Sports

Indian envoy hosts Nigerian chess team, pledges to strengthen people-to-people ties

Published

3 years ago

September 13, 2022

Nigerian chess team

Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gangadharan Balasubramanian has pledged to strengthen the Peoples-to-Peoples relations between the two countries, saying it is the basis for ensuring stronger ties.

Balasubramanian said this on Monday in Abuja when he hosted the Nigerian team that participated in the 44th World Chess Olympiad 2022 in Chennai, India.

The envoy said the game of Chess, as well as other sports have the appeal and potency to connect young people, foster unity, and strengthen bonds between citizens.

“Relationship between any two countries is basically between people. If people-to people contact is very strong then obviously the relationship will further grow stronger and better.

“This Chess Olympia is one such event in which not so young people, much younger people will come together in the spirit of sportsmanship and play for their country, and they will express their intellect, they will express their sporting Prowess.

“It will certainly have a great impact on the people-to-people relations. India and Nigeria already have excellent connections in terms of people to people contact.

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“We have more than 60,000 Indians who have made Nigeria their home, who are mostly into manufacturing and so on.

“There are thousands of students from Nigeria that have been to India. As the President also mentioned, the medical facilities in India are very good and they are very happy to exchange those facilities to our Nigerian friends also.

“So all these actually puts together brings in closer relationship between India and Nigeria through the people which is one of the fundamental reasons of what exists,” Balasubramanian said.

Mr Sani Mohammed, President, Nigeria Chess Federation said that the attributes of the game of chess if put into real life activities will further build the country.

Mohammed said that India’s growth can be seen from how the country was able to build its nations from such attributes; patience and endurance, calculative ability.

Chess is Life to us. we are concerned about the attributes of chess, patience and endurance, calculative ability and so on. We have seen that in India.

“The background both in the Physical sciences in India is what everybody should aspire to attain.

They use a lot of chess attributes to build upon their country.

“No wonder Chess originated from there. Time management, organisation and all that. So these are some of the takeaways that we will have from India.

“Then the spirit of friendliness, warmth which was extended to us, I think it was unprecedented,” Mohammed said.

According to Mohammed, it is on that premise that Nigeria and Chess Federation is using the game of chess as a means of changing the lives of many Nigerians, especially the underprivileged.

“There is a lot to learn, especially in our pet project, Chess in school, we have another social investment programmes, we went to Makoko, the slum areas, we brought out children with some unique needs.

“The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has awarded them scholarships and some goodies to the family.

“We sent our team to Oshodi under bridge which was infamous for some social miscreants. But incidentally, they all embraced Chess and they are playing Chess.

“I can assure you in Nigeria that the real grassroot is our aim and then apart from that, we want every household to start thinking Chess.

“It will work on their emotions, it will stabilise their emotions, intellect, and intelligent process. We say thank you to India,” Mohammed said. (NAN)/Sun

Sports

Juventus to sign Osimhen with player-plus-cash offer

Published

15 hours ago

March 23, 2025

Trends Admin

Victor Osimhen

Juventus to sign Osimhen with player-plus-cash offer

Juventus are preparing to offer a player-plus-cash deal to sign Nigerian international sensation Victor Osimhen from Napoli in the summer.

The Bianconeri have identified Osimhen as a key target for their offensive overhaul, and they are willing to include defender Federico Gatti in the deal to entice their Serie A rivals to negotiate.

According to Tuttosport, Juventus is aware of the complexities of the transaction, given Napoli’s reluctance to sell such a prominent player to a direct competitor.

Osimhen was instrumental in Napoli’s Scudetto-winning campaign in 2023, scoring 26 goals and becoming the first African to win the top scorer award as the club broke a 33-year jinx.

The Old Lady’s strategy includes capitalising on Napoli coach Antonio Conte’s fondness for Federico Gatti, hoping the centre-back will satisfy the Partenopei’s defensive issues while also enabling their pursuit of the Nigerian striker.

This move comes as Juventus prepares to unload Dusan Vlahovic and renegotiate Randal Kolo Muani’s loan with Paris Saint-Germain in order to extend his time at the Allianz Stadium beyond the summer.

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Osimhen, who is presently on loan at Galatasaray, has been in top form this season, netting 20 goals in 22 league games for the Turkish giants.

Osimhen, a 26-year-old striker, broke Segun Odegbami’s 44-year-old Nigerian goalscoring record during a 2-0 victory over Rwanda in a 2026 World Cup qualifier in Kigali.

Odegbami, Nigeria’s second-highest goal scorer since 1981, expressed delight at seeing his record broken.

“Osimhen has finally overtaken me, and I think that is good because the record has been hanging on for a very long time. I am very happy for him, and I want to say good luck to him,” Odegbami stated.

“He is still young, and he has a long way to go.”

The striker is currently second only to the late Rashidi Yekini on Nigeria’s all-time scoring list, with 37 goals.

Since making his Super Eagles debut in June 2017, Osimhen has established himself as the team’s talisman, with significant performances in AFCON qualifiers, where he scored two hat tricks in 2023.

Juventus to sign Osimhen with player-plus-cash offer

Sports

Boxing heavyweight champion, George Foreman, dies at 76

Published

2 days ago

March 22, 2025

Trends Admin

George Foreman

Boxing heavyweight champion, George Foreman, dies at 76

Two-time world heavyweight boxing champion and successful entrepreneur George Foreman has passed away at the age of 76.

His family announced that he died peacefully on March 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones.

“With profound sorrow, we announce the passing of our beloved George Edward Foreman Sr, who peacefully departed on March 21, 2025, surrounded by loved ones,” his family said in a statement posted on the boxer’s official Instagram page.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers and kindly ask for privacy as we honour the extraordinary life of a man we were blessed to call our own.”

Born in 1949 in Houston, Texas, Foreman overcame a challenging upbringing, finding direction through the Job Corps programme, where he discovered boxing.

“At 13 years old, George was about 6-foot-2, 200 pounds and the terrorist in the neighbourhood,” his younger brother Roy told the BBC in 2024.

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“And when you’re bigger and stronger and think you’re better than everyone else, you take things.”
Foreman’s athletic ability was shown when he won a gold medal at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.

At 19, he crushed his way to the super-heavyweight title, brandishing an American flag in the ring just days after Tommie Smith and John Carlos’ historic Black Power salute.

Standing 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m) and known as ‘Big George’, he was a formidable presence in the heavyweight division.

His destructive power and quickness propelled him fast up the professional ranks. In 1973, he won the heavyweight belt by destroying Joe Frazier in two rounds.

By October 1974, when Foreman defended his title against Muhammad Ali in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), he had a perfect 40-0 record.

Ali’s ‘rope-a-dope’ tactic wore him down, and tired, Foreman gave up in the eighth round.

Foreman’s impact on boxing and beyond is permanent.

A two-time heavyweight champion, an Olympic gold medallist, a preacher, an entrepreneur, and a devoted family man, his life was one of success, atonement, and reinvention.

Boxing heavyweight champion, George Foreman, dies at 76

Sports

Odegbami speaks on Osimhen breaking his 44-year goals record

Published

2 days ago

March 22, 2025

Trends Admin

Former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami

Odegbami speaks on Osimhen breaking his 44-year goals record

Former Nigeria international Segun Odegbami has expressed delight after Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen surpassed his long-standing goal record for the national team.

Osimhen scored his 24th and 25th goals for Nigeria during Friday’s 2-0 victory over Rwanda in the 2026 World Cup qualifier in Kigali, moving him to second place on Nigeria’s all-time scorers list behind only the late Rashidi Yekini, who holds the record with 37 goals.

“Osimhen has finally overtaken me and I think that is good because the record has been hanging on for a very long time. I am very happy for him and I want to say good luck to him,” Odegbami said .

“He is still young and he has a long way to go.”

Odegbami, who retired from international football in 1981, had held the position of Nigeria’s second-highest goal scorer for 44 years before Osimhen’s breakthrough.

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The legendary winger, nicknamed ‘Mathematical’ for his precision crosses and intelligent play, scored 23 goals in 47 appearances for Nigeria between 1976 and 1981.

The Galatasaray striker, who is enjoying remarkable form this season with 20 goals and four assists in 20 Super Lig games, connected with Ademola Lookman’s free kick at the far post to score the opener against Rwanda on Friday.

Prior to this match, Osimhen had equalled Odegbami’s record last November during Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against Benin Republic in a 2025 AFCON qualifying game in Abidjan, heading home in the 81st minute for his 23rd goal in 38 appearances.

The 26-year-old forward now needs 12 more goals to equal Yekini’s record of 37 goals, which has stood since the striker’s last game for Nigeria in 1998.

Odegbami, who was a key member of Nigeria’s 1980 Africa Cup of Nations winning squad, scoring in the final against Algeria, also praised the team’s overall performance against Rwanda.

“I am really impressed with the Eagles performance in Kigali and that is their most convincing win in 10 years,” he added.

Osimhen, who made his Super Eagles debut in June 2017 in a 2-0 defeat against South Africa, has become the team’s talisman, including notable performances in AFCON qualifiers where he scored two hat-tricks in 2023.