Other Sports
Long Reign The King!
BY KINGSLEY OYERO
Following the eternal exit of the Akarigbo, the paramount ruler of Remo land in the South West Nigeria late last year, the traditional tussle for kingship and naming of a new ruler have taken a while. This is unexpected as custom and tradition in Yoruba land demand.
Sagamu is the administrative headquarters of Remo Land. While a ruler for the region is still being awaited, a global king emerged.
That was April 29 as Anthony Olaseni Oluwafemi Joshua, a native of Sagamu in Remo Land of South West Nigeria knocked out 41-year old Ukrainian, Vladimir Klitschko to become the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion.
Sagamu is the town where Anthony Joshua’s great grandparents, grandparents and parents grew up. His uncle Benjamin Adedamola Joshua was all joy after the epic showdown.
Early in the fight, Joshua was on the canvas for the first time in his career. He won all other fights by knockout. But this particular encounter was epic. He was taken to the 11th round for the first time.
The atmosphere was tense when Anthony Joshua was knocked down. He showed sheer strength and power to overcome the knockdown between the sixth and eighth.
To Anthony Joshua’s uncle, Adedamola, boxing and fight for justice are deeply rooted in the family history. He told the story of how Anthony’s great grandfather, the late patriarch of the family, Omo-Oba Daniel Adebambo Joshua was once involved in a tussled with three white men and how he defeated them all in the 1950s.
He also alluded to a certain aunt of Anthony and how she used to beat up even men in the past. According to him, Anthony inherited his boxing skills from both of them.
Adebambo’s account also revealed how the patriarch of the family was also a philanthropist who owned lots of landed properties. He donated land for the building of schools, churches and mosques for the development of the community.
According to Adedamola Joshua, sports runs in the family as Anthony’s grandfather was a goalkeeper at Ijebu-Ode Grammar School. Also, the head of the Joshua clan; Professor Joshua, a retired professor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Ibadan was once a footballer at Remo Secondary School, Sagamu.
Though British-born, Anthony spent part of his childhood in Nigeria and he attended the prestigious Mayflower School, Ikenne at a time when his paternal grandmother was the matron of the school.
Before the fight, only few members of the community knew an indigene was aiming to conquer the boxing world.
The Sagamu Youth Congress led by Segun Okeowo mobilised and raised awareness for the event. With the assistance of ace sports journalist, Colin Udoh, a special viewing centre was set up, coincidentally in front of the palace of the late monarch of Remo Land.
The turnout was amazing; from the majority leader of the Ogun State House of assembly to family members, street urchins and people from all works of life turned out en masse to cheer Anthony to victory.
The town cheered as Anthony knocked down Klitschko in the fifth round and there was palpable anxiety when he was knocked down in the sixth by Klitschko. I still remember the moment his uncle Adedamola held me with trembling hands during the seventh round. I could see doubt creeping in but I held him firm and reassured him of victory.
During the epochal round, an over-enthusiastic viewer knocked off the projector as Anthony unleashed a flurry of gut-wrenching punches to knock out the more experienced Ukrainian. Fortunately I was following the fight online and immediately I saw a confirmation of the stoppage of the fight I screamed and the rest is history.
The majority leader of the Ogun State House of Assembly announced that he would raise a motion for the legislature to pass a resolution to rename the Gateway Stadium in Sagamu after Anthony Joshua and also have the street where the family house is located renamed after the boxer.
Anthony Joshua was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to boxing.
Anthony Joshua hasn’t forgotten his roots as he requested to have the Nigerian flag alongside the Union Jack. Long reign the heavyweight king!
Pastor Enoch A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has unveiled a full-size stadium and an Olympic-size 50-metre swimming pool at the Peaceville International Academy, located within the Redemption City of God, Ogun State.
The esteemed cleric was accompanied by his wife, Pastor Folu Adeboye, along with top church leaders including Pastor Joseph Obayemi; RCCG National Overseer, Pastor Sunday Akande, and the management of Peaceville International Academy led by Head of School Dolapo Fatoki.
The event was graced by several board members of the school, including Leke Adeoye, Olugbenga Omojola, Ayoola Jolayemi, Noah Osato, and Mrs Busola Ogunsiji.
Reflecting on his past, Pastor Adeboye lamented the lack of such facilities during his university days and the general scarcity of quality sports amenities across the country.
“This kind of well-grassed stadium and serene environment were not available in universities during our time. Remarkably, God has made this possible in a secondary school, showing that He is on our side,” he remarked.
He offered prayers for those who contributed to the realization of these facilities and expressed his vision for the school to become a global brand.
In her welcome address, Pastor Mrs. Adeboye, the founder of the college, described the institution as a legacy made possible by God’s support.
She thanked her husband for his unwavering support in making the school a reality and emphasized the importance of the sports facilities in moulding Godly champions.
The unveiling ceremony also featured a novelty match to celebrate Pastor Adeboye’s 83rd birthday, with him performing the ceremonial kick-off for the match between Redemption City FC and Region 1 FC. The home team triumphed with a 4-0 victory.
Head of School Dolapo Fatoki highlighted that the facilities would be judiciously used to enhance the physical well-being of students and position the school as a hub for sports development in Ogun State and Nigeria.
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Championship promotion chasers Burnley clocked up 1,000 minutes without conceding a league goal as they drew 0-0 at Preston North End on Saturday to stay third in the table.
It was Burnley’s 24th Championship clean sheet of the season and their 11th in a row — a new English second-tier record.
In 33 Championship games their miserly defence has been breached only nine times and no opposition player has scored against them in the league since Dec. 21.
Burnley keeper James Trafford has faced only 21 shots on target in achieving his 11 successive clean sheets — including two penalties which he saved against Sunderland.
Scott Parker’s side need just one more clean sheet to match the Championship record of Queen’s Park Rangers in 2010-11.
“It’s something we pride ourselves on. We’re proud of being hard to beat and if you can’t win games, don’t lose them,” Burnley midfielder Josh Cullen told the club’s website.
“We come away with a point thanks to that defensive record and being solid again here at a tough place.”
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
A UK-based sports recycling charity, Lord’s Taverners has donated sports kits and equipment worth over 30 million naira to the CSED (Community Sport and Educational Development) Initiative.
The donated kits and equipment weighed 998 kilograms. It is not the first time such a donation was made.
It would be recalled that since 2019, this is the fifth batch of sports kit donations that Lord’s Taverners have donated to CSED Initiative.
In total, CSED Initiative has received sports kits weighing over three thousand kilogrammes from Lord’s Taverners.
Most of this batch of donated sports kit items are for cricket, netball, badminton, football, casual sportswear and tracksuits.
Some of the prominent institutions that have benefitted from the kits that were donated by Lord’s Taverners in the past are Edo State Cricket Association, the cricket team of ABU Zaria, the cricket team of IDPs Uhogua, Cameroonian refugees in Ogoja (Cross River State).
Furthermore, some selected schools in Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom and Taraba States have benefitted from the free cricket kits that were donated by Lord’s Taverners to CSED Initiative.
In a recent email correspondence between a Trustee of CSED Initiative, a Project Manager of Lord’s Taverners, a representative of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) acknowledged the role the kits that Lord’s Taverners donated to CSED Initiative played in the development of some of the cricketers who recently played in the Nigerian female cricket team at the recently completed T20, U-19 Cricket World Cup in Malaysia.
Nine out of these fifteen cricketers are players from Edo State whose cricket Association received 250 kilogrammes of donated cricket kits from CSED Initiative in April 2019.
Furthermore, CSED has also donated cricket items to a cricket project that has supported the development of the two cricketers from Akwa Ibom State who featured for Nigeria in the Malaysian tournament.
During an interview with sports reporters, a representative of CSED Initiative stated that the new batch of donated equipment from Lord’s Taverners will enable them to empower three thousand children and youths in respect of supporting some of their basic sports kit needs. The donated kits will enable CSED Initiative to train three hundred P.E. Teachers in 2025. “So, it is going to be a win-win situation for grassroots sports.”
However, CSED Initiative have been informed that the Lord’s Taverners sports kits recycling project is going to close in March 2025, as a result of financial constraint. The National Coordinator of CSED Initiative stated that this news was a huge shock to them, and the sports recycling community all over the world.
Lord’s Taverners has a global base of sports for change NGOs that they have supported in the past few decades. Though Lord’s Taverners was mainly set up as a cricket charity, it has over the years supported other sports at the grassroots level.
“We in CSED Initiative will forever remain grateful for the support we have received from Lord’s Taverners. Especially in respect of the sport of netball.
They have supported us with balls, bibs, netball jerseys, T-shirts and skirts.
These donated netball kits gave us the courage to strive to revive the game of netball in Nigeria through our ongoing: “Project 2027” drive where we have trained and equipped more than three hundred and seventy P.E. Teachers and community leaders.”
While receiving the donated items in their Niger Delta base, the National Coordinator of CSED Initiative assured Dave Pemberton (Project Manager of Lord’s Taverners) that the sports kits will be distributed for free to selected schools and vulnerable community groups (IDPs and asylum seekers/refugees) they currently work with, as well as new sets of schools and communities who will be expected to put the donated kit into good use.
Follow the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Morocco 2025: Nigeria qualify for FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup
NFF ‘shocked and saddened’ by the demise of former NRA President, Otunba Tade Azeez
Heartbreak for Al Ahly as Sundowns edge to CAF Champions League final on away goals rule
- WOMEN'S FOOTBALL7 days ago
Naira rain falls on Nigeria’s Flamingos after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria
- OBITUARY4 days ago
NFF mourns the demise of former FIFA referee, Bosede Momoh
- Nigerian Football2 days ago
Financial rainfall awaits Nigeria’s Flamingos for every goal scored in Algeria
- U-17 AFCON7 days ago
Morocco crowned CAF U-17 AFCON champions after dramatic penalty shootout win over Mali
- U-20 FOOTBALL6 days ago
Nigeria begin CAF Under-20 Africa Cup of Nations title chase with Tunisian clash
- feature4 days ago
Ghana’s Cardinal, Appiah Turkson, listed as a possible Pope
- Nigerian Football6 days ago
Remo Stars maintain ‘7Up’ lead over Rivers United
- Nigerian Football2 days ago
Former WAFU President, Ogufere mourns Christian Chukwu