Sanipe Damiete
 
All is set for the opening ceremony of the National Sports Festival (NSF) as Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osibanjo will declare the event open on behalf of the President, Mohammadu Buhari in Benin on Tuesday.
 
Osibanjo is billed to pay a courtesy call on the Oba of Benin before proceeding to the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium for the biggest sporting event in Nigeria.
 
The minister of sports, Sunday Dare will address the athletes while the Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki will formally receive the contingents.
 
Some events have kicked off in earnest with Team Delta the early pacesetters with 12 gold medals in swimming, cycling, judo and Taekwando.
 
Team Rivers is participating in 29 events with a solid contingents of  434 athletes in this edition and hope to climb up the table when hostilities commence on Wednesday in the area comparative advantage like Basketball and chess.

​The heat was raised to its peak as the various players who have come from different parts of Africa in celebration of the Nigeria's Independence, revealed their strength in the game.

The Ghanaian player leads the Championship after carding a record-setting score of 7-under 63 in the opening round of the 1st October Championship to take a three shots lead. Torgah began his game with a birdie in the first hole. He subsequently made an Eagle on hole 3 par 5. However he stumbled upon a boogie on hole 9 par 4, but that did not leave him short, as he proceeded to sink birdies on holes 10, and 3 straight birdies on holes 14, 15 and 16. He closed the game with a total of 1 Eagle, 6 birdies and 1 boogie. The 35 years old player is back to defend his title and take over the cup.

Chasing relatively closed was Visitor Mapwanya who posted halves of 34 and 32 on the front and back nine respectively, to finish the day with a blemish free 4-under 66. The Zimbabwean who took a break from the Tour earlier this year, was back to being 100 % focused on his golf since the “Shagamu Cup” last month. Visitor carded 4 birdies, on holes 1, 7, 14 and 15. He kept a clean card over the Port Harcourt golf course and grabbed just enough birdies to keep him in second place after round 1.

Gift Willy also made i a run! as he chases closely in third place. To start the tournament, the Port Harcourt based player rolled a birdie putt at the home hole to card a 3-under 67, leaving him 4 shots off the lead. The Nigerian is one of (if not the most) accomplished player never to have won a title on the Tour since joining in 2017. With 4 birdies and 1 boogie, he finished the round 1 stroke behind Mapwanya, maintaining his chances to win the tournament.

There was a long tie in the fourth place as 5 players struggled for the spot. Chukwudi Okoro, Solomon Ideriah, Christopher Francis, E.K Owusu and one time winner, Francis Epe kept the spot with level par 70.

Two other players carded 1-over par 71. The duo included two time winner on the Tour, Kingsley Oparaku and Atako Morgan of Port Harcourt golf club.

The layout at the Port Harcourt Golf Course has been prestigious as ever. The course which is hosting the African Tour for the second time this season, has been beautifully presented this week, and is delivering a firm but fair test of golf tournament,

​The Portharcourt Club, Golf section will be looking a little greener next weekend as it welcomes the fourth edition of the African Tour's annual event that is usually staged to mark the Nigerian Independence.


This Annual independence tournament has become the best-attended event on the Tour.


Last year, a record number of spectators enjoyed the fun at the The Port harcourt Club Golf section as Ghana's Vincent TORGAH claimed the tittle.


The fun really begins on Friday with “TRAIN THE PLAYERS BY THE PROS”, all amateur players interested in building their game are welcomed to take part in this program.


The event will kick off by 12 noon - 2 pm .The program extends to Saturday, Sunday and Monday consecutively, from 4 pm - 5 pm.


Training time on Friday will be from 7 am - 10 am, as the course will be closed by 10 am.


All players on the course are expected to have dismissed their practice before 12 noon for the event to kick off.


On the first day of the training, the top 3 players on the O.O.M will teach, followed by the next three players on the O.O.M in the subsequent days and so on.


There will also be a “Beat The Pro Contest” among young players ages 6-18. Where any player who beats a pro by having his or her ball closer to the pin than the pros’ will win $100 Gift Voucher, everyday from Saturday to Tuesday on Hole 12 par 3.


The tournament officially begins on Saturday 28 September to Tuesday 1st of October 2019 for the pros, and 30th September to 1st of October for the amateurs (IF Monday is public Holiday).


Please bring your children for free training and give them the opportunity to experience the beauty of golf!

​By Mac-Noble Adile


The citizens are preparing for another brutal campaign, where they will once again stand toe-to-toe with Liverpool and slug it out for the premier league title.


City recorded a mind-blowing total 198 points in their past two seasons to win back-to-back Premier League trophies, but many are speculating they will need to go beyond the 100 mark to win it again.


They will become only the fifth team in English football history to achieve the feat of three consecutive top-flight titles, after Huddersfield ,Arsenal , Liverpool and Manchester United (twice).


Manchester United did it from 1998-2001 and 2006-09, the only side to do it in the Premier League era. Before them, it was Liverpool (1981-84), Arsenal (1932-35), and Huddersfield (1923-26).


That’s it, so Manchester City is aiming to join pretty exclusive company when it tries to defend a trophy Liverpool as found as elusive company.


Last season finished tight. City’s incredible follow-up to an unprecedented season was again enough for first place. That was just one point more than the flashy Reds of Anfield, who threw away a big time Christmas lead about as quick as a kid tosses away the wrapping paper.


City has questions at left back between Benjamin Mendy , Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Angelino .


Oddly enough, Angelino may be the answer for City. The 22-year-old was bought back from PSV Eindhoven last season after a 1-goal, 9-assist league season and impressive-enough job in the club’s UCL run.


Liverpool, again, will be City’s main foe domestically and in Europe. As is now custom under the Txiki Begiristain-Ferran Soriano sporting director-chief executive axis, City have moved slickly in the market to give them the best chance of holding off Klopp’s men. The defensive midfielder Rodri joined from Atlético Madrid in the first week of July , City paying his €70m (£62.8m) release clause, so the addition of a central defender, following Vincent Kompany’s departure for Anderlecht, is the only real issue remaining.


Here’s the good news for City fans who believe Liverpool is right on its tail: They aren’t. The expected goals table says City should’ve finished with 90 points last season, not 98, but that Liverpool’s 97 were an even bigger over performance. The Reds expected finish was 83 points.
City has the ball more than everyone else, passes more and better than everyone else, shoots more than everyone else, and scores more than everyone else.


Incredibly, those totals are the same home and away. That was true in Guardiola’s first PL title campaign, too, with the exception of finishing fourth in shots per game while away from home.