Sports
UNITED BY SPORT: Nigeria celebrates the 70th anniversary of Olympic Day
In a bid to raise awareness on the vital role sport and physical activity play in society, the International Olympics Committee alongside the Nigerian Olympics Committee hosted the 70th anniversary of the Olympic Day in Lagos and three other states across Nigeria.
Olympic Day is an annual, global celebration that takes place on June 23rd. Every year, it sees millions of people – of all ages and from all walks of life – get active and participate in sporting, educational and cultural activities, encouraging them to enjoy and benefit from sport.
To mark the 70th anniversary, this year’s Olympic Day theme is “United By”, which aims to highlight how sport has the power to unite regardless of age, gender, religion, nationality, ability, and works to build a unified celebration of Olympic Ideas and values.
In the spirit of global peace and unity, Nigeria Olympic Committee is joining Olympic athletes, leaders of sport and members of the general public of all ages and abilities across Nigeria to celebrate the International Olympic Day.
The Olympic Day in Nigeria was held across four states, Lagos, Abuja, Bayelsa and Plateau state with participants engaging in sporting activities such as a 5km race, gymnastics, track and field events and Paralympic sports, including sports which are unusual or difficult to access. People of all ages took part, whatever their ability, with a chance to enjoy rare and prestigious encounters with athletes; take part in craft and cultural workshops; attend different sports demonstrations.
Speaking at the 70th Olympic Day Anniversary Celebration in Lagos, Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC) Secretary General, Tunde Popoola said: “Olympism is about togetherness; it’s about peace, doing well, and avoiding any wrong doing. To the children here today, you are the future of Nigeria, you are the future of this country, and we encourage you to take sports home, take it to your heart, practice it, and teach it to those just like you who are not here today, and one day, maybe one day, we believe you will represent Nigeria at the modern day Olympic Games.”
Globally, National Olympic Committees, International and National Sports Federations, Organizing Committees of Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games, National Olympian Associations and Young Ambassador’s around the world have been organizing and participating in a myriad of Olympic Day activities to promote a healthy and active lifestyle, in the lead up to June 23rd.
Speaking about the 70th Olympic Day anniversary, International Olympic Committee (IOC) President, Thomas Bach said “We’re living in a world where the Olympic values of tolerance, respect, understanding and peace are more important than ever. We have the determination and the courage and the will to promote and defend these values.”
“In sport, we are all equal. This is why everyone is invited to celebrate our shared values, to celebrate the best of the human spirit, to celebrate our unity in diversity. Sport plays a unique role to put the values of peace, solidarity and respect into action
Sport has the power to unite through passion, teamwork, commitment, loss and victory. It unites by creating a shared well-being of body and mind.
United By celebrates the power of Olympism to have a lasting positive impact on people’s well-being – physically, mentally and socially – every day. It shows the values of Olympism and the global community it creates, building lifelong relationships that foster mutual respect amongst all.
Continuing the Olympism theme in 2018, the IOC is launching its first Olympism in Action Forum (OiAF) in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 5 and 6 October 2018.
The OiAF will bring together stakeholders across the Olympic Movement and society to open new dialogues, discuss global challenges, and share innovative experiences and inspiring stories to further mobilize sport to create a better world.
…reaffirms MTN Nigeria’s support following ‘draw’ with Zimbabwe.
MTN Nigeria, the official telecommunications partner of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), has reiterated its unwavering support for the Super Eagles following their spirited draw with Zimbabwe in the World Cup qualifier match at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
Building on the momentum from their recent victory against Rwanda, MTN Nigeria had expressed strong backing for the national team ahead of the crucial fixture. Tobe Okigbo, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Corporate Services & Sustainability Officer, stated before the game, “We are confident in the team’s ability to make Nigeria proud and qualify for the World Cup.”
Despite the draw, MTN Nigeria’s CEO, Karl Toriola, maintained a positive outlook. “While tonight’s outcome wasn’t what we hoped for, we remain steadfast in our support for the Super Eagles. This result is just part of the journey towards World Cup qualification, and we believe in the team’s resilience and ability to succeed,” Toriola said.
The match showcased the Super Eagles’ grit and determination as they found their rhythm against the Zimbabwean side. Nigeria scored the first goal, demonstrating their prowess and fighting spirit, although the match ultimately ended in a draw. This result has added to the excitement of Nigeria’s path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
MTN Nigeria, which signed a deal with the NFF in 2021 as the Official Telecoms Partner, has been a constant pillar of support for Nigerian football for over two decades. The company’s commitment extends from grassroots to national levels, investing significantly in the development of local football.
“Our support for the Super Eagles and all national teams is part of our long-standing tradition,” Toriola added. “We are building a sustainable legacy of collaboration, growth, and development in the football space. Tonight’s result doesn’t change our belief in the team’s potential to make all Nigerians proud on the global stage. We believe in our Eagles.”
As the Super Eagles regroup and prepare for their next qualifier, MTN Nigeria has called on all Nigerians to rally behind the team. The company emphasized that this is a crucial time for unity and continued support, expressing confidence that the Super Eagles will overcome this challenge and strive towards securing a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Sports
Portugal Football Club Signs on 19-Year-Old Nigerian- born Footballer, Yaqub Usman-Malah
Reporter: Sandra Ani
Brito Sporting Club of Portugal, a football club founded in 1956, has signed an official contract with a United Kingdom-based highly-talented, young Nigeria-born footballer, Yaqub Usman-Malah.
The official unveiling of the young promising footballer was carried out on Saturday, January 4, 2025.
Yaqub, born in Nigeria in 2006, is a budding Nigerian talent with unquantifiable promise and potential.
Prior to his official contract with Brito Sporting Club of Portugal, he was a student and a trainee player with the Brooke College Football Academy in the United Kingdom.
At Brooke College Football Academy, Yaqub had an impressive goal average of 17 goals in 32 matches with no injuries in 116 training days, cumulating into 2, 270 minutes of on-field action.
A clear testimony of his outstanding performance at the Academy was provided by the lead coach of the Under-17B team Yaqub played with.
The lead coach, Tomasz Wasylik, described Yaqub as a ‘well-liked person’ and a role model to his teammates due to his professionalism and unmatched work rate.
The Lead Coach further stated that Yaqub has played in National School Cup competitions against other colleges and programmes in the 2023/2024 session and is a good ‘tactical player’, ‘technically good” and can ‘play in multiple positions on the field’.
It is expected that Yaqub will live to the potential and promise identified by Coach Tomasz Wasylik of the Brooke College Football Academy and achieve greatness in his new club.
“While looking forward to the display of his unarguable skills and boundless stamina, we wish Yaqub a successful career and a place in the halls of football greatness across the globe,” Yaqub’s father, Mr Usman Malah said in a statement issued to the media, on Wednesday 8, 2025.
Man City counts 28 trophies in the last 10 yearsQNET, an Asian direct selling giant and Manchester City, a top Football club in and outside England, are celebrating 10 years of partnership with great results.
The anniversary was part of the 26th V-Malaysia Conference (VCON) at Penang in Malaysia.
The long-standing partnership will see QNET continue as Official Direct Selling Partner for City’s men’s and women’s teams, according to Techeconomy report.
This partnership marked a significant milestone in May 2018 when City welcomed QNET as the first sleeve partner in the Women’s Super League.
Throughout the next phase of this partnership QNET will continue to provide City-led football clinics to communities around the world, as well as engaging with consumers and distributors through this relationship with City.
In a message to the leaders of QNET and the 8,000 VCON participants from over 30 countries, Ferran Soriano, the chief executive officer of Manchester City FC, said they are pleased to achieve great milestones that would not have been possible without the support and the commitment of everybody at QNET, “and every single one of you. I do remember back in 2014 when I met the leadership of QNET for the first time, and we discussed our plans, our ambitions, and we promised a lot.
“We promised that Manchester City would be a great football team, and that they would play beautiful football. Now, 10 years since then, we hold 28 trophies. I have to be honest and say that when we promised we were going to do well, we didn’t think we were going to win 28 trophies.
“We’re excited now we’re starting a new season, and guess what? We want to win again, and if we do, it would be another record. Maybe we can win the fifth Premier League in a row. Obviously, something that hasn’t happened before. I can promise that we will fight for all the trophies like you fight for all your objectives. Manchester City and QNET have the incredible power to engage people from every country, create a sense of community and empower individuals and teams to achieve their aspirations”.
He promised Manchester City’s support to the QNET brand to achieve even more successes in the coming years.
Trevor Kuna, the CEO of QNET said that the partnership with Manchester City has made positive impacts on the business.
QNET’s grass-roots business model enables ordinary people from all walks of life to start their own business with minimal overhead.
With hard work and dedication, QNET distributors, known as Independent Representatives (IRs) have the opportunity to become economically self-sufficient, raising the standard of life for their families and communities.
QNET is driven by two important philosophies: RYTHM (Raise Yourself to Help Mankind) and InService.
Meanwhile, the highlight of the QNET and Manchester City celebration was the presentation of a 10-year partnership anniversary plaque by John Kirton, senior partnership marketing manager, Manchester City Football Club to the QNET team.
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