Sports
Tinubu declares 8th National Youth Games open in Asaba

The 8th National Youth Games was officially declared open by President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, Delta State.
Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, said that the NYG has become a vision of hope for the nation’s sports.
“There is no better time than now to stage this National Youth Games after our participation at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. Though our athletes did better at the Paralympics, there is an urgent need to re-strategise for Nigeria’s sports to return to winning ways. One of the reasons our sports is on the decline is age falsification. We need to get it right at this level.
“My administration is dedicated to repositioning sports for a better tomorrow. When I came here for the opening ceremony of the seventh edition of the National Youth Games last year, I was barely two weeks old in office. I can proudly say that there is a drastic improvement in the opening ceremony this year.”
Tinubu urged all Nigerians, particularly stakeholders in the sports industry, to join hands with the Sports Ministry in its desire to change the face of the nation’s sports.
Earlier in his welcome speech, Governor Oborevwori said the aim of hosting the National Youth Games is to discover young athletes to replace aging ones, adding that Delta being the home of sports in Nigeria would continue to lead the way.
Oborevwori said: “Nigeria’s performance at major international sporting events is on the decline. It may not be the problem of the sports minister. We need to tackle the issue together. I expect old records to be broken and new ones set in this year’s National Youth Games. Delta is proud to partner with the Federal Ministry of Sports in hosting this Games to reposition our sports.
“There is a good result from hosting these games because, you can see this last Olympics in Paris, our daughter, Favour Ofili did very well even though she did not win a medal. She is a product of these games.
“So, in this year’s games, we are looking for a talent better than Ofili. I assure our people that this year will be better than last year.”
He urged all the athletes to compete fairly saying: “You are on your way to winning medals for Nigeria at the Olympic Games.”
Oborevwori also urged the sports ministry to as a matter of urgency reverse the age limit of participation in the National Youth Games to its original U-17 from the present U-15 so that athletes discovered can easily form the bedrock of the National U-20 teams.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Chief Solomon Ogba, said all that is needed to make Nigerian youths happy throughout the Games have been put in place.
He thanked the governor for giving the LOC and Delta Sports Commission the moral and financial support to host the Games.
Meanwhile, the rush for medals begins this morning as cyclists from the various states hit the road.
Over 6,000 athletes and 1000 officials are taking part in the Games.
Meanwhile, athletes and officials at the Stephen Keshi Stadium observed a one-minute silence for an official said to have died on his way to the Games.
Although the identity of the official or his function at the Games was not revealed as at press time, he was said to be leading a team to Asaba when he died on the way to the Delta State capital.
Sports
Racism probe: Mourinho gets 4-game ban for Galatasaray comments

Fenerbahçe manager, José Mourinho, has been handed a ban for his comments following their 0-0 draw with Galatasaray last weekend.
After the Istanbul Derby on Sunday, Mourinho criticised the Galatasaray bench for “jumping like monkeys” following an early challenge.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss also claimed the match would have been a “disaster” if a Turkish referee had been put in charge instead of Slovenian official Slavko Vinčić.
Galatasaray later issued a strong statement accusing Mourinho of racism and threatening legal action.
In response, Fenerbahçe hit back with a statement of their own, insisting their coach’s comments were “completely taken out of context and an attempt was made to deliberately distort them”.
Now, according to Sky Sports, the Turkish Football Federation has decided to punish Mourinho with a two-game ban for racist comments and a further two-match suspension for offensive remarks made about the fourth official.
Sports
Chelsea emphatic win against Southampton gives them hope of top four finish

Chelsea stormed back into Premier League top four with a commanding 4-0 victory over struggling Southampton at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
The emphatic win lifted Enzo Maresca’s side to fourth place, reigniting hopes of a Champions League return after three consecutive defeats had cast doubt over their campaign.
Amid growing frustration among supporters—who gathered pre-match to chant for former owner Roman Abramovich—Christopher Nkunku opened the scoring with a courageous header, marking his 14th goal of the season.
The French star celebrated in trademark style, blowing a blue balloon, signaling a return of belief at the Bridge.
Pedro Neto doubled Chelsea’s lead with a clinical strike before Levi Colwill powered home a header from a Neto free-kick just before halftime.
The Blues capped their largest Premier League victory since 2022 when Marc Cucurella slotted in the fourth late on, ensuring the dominant display didn’t go unrewarded.
Facing pointed questions after defeats to Aston Villa and Brighton, Maresca insisted Chelsea were “on the right track.”
His side answered emphatically, though critics might note Southampton’s woeful form—bottom of the table with just nine points from 27 matches.
For Southampton, the defeat further deepened their crisis.
With 11 goals conceded in their last three league games and manager Ivan Juric branding the season a “disaster,” the Saints look destined to replicate their 2022-23 relegation woes.
While Chelsea’s top-four hopes received a boost, their position remains precarious.
For now, though, Chelsea can take solace in a performance that suggests Maresca’s project may yet bear fruit.
Manchester City and Newcastle could reclaim fourth spot with wins in their midweek fixtures.
Sports
Sad! Uganda based Nigerian footballer, Lawal falls to death from shopping mall

Police on Monday said they were investigating the death of Nigerian footballer Abubakar Lawal who fell from a shopping mall balcony in Kampala.
The 29-year-old striker played for local premiership club Vipers.
He fell from the third floor of Voicemall Shopping Arcade early on Monday, police said in a statement.
He had been visiting a Tanzanian friend staying in one of the residential apartments that form part of the mall.
The friend told police she had left him alone shortly before the fall.
Authorities are retrieving CCTV footage and conducting thorough interrogations to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the incident,” police said.
The Vipers Sports Club said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened to announce the sudden and untimely passing of our beloved player, Abubakar Lawal, who left us this morning.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Lawal’s family, club fans, friends and loved ones during this difficult time,” it added.
Lawal had been the team’s striker since joining the club in July 2022 after two years with AS Kigali in Rwanda.
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