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GOLF: HISTORY BECKONS AS GEORGIA OBOH MAKES LET QUALIFYING SCHOOL FINALS
Few weeks after competing at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Argentina, Nigeria’s teenage golf sensation – Georgia Oboh at the weekend Morocco moves closer to making history after qualifying for the finals of the Ladies European Tour (LET) Qualifying School.
Amidst the 65-field of players from 38 countries, the 17-year-old Nigerian finished third in the pre- qualifying school A to qualify for the final holding in Morocco on December 16 to 20.
The Ladies European Tour is the premier Ladies Golf Tour covering four continents namely Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe with events in the Middle East as well.
The Ladies European Tour Qualifying School is the gateway for female players to compete at an elite level globally.
The Ladies European Tour Qualifying is usually held at the end of each season to establish which players, not otherwise exempt, will gain their playing privileges on the Tour for the following season through a qualifying competition.
It’s a tough school for one of female golf’s most coveted prizes, namely Membership of The Ladies European Tour, the voice of female golf and a place among the female golfing elite. Along the way, dreams are made and hopes shattered in equal measure.
With her performance at the weekend, Georgia Oboh has broken the ground for a whole generation of Nigerian and African lady golfers who are enthused and enthralled to herald in a new queen in their midst by qualifying through the first stage of the Qualifying School.
Georgia Oboh’s response to this amazing result has been one of excitement mixed with the feelings of part of a dream come true. “Since I was 8, it has been my dream to play on the Ladies European Tour and that dream is starting to unfold this week,” she said.
Having arrived Marrakech in Morocco with father, Godfrey Oboh on October 26, to begin preparations for the tournament just a week after competing at the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina.
“On arriving in Marrakech, we had a couple of rainy days and that halted our practice a bit but it was okay because we also needed to rest just coming from Argentina. It was a hectic schedule but we had to do that so that we could hopefully take advantage of the break between stage 1 and 2 to play in the upcoming Côte d’Ivoire Open on November 15 to 18.
“I had always hoped that I would begin my professional career in Africa and God is allowing that to happen,” she said.
With this development, Georgia Oboh hopes to inspire junior girl golfers on the African Continent just as Seri Pak was to the Koreans.
At 17, Georgia Oboh is the youngest African to qualify for the Ladies European Tour School and was also the youngest player in the Pre-Qualifying School A.
Being 17, she had to be given special permission to play as the policy is only to admit 18 years or older to the tour and this means that she must be accompanied by a parent to every event on the LET until she turns 18.
Georgia Oboh is motivated by the encouraging sacrifices that her team makes for her daily including her full time caddy Dad; stylist and personal arranger mum along with computer whiz-kid brother, Nathan and aspiring pro golfer sister, Gabby.
The teenager believes this achievement hopes to help provide more corporate and individual sponsors to her dream as she needs stable, and consistent financial partners in her venture into the professional world of women’s golf.
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Paris to face major disruption ahead of Games opening ceremony, says police chief
Paris will face major disruption ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony along the Seine on July 26, as organisers ramp up security measures to safeguard the event, the city’s police chief said on Thursday.
Organisers hope the opening ceremony, in which 160 boats carrying athletes from around the world will travel a 6 kilometre route along the Seine river towards the Eiffel tower, will deliver a jaw-dropping spectacle. Some 300,000 spectators will watch from the banks of the Seine as a global audience tunes in on TV.
But the ceremony is also a major security headache, taking place against a backdrop of wars in Ukraine and Gaza. French President Emmanuel Macron has already floated the possibility of scrapping the river ceremony and reverting to at least two back-up plans if the security risks become untenable.
Paris residents with a view of the Seine can invite friends to watch the opening of the 2024 Summer Games from their balconies, but should prepare for heavy traffic and limited movement, Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said at a press conference.
Adjacent metro stations, most river crossings and all water traffic will be halted in the week before the open-air ceremony, Nunez said, adding that some bridges will remain open “in order not to cut Paris in two halves.”
Everyone who wants to access the immediate surroundings of the Seine in the week before the Games will need to sign up on an online platform, Nunez said. Local residents hoping to access their homes, which are among the most prestigious addresses in France, will need to do the same.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, who also spoke at the event said the disruption would impact around 20,000 residents and business owners.
Asked about Macron’s comments earlier this month, Nunez said his teams were still working on the ‘Plan A’ of the river ceremony.
“As of today, we have no reason to be worried,” Nunez said.
-Reuters
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New dawn expected as Nigeria sports ministry partners with Yanga Games
Towards creating a new dawn for Nigerian Sports, the Federal Ministry of Sports has signed a landmark agreement with top lottery company Yanga Games to raise the revenue profile of the Ministry and ensure a new deal for the welfare of athletes.
Speaking during the unveiling of the partnership between the Ministry and Yanga Games in Lagos on Friday, Chairman/CEO of Yanga Games Derrick David Kentebe said: “we are so super excited by this opportunity to work with the Ministry of Sports Development to change the narrative about Sports in the country.
Continuing, he remarked: “We see opportunity for marketing our athletes and sports generally . We shall avail ourselves the best use of this unique and special partnership. We shall pursue this mandate with vigour, passion and unrivaled commitment to bring benefits to all the critical stakeholders.”
The agreement according to Kentebe will provide support for retired athletes, enhance grassroot sports Development and advance the potentials of special athletes.
He assured that ” Yanga Games has the capacity to raise funds on behalf of the Ministry of Sports for athletes Development, endorsement and sponsorship deals for athletes”.
Minister of Sports Senator John Owan Enoh assured that the Ministry has total and absolute confidence in Yanga Games to deliver on the given mandate.
“Gone are the era when we depended solely on government to fund sports development. We are partnering with Yanga Games to bring maximum benefits to the athletes and all critical stakeholders.
“We shall give institutional encouragement and support to the Management of Yanga Games to succeed in this onerous task of rebuilding our sports sub sector.”
Speaking further, Kentebe said ” We shall raise about 34 Billion in the next four years to assist athletes and improve sports in the country.
“We shall help to develop grassroot sports and sustain youth involvement through raffle draws, fund raiser and other avenues.
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Iheanacho and Ndidi on course for return to Premiership as Leicester will not lose points for rule breaches
Leicester City cannot be deducted any points in the second-tier Championship if they are convicted of any violations of the Premier League’s spending rules, the English Football League (EFL) said on Friday.
Nigeria duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi are Leicester players yearning for the club’s return to the English Premiership.
Leicester, who were relegated from the top flight last season, were referred to an independent commission by the Premier League last month for alleged violations of the league’s spending rules.
The Championship’s governing body EFL wrote to the Premier League saying they would apply any sanction handed down on Leicester while they are still in the second tier, a move Leicester opposed.
However, the EFL said they later changed their position in a letter to the English FA’s League Arbitration Panel (LAP).
“EFL has confirmed to all parties that… it does not have the power under the Regulations as currently drafted,” the EFL said in a statement.
Leicester said they will continue to co-operate with Premier League and the EFL with regards to the charges against them.
“Any charges against the Club should be properly and proportionately determined, in accordance with the applicable rules, by the right bodies, and at the right time,” Leicester said.
The LAP said that the Premier League Disciplinary Commission’s proceedings against Leicester will not be expedited to conclude by May 4 due to any possible points deductions not being applicable this season.
Leicester are top of the standings in the Championship with 88 points from 41 matches as they seek a promotion back to the Premier League.
-Reuters
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