Sports Archives | Page 2 of 55

NFF Selects Participants for First Batch of CAF B-License Coaching Course

Our Reporters4 days ago4 days ago02 mins

Participants in the first batch of the CAF B-License Coaching Course that will run between April and August 2025 have been identified and contacted by the Technical Department of the Nigeria Football Federation. “Those who will take part in the first batch have been selected and contacted. All applicants are advised to check their mails, including junk and spam sections, as time-sensitive information is attached,” NFF Technical Director, Coach Augustine Eguavoen told thenff.com. The four-month course, part of NFF’s strategic effort to build the capacity of coaches across the country, will be done in modules. It will run between 7th April and 25th August 2025. Successful applicants for the second and third batches will be selected and contacted in the coming weeks. Registration for the programme closed at midnight on Tuesday, 25th February, with Eguavoen informing thenff.com that response was impressive. The program is for both men and women. It can be recalled that the NFF organized a CAF C-License course (exclusively for women, and the first-ever) between the months of July and September last year. There were 30 participants, amongst them a good number of former Nigeria international players.

Nigerian Boxer Collapses and Dies in Ghana Pro League Match.

Our Reporters4 days ago4 days ago04 mins

Nigerian light-heavyweight boxer Gabriel Oluwaseun Olanrewaju, also known as “Success,” tragically passed away following an abrupt stoppage in his bout against Ghana’s Jonathan Mbanugu at the Bukom Boxing Arena. Coincidentally, Mbanugu has both Ghanaian and Nigerian parentage. The bout, staged on Saturday, March 29, was a special feature on the Bel 7 Star Professional Boxing League fight night. It took only a few seconds for fans at the Bukom Boxing Arena and officials to realize that something was seriously wrong. The scheduled eight-round light-heavyweight contest against Ghana’s Jonathan Mbanugu (also known as “Jon Power”)—who had a record of 12 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw, with 12 knockouts—came to an abrupt end under shocking circumstances. Olanrewaju had landed two weak punches on his opponent before Mbanugu responded with a right hand to the Nigerian’s face. Almost immediately, Olanrewaju staggered backward, fell against the ropes, and collapsed, drawing gasps of concern from the crowd. The Nigerian fighter slumped onto his side as the referee began the mandatory count. Moments later, he turned face down, with his throat resting against one of the ropes. His corner team rushed into the ring, placing him on the canvas, removing his gum shield, and attempting to resuscitate him as he appeared to be struggling to breathe. The on-site emergency medical team quickly transported him to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The boxing fraternity has been deeply affected by his unfortunate passing. Olanrewaju was a 40-year-old boxer based in Lagos, Nigeria, who made his professional debut in 2019. At the time of his final bout, he was on a four-fight losing streak, with defeats to Russia’s Savely Sadoma, Ibragim Estemirov, Muibi Lekan, and Rashid Idowu. He won his debut fight against Jimoh Najeem on July 30, 2019, and went on to win two subsequent bouts before suffering his first career loss to Durodola Olanrewaju via a fourth-round technical knockout. Before his final fight, Olanrewaju had lost all his bouts fought outside Nigeria—six in Russia and two in his home country. His professional record stood at 13 wins, 9 losses, and 2 draws, with 12 of his victories coming by knockout. The Ghana Boxing Authority, which sanctioned the bout, is yet to comment on the matter.

How to Grow & Increase Height?

Our Reporters5 days ago5 days ago07 mins

Genetics largely determines height, but nutrition, sleep, and exercise can help maximize growth. Growth plates fuse after adolescence, limiting further height increase. However, these exercises can improve posture and flexibility, enhancing overall appearance. JoggingJogging is an effective activity for toning your legs and strengthening your bones. It is especially beneficial during puberty. This exercise involves moderate running at a steady pace for an extended period. Forward Spine StretchThis seated workout helps improve posture and may contribute to height growth. Sit up straight with your legs extended in front of you. Keep them together or maintain a shoulder-width gap. Inhale, stretch your arms forward, and try to touch your toes. Perform 3–4 sets, holding each stretch for 10-15 seconds to enhance spinal flexibility. Jump SquatsJump squats are excellent for strengthening joints and muscles, aiding in height growth. Start by standing upright. Squat down, bringing your knees to your chest while lowering your hips. Push off with your legs as you jump up. Repeat this movement to improve flexibility and strength. Bar HangingHanging from a bar helps stretch the lower torso and reduces vertebral compression, which may aid in height increase. Use a sturdy bar set at least seven feet high. Hang with your arms extended and hold the position for 20 seconds. Perform this exercise 3–4 times daily. For added variation, wrap your legs over the bar while hanging upside down. Cobra StretchAlso known as Bhujangasana in yoga, this stretch helps in cartilage growth between vertebrae. Lie flat on your stomach with your legs extended. Inhale deeply, lift your chest and abdomen, and support your weight on your palms. Hold for 30 seconds before exhaling. Repeat 4–5 times daily. This stretch also promotes better blood circulation and oxygen flow. Wall StretchThis exercise engages the calf muscles and improves flexibility. Place your hands against a wall, keeping your right leg forward with knees slightly bent. Extend your left leg backward and press down on your toes for a deep stretch. Dry Land SwimmingA great alternative to swimming, this exercise mimics freestyle strokes. Alternate moving your arms and legs for about 20 seconds per repetition. This targets the lower back and thigh muscles, stimulating cell growth. Pelvic LiftThis exercise enhances spinal flexibility and strengthens the lower back. Lie flat with bent knees and feet shoulder-width apart. Push down on your feet while raising your hips to form a bridge. Lower your hips slowly and repeat. This exercise is also beneficial for relieving back stiffness from prolonged sitting. Alternate Leg KickAdapted from Tae Kwon Do, this high-intensity exercise mimics a cycling motion. Stand upright, bring one knee to your chest, then kick forward without touching the ground in between movements. It helps balance body mass while strengthening thighs. Pilates Roll OverPilates is excellent for spinal stretching. Lie on your back with arms at your sides and palms facing downward. Lift your legs over your head until they are parallel to the ground. This may feel intense but is effective in stretching vertebrae. Low Lunge ArchThis stretch tones the upper body and improves flexibility. Kneel on one leg while extending the other forward. Raise your hands in a Namaskar position and hold the pose. Switch sides to balance the stretch. This also enhances shoulder and leg flexibility. Side StretchThis exercise strengthens intercostal muscles, contributing to height growth. Stand straight, clasp your hands at your sides, and bend your upper body to the right and then to the left. Hold each stretch for 10 seconds and repeat in sets of 10. Mermaid StretchThis exercise improves posture by strengthening intercostal muscles. Sit with your legs folded to the left, holding your left ankle with your left hand. Raise your right arm overhead and stretch to the left. Hold for 20–30 seconds before switching sides. Puppy PoseThis pose lengthens the spine and strengthens the legs. Start on all fours, keeping your hands shoulder-width apart. Extend your arms forward and stretch your hips back. Hold the position for about 60 seconds. Downward Facing DogThis yoga pose strengthens back muscles and enhances flexibility. Start on all fours, keep your feet hip-width apart, and hands at shoulder-width. Push your tailbone upwards while pressing your hands firmly against the ground for a deep stretch.

Iheanacho Opens Middlesbrough Goal Account

Our Reporters5 days ago5 days ago04 mins

Kelechi Iheanacho’s first league goal in nearly 18 months helped spark a Middlesbrough revival and earn a 2-1 win over Oxford that has strengthened Teesside hopes of a Sky Bet Championship play-off place. The 28-year-old former Leicester striker finished confidently and powerfully inside three minutes of the second half to cancel out Michal Helik’s opener seven minutes before half-time. To cap Iheanacho’s first goal for Middlesbrough since arriving on loan from Sevilla in January, Brazilian defender Neto Borges also flicked in his first for the club and that turned out to be Boro’s winner with 10 minutes left. Middlesbrough, who have won three home league games in a row for the first time since October 2023, are now level on points with sixth-placed West Brom with seven matches remaining. Coventry are two points further ahead. Oxford, buoyed by ending a nine-match winless run in their last outing, deserved to be ahead before the break. In fact, they could have had more than one. The first fantastic chance for the visitors arrived as early as the fifth minute. Matty Phillips got beyond his man down the line and crossed perfectly, but Przemyslaw Placheta’s first-time effort was turned behind by Mark Travers. Phillips was the next to be wasteful. The experienced winger scuffed an effort wide of the back post from close range when he looked certain to turn Siriki Dembele’s corner into the net. Despite a number of occasions when Middlesbrough looked to find an opening in the final third, the nearest they came to scoring was when Hayden Hackney struck off target from 22 yards. Oxford got their reward in the 38th minute. Middlesbrough’s failure to deal with a long Will Waulks throw into a crowded box ended with Mark Harris’ cushioned lay-off landing perfectly for Helik to hammer low inside Travers’ bottom right corner. Even then Middlesbrough could have been level before half-time but Iheanacho, who had beaten a couple of defenders, saw his effort hit the bar after he had lifted his finish over Jamie Cumming. The disappointment on the Nigerian’s face soon disappeared after the break when he powered in the equaliser. Iheanacho pounced on Samuel Iling-Junior’s brilliant delivery from the left touchline, missed by Ciaron Brown, and struck first time beyond Cumming. Suddenly Iheanacho had a new lease of life. He played in substitute Morgan Whittaker down the right, where he clipped a cross to the back post for Tommy Conway to head goalwards for Cumming to save. And with 10 minutes remaining Middesbrough grabbed a stylish winner. Iling-Junior, impressive down the left, played a clever one-two with Aidan Morris and from his low cross into the area Borges was on hand to flick brilliantly beyond Cumming.

Ex-Barca star, Dani Alves, Release From Prison

Our Reporters6 days ago6 days ago03 mins

The top court in Spain’s Catalonia region on Friday overturned Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves’ rape conviction, saying the case against him had inconsistencies and contradictions. The 41-year-old defender was convicted last year of raping a woman in the restroom of a Barcelona nightclub in 2022 and sentenced to 4-1/2 years in prison. “Dani Alves is very happy. He is innocent, and that is demonstrated. Justice has spoken,” Ines Guardiola, lawyer for the former Barcelona, PSG and Juventus player, told RAC1 radio. Two former power houses of world soccer, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and France soccer great Michel Platini, were cleared of corruption charges on Tuesday. In its appeal ruling, the Catalan high court said the accuser’s testimony lacked reliability over facts that could be objectively verified through video, “explicitly indicating that what she recounted does not correspond to reality”. “The inadequacies of the evidence lead to the conclusion that the standard required by the presumption of innocence has not been met,” it said, noting “a series of gaps, inaccuracies, inconsistencies and contradictions concerning the facts, the legal assessment and its consequences”. Alves had already been released from prison on a 1 million euro ($1.1 million) bail while awaiting the appeal. He may now leave the country as the Catalan court lifted all restrictions, including a travel ban and restraining order, plus the payment of compensation. The court said that the alleged victim’s argument that she went with Alves into the restroom for fear that his friends might follow them did not appear reasonable, concluding that she instead “voluntarily went to the bathroom area for the purpose of being with the defendant in a more intimate space”. It added that CCTV footage did not allow any inference about whether she consented to the subsequent interaction or not. Ester Garcia, the accuser’s lawyer, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The regional prosecutor’s office declined to comment. The decision can still be appealed to the Supreme Court.

Wilder Set For Ring Return Against Herndon in June

Our Reporters6 days ago6 days ago03 mins

Former WBC world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder will return to the ring to face Tyrrell Herndon in Kansas this June. The 39-year-old fighter suffered back-to-back defeats against Zhilei Zhang and Joseph Parker in his last two bouts. Wilder famously fought British superstar Tyson Fury in three iconic contests between December 2018 and October 2021. However, with four defeats in his last five fights, Wilder will be desperate to prove he is still up there with the best in the world when he collides with Herndon on June 27 in Wichita, Kansas. ‘The Bronze Bomber’ established himself as one of the hardest hitters in the heavyweight division as he built up an impressive 40-0 professional record between 2008 and 2018. He pushed Fury to the limit during the Brit’s comeback fight for the WBC heavyweight title in December 2018, settling for a draw after ‘The Gypsy King’ dramatically got off the canvas in the closing stages. He followed that up with successful title defences against Dominic Breazeale and Luis Ortiz, but Fury outclassed him in their second and third fights to reclaim heavyweight gold. The American has struggled to recover from those defeats, beating Robert Helenius but losing to Zhang and Parker. Herndon has a professional record of 24 wins and five defeats ahead of the all-American clash. There had been talk that Wilder may retire after losing to Parker, but he insisted that he has more to give in an interview with TMZ. “The best is yet to come,” he said last November. “I had a lot of outside distractions that I had to get rid of. I took care of a lot of people and it got to the point where I couldn’t do it anymore. “I’ve got seven kids of my own, I can’t take care of everybody. Even the closest ones to me, I’ve been betrayed so many times. “It’s been a domino effect for the last five years. The thing about betrayal is it’s worse than heartbreak.”

Over 1000 Students Set to Participate in MTN Champs Continental Relays

Our Reporters6 days ago6 days ago03 mins

Over 1000 athletes are already set to participate in the upcoming MTN Champs Continental Relays, taking place between April 9 and April 12 at the UNILAG and Yabatech Sports complexes. Organisers anticipate even more registrations before the April 2 deadline. MTN Champs is Nigeria’s largest grassroots sports competition, a collaboration between MTN Nigeria and Making of Champs (MoC), providing a platform for young athletes to showcase their talents and potentially represent Nigeria on the global stage. Osaze Ebueku, Senior Manager, Go-to-Market at MTN Nigeria at the opening ceremony of the MTN Champs Classics events in Benin had emphasised the long-term vision behind MTN Champs: “We’re building future Olympians for Nigeria. MTN Champs is about more than competition. It’s about changing lives.” The continental relays mark the second leg of the MTN Champs Season 3, following the Classics competition in Benin, which saw 4,371 event entries from 2,056 athletes. As of March 24, the Lagos leg had already recorded 2,821 event entries across different age categories, highlighting the growing enthusiasm around the competition. The registered athletes are spread across four categories, with 174 in the Cadet (U-14) category, 388 in Youth (U-17), 270 in Junior (U-20), and 279 in the Senior category.To ensure smooth participation, organisers have outlined important guidelines. Athletes in the Cadet, Youth, and Junior categories must submit a signed Parental Consent Form, while all registered schools and athletes must collect their competition bibs by April 8 at the competition venue to confirm their participation and secure their place on the start list. Sports enthusiasts can look forward to an electrifying showcase of emerging talent, as young athletes seize the opportunity to prove their skills on a professional stage.

Ex-Barca star, Dani Alves, Release From Prison

Our Reporters6 days ago6 days ago03 mins

The top court in Spain’s Catalonia region on Friday overturned Brazilian soccer player Dani Alves’ rape conviction, saying the case against him had inconsistencies and contradictions. The 41-year-old defender was convicted last year of raping a woman in the restroom of a Barcelona nightclub in 2022 and sentenced to 4-1/2 years in prison. “Dani Alves is very happy. He is innocent, that is demonstrated. Justice has spoken,” Ines Guardiola, lawyer for the former Barcelona, PSG and Juventus player, told RAC1 radio. Two former power houses of world soccer, former FIFA President Sepp Blatter and France soccer great Michel Platini, were cleared of corruption charges on Tuesday. In its appeal ruling, the Catalan high court said the accuser’s testimony lacked reliability over facts that could be objectively verified through video, “explicitly indicating that what she recounted does not correspond to reality”. “The inadequacies of the evidence lead to the conclusion that the standard required by the presumption of innocence has not been met,” it said, noting “a series of gaps, inaccuracies, inconsistencies and contradictions concerning the facts, the legal assessment and its consequences”. Alves had already been released from prison on a 1 million euro ($1.1 million) bail while awaiting the appeal. He may now leave the country as the Catalan court lifted all restrictions, including a travel ban and restraining order, plus the payment of compensation. The court said that the alleged victim’s argument that she went with Alves into the restroom for fear that his friends might follow them did not appear reasonable, concluding that she instead “voluntarily went to the bathroom area for the purpose of being with the defendant in a more intimate space”. It added that CCTV footage did not allow any inference about whether she consented to the subsequent interaction or not. Ester Garcia, the accuser’s lawyer, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The regional prosecutor’s office declined to comment. The decision can still be appealed to the Supreme Court.