The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command, Rear Adm. Yakubu Wambai,  says no fewer than 100 people participated in the just concluded 7th FOC West Golf Tournament in Lagos.

Wambai said this at the 7th FOC West Amateur/Pro Invitational Golf Tournament which held from Nov.17 to Nov.19, 2022 at the Dolphin Golf Club, Navy Town, Ojo, Lagos.

The tournament featured five categories  including the  Gross Category, Net Category, Ladies Category, Veteran Category and Senior Veteran Category.

He congratulated the golfers who came from across the country to participate in the tournament and assured that the office of the FOC West would continue to sponsor golf tourneys annually.

“The office of the FOC West is also making concerted effort to see that the yearly grant given to the Dolphin Club by the Naval Headquarters is restored.

“We will also ensure to bring out a programme that is deliberately designed to catch them young within the barracks community and environs to have more membership from the early ages.

“I celebrate with the winners and urge those that did not win to continue to work hard and improve their game in subsequent tournaments,” the FOC said.

Oparaoji, Edwards win 35th Dala hard court tennis championship’s singles titles

Uche Oparaoji and top seed Marylove Edwards on Saturday in Kano emerged the male singles and female singles champions respectively of the 2022 Dala Hard Court Tennis Tournament.

Oparaoji defeated David Ekpenyong 6-0 1-6 7-6 to win the male singles title and the cash prize of one million Naira, with Ekpenyong receiving N500,000 for his efforts.

In the female single category, Edwards defeated Oiza Yakubu 6-2 6-0 to retain her title and win the N500,000 cash prize, while Yakubu received N300,000 as runners-up.

In the men’s doubles, the pair of Mohammed Musa and Shehu Lawal beat Lawal Peter and Timibra Godsgift 3-6 7-5 10-8 to win the N600,000 cash prize in the final match.

Speaking during the competition’s closing ceremony, the Deputy Governor of Kano State, Nasiru Gawuna, commended the event’s organisers for putting together such a big competition.

He called on governments at all levels and other well-to-do individuals to help in the development of the tennis sport.

Represented by the Chairman of Kano State Sports Commission, Ibrahim Galadima, Gawuna restated the state government’s commitment to sports development in the state.

“Wealthy individuals and groups need to support this tournament, being the only championship still surviving in the Northern part of the country,” he said.

Place competency above favouritism-Sports Administrator urges coaches

Commonwealth Gold medalist, Lawrence Adegbehingbe, has urged coaches and sports administrators in the country to always place competency above other consideration in the selection of their teams for competitions.

Adegbehingbe stated this on Sunday in Akure while delivering a lecture on “Development of Grassroots Football” at a seminar and draws for the 14th edition of Ijapo football competition.

The competition is tagged: Arabirin Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu championship Cup 2022 and is organised by Tubaba Football Scouting Academy Network Nigeria (TFSANN).

He added that coaches must be honest, diligent and play according to the rules and regulations of the game.

Adegbeingbe said to develop football at the grassroots level, coaches must be cool and calm ,be disciplined and always select the best crop of players or athletes for competitions.

The retired director of sports at the Ondo State Ministry of Youths and Sports Development said that corruption must be uprooted to make headways in the development of the round leather game at all levels.

He later charged participating club owners at the championship to educate their fans ahead of the grassroots football competition to eschew any form of hooliganism that could disrupt the competition.

Protektorat wins Betfair Chase, A Plus Tard pulled up; Ascot hit by non-runners

Protektorat put in a superb display to land a comfortable win in the Betfair Chase at Haydock.

The horse, part-owned by former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and ridden by Harry Skelton for his brother Dan, won by 11 lengths.

Odds-on favourite A Plus Tard, who won last year en route to Cheltenham Gold Cup victory, was never in contention.

The 1-2 chance failed to make an impact and was pulled up before the third last by jockey Rachael Blackmore.

Three-time winner Bristol De Mai set the early pace under Daryl Jacob but once Protektorat challenged as they turned into the home straight, the seven-year-old looked the more dangerous.

Although Eldorado Allen briefly matched him, Skelton quickly got clear on the 15-2 shot and the final three fences were safely negotiated as he extended his lead.

It puts him in contention for next year’s Cheltenham Gold Cup, but Dan Skelton said the horse was unlikely to run in the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park on 26 December.

“When you win a race against a horse like A Plus Tard it is special,” Ferguson told ITV Racing.

Harry Skelton added: “This is what real good horses can do. He is progressive and getting better.

“We knew today might be our day and it was.”

Ciara Mageean: ‘My shin scars remind me of the great summer that I had’

“I was getting showered after a very wet training session this morning and washing all the muck off my legs.

“I’ve got scars down my shins from the races this summer and was thinking many girls probably wouldn’t be pleased that they’ve got permanent scars on their shins but every time I see them I’m reminded of the great summer of racing I had.

Ciara Mageean is on a video call with the BBC’s Mark Sidebottom at home on the Ards peninsula and she is initially more interested in talking about her cousin Conor Mageean and his team-mates’ prospects of dethroning Ulster kings Slaughtneil in Sunday’s provincial club hurling semi-final at Corrigan Park before being gently coaxed back towards her day job.

With Ciara competing alongside the likes of Tyrone talent Nick Griggs, Darragh McElhinney and Michelle Finn at Sunday’s Irish Cross Country Championships at Rosapenna in Donegal – which doubles as the national trials for next month’s Europeans Championships in Turin – her sister has been delegated the task of feeding her regular score updates from west Belfast.

“I don’t think my daddy [former Portaferry and Down hurler Chris Mageean] will be able to calm his nerves enough to send a text message in the middle of matches like that,” she said.