Other Sports
US MAY BOYCOTT OLYMPIC GAMES
Like the US did 37 years ago by pulling out of the Moscow 1980 Olympic, the US may boycott the Winter Olympics schedule to hold at PyeongChang in South Korea. The opening ceremony is less than two months from now but according to American news medium, NBC News, the American Ambassador to UN, Nikki Haley, casts doubt on US participation.
Incidentally, Russia is already ruled out of the Games following an IOC decision. The possible boycott of US is hinged on the tensions rising between US and North Korea.
With the 2018 Games set to be held approximately 70 kilometres from the demilitarized zone between North Korea and South Korea, United States’ U.N. Ambassador reportedly said that it was an “open question” whether Team USA would participate.
Also, Speaking with Fox News, Haley said that the U.S. would take “every precaution” to ensure the safety of its athletes. Asked if she would “feel comfortable” sending a family member who was on Team USA to PyeongChang, Haley replied, “I think it depends on what’s going on at the time in the country.”
“We have to watch this closely, and it’s changing by the day,” she added.
The U.S. flew a supersonic bomber over South Korea on Wednesday; part of a week-long slate of military exercises intended to send a strong warning to North Korea.
That country launched an intercontinental ballistic missile last week that demonstrated a potential, at least theoretically, to deliver a nuclear warhead to Washington, D.C.
Shortly after that missile test, Haley reportedly said at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that “continued acts of aggression” from North Korea could lead to war and that “if war comes, make no mistake — the North Korean regime will be utterly destroyed.”
Haley was asked by McCollum, “In terms of the threat of potential military action in that region … do you think it is safe for [U.S. athletes] to go there in this environment?”
“I think those are conversations we are going to have to have, but what have we always said? We don’t ever fear anything, we live our lives,” Haley said. ” . . . And certainly that is a perfect opportunity for all of them to go and do something they have worked so hard for.
“What we will do is, we will make sure that we’re taking every precaution possible to make sure that they’re safe, and to know everything that’s going on around them.”
“Is that a done deal — is the United States recommending that our team goes, or is that still an open question, in this environment?” MacCallum asked.
“There’s an open question. I have not heard anything about that, but I do know in the talks that we have — whether it’s Jerusalem, whether it’s North Korea — it’s always about, how do we protect the U.S. citizens in the area?”
If Team USA members and United States Olympic Committee officials are concerned about their safety in PyeongChang when the Games take place in February, they aren’t expressing much about that publicly.
“The proximity is close, but from what I understand, the Olympics are one of the safest places that you can be in terms of heightened security,” U.S. biathlete Lowell Bailey told The Post in September. “I really do trust that the Olympic Committee and the State Department are all very diligent and would never put their athletes in harm’s way. I wouldn’t say it’s something I never think about, but I’m confident we’re in good hands.”
“Should the unthinkable happen and there’s conflict between nations, that’s not an issue for the U.S. Olympic Committee to get involved in,” USOC chief executive Scott Blackmun said at the time.
“Then it becomes an issue for the IOC and our nations to make decisions. So we’re preparing as if we’re going to go.”
Asked if she had any hesitation about having her family come to Pyeongchang to watch her compete, U.S. alpine skier Julia Mancuso said jokingly, “Not really. You could be like, ‘If you go down, we’re going down together.’ ”
Some NBC staffers are wary of signing up for their network’s on-site coverage of the Winter Games because “they’re afraid to get nuked,” the New York Post’s Page Six reported, quoting a source. The source added that network employees are usually eager to work Olympic assignments.
The recent Inter Continental Ballistic Missile test has frustrated organizers of the Winter Games, who have grappled with low enthusiasm in the host country and lagging ticket sales.
“It wouldn’t make sense for anyone to cancel tickets to PyeongChang because of fears about North Korea,” one organizer told the AP. “There’s no war; bombs aren’t being dropped on PyeongChang.”
The Games have occasionally been the scene of terrorist attacks, most notably in Munich in 1972, when members of a Palestinian organization killed 11 Israeli Olympians and a West German policeman.
Two other fatal attacks occurred in 1996, when a pipe bomb exploded in Atlanta, killing one person and wounding dozens of others, and in 2008, when a knife-wielding assailant in Beijing killed an American businessman and wounded his wife and their tour guide.
Last month, the Trump administration placed North Korea back on the U.S.’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, but the South Korean government said that it would welcome athletes from its northern neighbour to compete in PyeongChang.
North Korea has yet to indicate if it will participate, having boycotted the Games the previous time South Korea hosted them, in the summer of 1988.
The stage is set for the 3rd National Para Games, Nigeria’s largest and most prestigious para sports event, scheduled to hold from March 26 to April 3, 2026, in Abuja.
For nine days, the nation’s capital will host more than 3,000 athletes representing all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, competing across 15 different sports in what promises to be a vibrant celebration of resilience, excellence and inclusion. Organisers say champions will emerge, records will tumble, and new chapters will be written in Nigeria’s para sports history.
The Games are being organised by the National Sports Commission, which describes the event as a critical platform for talent discovery, national unity and the advancement of para sports development across the country.
Since its inception, the National Para Games has evolved into a cornerstone of Nigeria’s sporting calendar, spotlighting the remarkable abilities of athletes living with disabilities while reinforcing the country’s commitment to inclusive participation in sports.
Officials say the 2026 edition will surpass previous outings in scale, organisation and competitive intensity. With participation confirmed from every state of the federation and the FCT, the Games are expected to reveal the depth of talent spread nationwide and provide a pathway for standout performers to progress to continental and global competitions.
In a significant boost to preparations, the National Youth Service Corps has partnered with the Commission by releasing its Orientation Camp in Kubwa, Abuja, to serve as the official Games Village. The facility will accommodate athletes and officials throughout the competition, offering a secure and community-focused environment designed to foster camaraderie and peak performance.
The collaboration reflects a broader inter-agency commitment to empowering young Nigerians and promoting social integration through sport. It also underscores growing national recognition of para athletes as integral contributors to Nigeria’s sporting success.
With anticipation building and logistics nearing completion, Abuja is poised to welcome thousands of competitors and supporters for what promises to be a defining celebration of courage, competition and collective pride.
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By Keresifon Essien
Akwa Ibom State will parade a strong contingent of about 280 athletes and 44 officials at the 2026 Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF), scheduled to hold in Benin City, Edo State, from February 20 to 28.
The State Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the Curator of Keresy Sports Museum (KSM), Keresifon Essien, noting that Team Akwa Ibom will compete in 16 sporting events at the regional multi-sports fiesta.
According to Bassey, the sports in which the state will feature include football, basketball, volleyball, handball, table tennis, badminton, lawn tennis, boxing, wrestling, judo, karate, taekwondo, weightlifting, swimming and chess.
To ensure optimal preparation, the state government has constituted a five-man State Liaison Committee to oversee arrangements for the festival. The committee is chaired by the Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey.
Other members of the committee are Coach Catherine Ewa Ekuta, Head of Technical; Guinness World Record holder George Essien; Edidiong Stephen, a member; and Mfon Bassey, who serves as Secretary.
Bassey explained that the committee has been mandated to fine-tune all preparations for the festival, beginning with the state trials scheduled for this weekend, and to ensure that the contingent arrives in Benin City fully prepared and ready to project Akwa Ibom State positively at the Niger Delta Sports Festival.
He expressed confidence that with proper planning and early preparations, Team Akwa Ibom will make a strong impression when the festival proper begins.
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Team Nigeria on Monday afternoon departed the country for Cairo, Egypt, where they will compete in the 2025 World Karate Championship scheduled for November 27–30.
The nation will be represented by five outstanding athletes who have demonstrated exceptional discipline, consistency, and competitive grit in their buildup to the global event. The team is made up of:
- Loveth Ngozi Okoro – Kumite -50kg
- Godfirst Orie Ukoha-Sampson – Kumite -55kg
- Constance Tamunodiepreye Abode – Kumite -61kg
- Ujunwa Caroline Nwankwo – Kumite +68kg
- Oluwaseun Olorunbe – Male Kata
The athletes, who have undergone intense preparations, will be led by coach Efezino Akpotu, while Olusegun Abode serves as the leader of delegation.
Four members of the squad—Ngozi, Godfirst, Constance, and Ujunwa—are already well-known names on the domestic circuit. They are regular contenders at the Zainab Saleh International Female Open Karate Championship, an annual tournament founded by Hajiya Zainab Saleh, a Board Member of the Karate Federation of Nigeria (KFN). The championship has been widely recognised for empowering and developing female karatekas across the country.
Ahead of the team’s participation, the Board of the KFN expressed confidence in the athletes’ ability to deliver strong performances on the world stage.
However, it also appealed to the National Sports Commission (NSC) for urgent financial support to offset debts incurred in ensuring Nigeria’s participation in the championship.
According to the federation, the World Karate Championship falls under the mandate of the NSC, and timely intervention is necessary to stabilise the federation’s operations after securing the team’s trip to Cairo.
Team Nigeria will now focus on making a strong impact as they join the world’s best karatekas in Egypt later this week.
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