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Tag: Paris 2024

  • Paris 2024: D’Tigress tipped to win medal at the Olympics

    Paris 2024: D’Tigress tipped to win medal at the Olympics

    Basketball promoter and founder of the Mark D’ Ball Basketball Championship, Igoche Mark, believes the Nigerian women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, can achieve a podium finish at the Paris 2024 Olympics with some minor adjustments.

     

    Mark expressed his pride after watching Rene Wakama’s team face France on Thursday. Despite a 75-54 loss to the host country, he was impressed by the team’s courage, tenacity, and skill.

     

    “I must commend the D’Tigress for their impressive performance against one of the world’s best women’s basketball teams,” Mark said in a post-game interview. “Their determination and skill on the court were evident, and I’m proud of the way they represented Nigeria.”

     

    D’Tigress displayed several standout moments with aggressive defense, resulting in 13 steals and showcasing their quick hands and alertness. The team also demonstrated depth, with contributions from all players, particularly in rebounding, grabbing 32 boards, including 7 on the offensive end.

     

    As D’Tigress prepare to face Canada in their next match on Sunday, Mark advised them to refine their defense. “With some fine-tuning on defense, I believe this team has the potential to go far in the competition. They’ve already shown they can compete with the best; now it’s time to take it to the next level,” he stated.

  • Paris 2024 Men’s Football: France pip Argentina, set up semi -final clash with Egypt

    Paris 2024 Men’s Football: France pip Argentina, set up semi -final clash with Egypt

    Host nation France has secured a spot in the semi-finals of the men’s football event at the Paris Olympics, following a 1-0 victory over Argentina in the quarterfinals on Friday night in Bordeaux.

     

    Jean-Philippe Mateta’s early goal made the difference as Thierry Henry’s team advanced to the semi-finals of the 2024 Paris Games.

     

    The Crystal Palace forward scored just five minutes into the match, ending Argentina’s hopes for gold in the French capital.

     

    France will face Egypt in the semifinal on Monday, August 5, while Spain will compete against Morocco in the other semifinal fixture.

  • Olympics: Adesina fails to make cut in women’s high jump

    Olympics: Adesina fails to make cut in women’s high jump

    Temitope Adesina failed to make the cut on Friday in Paris in the women’s high jump competition of the ongoing Olympic Games.

    Adesina finished ninth in Qualification Group B with a jump of 1.88 metres, leading to her placing joint 19th in a field of 32 jumpers.

    The best 13 jumpers in the competition have now advanced to the final scheduled for later on Friday.

    All athletes who met the Qualification Standard or at least 12 best performers advanced to the final, in spite of the standard being 1.97m.

  • Paris 2024: Enekwechi qualifies for Shot Put final, makes Nigerian Olympic history

    Paris 2024: Enekwechi qualifies for Shot Put final, makes Nigerian Olympic history

    Nigeria’s Shot putter Chukwuebuka Enekwechi made history for team Nigeria.

    Enekwechi secured his place in the finalof the men’s shot put event at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympics on Friday night.

    He becomes the first Nigerian to reach the final in any event at the ongoing games.

     

    The 31-year-old achieved a throw of 21.13m, finishing fifth in Group B of the qualification and ninth overall. His qualifying throw was his first, with a second throw of 21.00m and a foul on his third attempt.

     

    Enekwechi will compete in the final on Saturday at 6:35pm Nigerian time, aiming for a podium finish.

  • Olympics 100 metres race: Rosemary Chukwuma advances

    Olympics 100 metres race: Rosemary Chukwuma advances

    Rosemary Chukwuma advanced to the next round of the women’s 100 metres race at the Olympic Games in Paris on Friday, while teammate Tima Godbless failed to scale through.

    Running in heat 3 of the event’s round 1 at the Stade de France, Chukwuma clocked 11.26 seconds to finish in third place and qualify for the semi-finals.

    She finished behind Ewa Swoboda of Poland, who recorded a season best 10.99 secs to place first, and Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain who was a close second with 11.01 secs.

    However, Godbless could only finish sixth in heat 7 with a time of 11.33 seconds, thereby dropping out of contention for a medal.

    The event’s first round had eight heats, with the first three in each heat qualifying directly and the next three fastest joining them.

    Chukwuma goes on to compete in Saturday’s semi-finals at the same venue, battling for a place in the final from lane 1 of the second semi-final.

    The athlete who is world-ranked 55 has a season and personal best time of 10.88 secs, placing her ninth on the list of 10 best performers in the event in 2024.

    The first two in each of the three semi-finals and the next two fastest will head to the final.

  • Favour Ofili laments continuous neglect at Olympics

    Favour Ofili laments continuous neglect at Olympics

    Nigerian sprinter, Favour Ofili has again lamented being left behind in the 100 meters at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

    Ofili was omitted from competing in the 100 meters at the Olympic Games, the Minister of Sports, Senator John Enoh had intervened but there seems no hope for the Nigerian sprinter.

    “Sadly, nothing has been done. I’m yet to see or hear anyone is being punished for what the NOC and AFN did to me. Athletes shouldn’t be getting punished for things out of their control.

    “Who assigned federations and/or Olympic committees to enter athletes into Olympic Games?

    “Is it World Athletics? If so, should they not hold them accountable when they fail to do their job by not entering athletes in events they qualify and want to compete?

    “This is not the first time you guys are doing this so don’t think this is over because is not,” Ofili wrote via X “formerly Twitter).

    NOC says it’s keeping mum regarding Ofili matter for now

    The Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) had on Thursday in Paris said it was not making any public comments on the registration status of Ofili for now.

    Ofili had late Tuesday revealed she discovered she was not registered for the 100 metres race at the ongoing Olympic Games.

    There have been several reactions after this, with John Enoh, the Minister of Sports Development, asking for explanations and promising tough sanctions against those who may be found culpable.

    The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) also insisted that Ofili’s name was among those it submitted to the NOC for registration for Team Nigeria’s participation in the sprint event.

    But Tony Nezianya, the Public Relations Officer of NOC, has insisted that the committee would not be saying anything on the matter for now and expected the AFN to do so.

    ”No comments from the NOC for now. The AFN is still the body that can explain what happened,” he said.

    Nezianya, who is also Team Nigeria’s Media Attaché at Paris 2024, went on to say that the NOC was not going to allow the matter distract it from its main goal.

    ”We are focused on the quest for gold medals for now, because that is the ultimate,” he added.

    Ofili has been registered for only the 200m event, leaving behind arguments on the propriety of that action when she had actually qualified for both events.

  • Olympics: Sports Minister charges Nigerian Athletes as track and field events continues

    Olympics: Sports Minister charges Nigerian Athletes as track and field events continues

    The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh, has issued a rallying charge to Nigerian athletes as the track and field events kick off at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

     

    With great anticipation and pride, the Minister urged the athletes to “fight till the very end” for every top spot possible, encouraging them to showcase their talent and determination on the world stage.

     

    Day 1 of track and field promises to be an exciting display of athletic prowess, with several Nigerian athletes set to compete at the iconic Stade de France. The lineup includes:

     

    **ATHLETICS (Stade de France)**

     

    – **Women’s High Jump Qualification:** Temitope Simbiat Adeshina

    – **Women’s 100m Round 1:** Rosemary Chukwuma, Tima Godbless

    – **Women’s Discus Throw Qualification Group A:**

    Ashley Anumba

    – **4 x 400m Relay Mixed Round 1:**

    Team Nigeria

    – **Men’s Shot Put Qualification:**

    Chukwuebuka Cornnell Enekwechi

    – **Women’s Discus Throw Qualification Group B:** Chioma Onyekwere, Obiageri Pamela Amaechi

     

    Senator Enoh emphasized the importance of resilience and determination as the athletes compete in these crucial events.

     

    “Our athletes have trained tirelessly and are now on the cusp of making history. I encourage each of them to give their all, to fight for every position, and to showcase the true spirit of Nigerian sportsmanship,” the Minister said.

     

    He also expressed confidence in the athletes’ abilities and the support they have received.

     

    “We are proud of every athlete representing Nigeria. You carry the hopes and dreams of our nation, and we stand behind you as you strive for excellence. Let the world see the strength and resilience of Nigeria,” he added.

     

    As the track and field events commence, the nation looks forward to witnessing the exceptional talents of its athletes and cheering them on in their pursuit of Olympic glory.

     

     

  • Paris 2024: US, China, France lead medal table

    Paris 2024: US, China, France lead medal table

    The Olympic competition has continued to gather momentum  as athletes participate in more events.

    Thursday featured a full slate of group play and medal events in sports such as rowing, diving, fencing, gymnastics, boxing, and BMX.

    The United States continues to lead the overall medal count.

    However, the competition is tight at the top, with countries like France, China, and Great Britain closely trailing the Americans.

    The U.S. entered Wednesday aiming for its fifth gold medal of the Games, following the women’s gymnastics team’s gold-winning performance on Tuesday.

    Here’s an updated look at the medal standings and highlights from Thursday’s competition:

     

    Overall Medal Standings

     

    United States – 30 Total (5 Gold, 13 Silver, 12 Bronze)

     

    2. France – 26 Total (8 Gold, 10 Silver, 8 Bronze)

     

    3.China 18 Total (8 Gold, 7 Silver, 3 Bronze)

     

    4.Great Britain 17 Total (6 Gold, 6 Silver, 5 Bronze)

     

    5. Japan – 15 Total (8 Gold, 3 Silver, 4 Bronze)

     

    6. Australia 14 Total (7 Gold, 4 Silver, 3 Bronze)

     

    7. Italy- 13 Total (3 Gold, 6 Silver, 4 Bronze)

     

    8. South Korea – 12 Total (6 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze)Country ● Gold ● Silver ● Bronze T

  • Paris 2024: Controversy erupts over Pan Zhanle’s stunning Olympic Gold in Swimming

    Paris 2024: Controversy erupts over Pan Zhanle’s stunning Olympic Gold in Swimming

    Australian swimming coach Brett Hawke has led the criticism of Pan Zhanle’s astonishing 100m freestyle world record, calling the Chinese swimmer’s performance “not humanly possible.”

    Pan, 19, clinched gold in 46.40 seconds, beating his closest competitor, Kyle Chalmers, by more than a second.

    His victory marked the largest margin in the men’s 100m freestyle since Johnny Weissmuller in 1928.

    However, suspicions surrounding the Chinese team have cast a shadow over his achievement.

     

    Pan dismissed concerns about the doping controversy affecting China’s swimming team at the Paris Games, despite being implicated in an investigation by The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD.

    The investigation revealed that 23 athletes at Tokyo 2020 failed drug tests for a banned heart medication, with 11 of these athletes competing in the current Olympics.

    Additionally, two athletes tested positive for a strong anabolic steroid in 2022, allegedly due to contaminated meat.

     

    In an animated Instagram video, Hawke expressed disbelief at Pan’s performance, stating it was “not real” and beyond anything he had encountered in his three decades of coaching. “I’m just going to be honest, I am angry at that swim,” said Hawke, without directly addressing the recent allegations of Chinese doping cover-ups involving multiple swimmers, though not Pan himself.

     

    Hawke, who competed for Australia in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, explained, “You don’t win the 100m freestyle by a body length against that field. It’s not possible.”

    He added, “I’ve studied this sport for 30 years. I’m an expert in speed. You don’t beat swimmers like Kyle Chalmers, David Popovici, and Jack Alexy by one full body length in 100m freestyle. It’s not humanly possible.”

     

    The controversy escalated as Australian broadcaster Neil Mitchell accused China of basing its Olympic swimming campaigns on cheating. “The Chinese system is designed around cheating,” Mitchell claimed on Australian TV show Sunrise, highlighting the 23 athletes under suspicion at Tokyo and the 11 in Paris.

     

    Tensions flared at Paris’s La Défense Arena when Pan accused Chalmers and Alexy of disrespecting him and splashing his coach with water.

    China’s anti-doping agency accused The New York Times of attempting to sabotage their Olympic campaign. “On the first day, after the 4×100 relay, I greeted Chalmers, but he ignored me,” Pan told China Central Television.

    He also alleged that Alexy splashed water on the Chinese coaches during training, suggesting it was a deliberate act of disrespect.

  • Badminton: Opeyori crashes out of Olympics

    Badminton: Opeyori crashes out of Olympics

    Nigeria’s Anuoluwapo Opeyori is out of the men’s Olympic Badminton event after falling 0-2 to the world’s number six, Li Shifeng of China.

    Opeyori made his Chinese opponent to work hard for every point earned in the encounter.

    The 17-21, 17-21 defeat was Opeyori’s second loss in the Group N of the men’s singles event.

    The loss also ended his hopes of progression to the knockout phase.

    Thursday’s loss by the Nigerian followed Wednesday’s defeat to Tobias Kuenzi of Switzerland at Le Chapelle Arena.

    Badminton followers, however, expect the two-time Olympian and Team Nigeria’s General Captain to bounce back stronger in future events, having taken valuable lessons from his Paris outing.