqualify Ekiti players.

Imoedemhe reiterated that the federation would no longer tolerate such offences, saying that they could bring both the NHF and the National Sports Commission (NSC) into disrepute.

“I am still warning that states should desist from these acts which will not portray the NHF in good light. Stiffer penalties will be given to any erring state which is found culpable,” the technical director warned.

Ondo State female team was also disqualified for the same offence on Monday.

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As a result of the disqualification, Ondo lost three points, as well as three goals and also paid a fine of N10, 000 to their Lagos counterparts, who lodged the complaint.

In the men’s matches played on Monday, Team Adamawa and Team Oyo drew 0-0 at the end of regulation time as the game was decided 3-2 through a penalty shoot-out, in favour of Adamawa.

Team Kaduna also defeated team Anambra 1-0, Team Plateau held Team Imo to a 0-0 draw, while Team Bauchi lost 0-3 to Team Lagos.

Team Ondo makes volleyball final

Team Ondo on Tuesday defeated Team Imo 3-1, in the semi-final of the ongoing 18th National Sports Festival (NSF) in Lagos, to book a slot in the final.

The battle for supremacy between the two teams lasted for one hour and 15 minutes in the volleyball court at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Following this development, Team Ondo will now lock horns with hosts Team Lagos, in the final, scheduled for 6 December.

Tayo Oluwatuyi, the team’s patron, commended the players for a well-deserved victory.

Oluwatuyi, who is also the Ondo Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, added that the team would go on to win and retain the title which they first won at the 2011 NSF in Port Harcourt.

“We are the defending champions and we intend to win back-to-back. As a patron, I feel on top of the world because they have played well,” he said.

When asked whether the prospects of playing against the host team would not intimidate his team, he told NAN that they will not in any way be intimidated.

“If the whole of the stadium is filled with Lagosians, the atmosphere will bring the best out of my players,’’he said.

Meanwhile, the Head coach of Team Imo, Uche Ugbonna, has expressed disappointment at his team’s failure to feature in the finals.

He complained that his team got derailed by overconfidence, which ruined the team’s chances of playing in the final.

“I am very disappointed at my team’s poor performance because Team Ondo was a cheap side to my team, but they took things for granted and we lost out.

“Overconfidence took over the game and we are paying dearly for it; it is so disappointing,” he added.

Team Imo will now vie for the third place position with Team Rivers.

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