By Amaechi Agbo

Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), on Friday emerged champions of the maiden edition of the Kingmakers Inter-Campus Athletics Championship.

The two-day championship held from Thursday, 12th to Friday, 13th February 2026 at  Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, saw ESUT clinch the coveted trophy after dominant performance.

ESUT topped the medals table with 25 medals comprising 9 gold, 9 silver, and 7 bronze medals, narrowly beating University of Nigeria, Nsukka, which finished second with 9 gold, 6 silver, and 7 bronze medals.

University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus came third with 3 gold, 2 silver, and 8 bronze medals, while Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, placed fourth with 3 gold and 3 bronze medals.

OSISATECH Polytechnic finished fifth with 2 silver medals, while Renaissance University secured sixth position with 2 silver medals.

State University of Medical and Applied Sciences (SUMAS) placed seventh with 2 silver medals, and Coal City University came eighth with 1 silver medal.

Federal Co-operative College finished ninth on the medals table with 1 bronze medal.

The Enugu State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Hon. Lloyd Ekweremadu, expressed excitement over the highly competitive and entertaining display of talents. He commended the students for their passion, discipline, and resilience throughout the championship and reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to nurturing discovered talents to attain national prominence.

He also appreciated Kingmakers, sponsors of the championship, for partnering with the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The Director of Sports, ESUT, Professor Rita Ani, who led the victorious team, commended the Ministry for organizing the competition and praised the athletes for making the university proud and praise the Vice-Chancellor for support

“Let me first, thank my athletes for making ESUT proud. You displayed the ruggedness expected to overcome your opponents and the university is proud of you. I also thank the organisers for putting up this competition which has immense benefits.

“And to my indefatigable and supportive Vice-Chancellor, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, this victory is a testament of your unwavering support to sports development in ESUT and welfare of our athletes,” she said.

Former Director of Coaching, Mr. Ephraim Ochomma, described the championship as a veritable platform for talent discovery. He expressed delight at the State Government and Ministry’s efforts in providing students with the opportunity to showcase their sporting abilities.

One of the gold medallists, Miss Joy Iyioke of ESUT, who won gold in javelin and silver in discus, expressed happiness at winning two medals and commended the hitch-free organization of the championship.

The maiden Enugu State Inter-Campus Athletics Championship was organised to discover athletes to represent the state at the 2026 National Sports Festival which the state is due to host later in the year.

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 Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT dominated the medals table at the end of Day 1 of the Enugu State Inter-Campus Tertiary Institutions Athletics Championship. The Science and Technology team won 4 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medal to wrap up the day.

Athletes such as Augustine Ifeturu won 100 meters boys event finishing the sprint in 11.11 secs while Chinyere Ede also won  gold medal in 1500 metres female category. Joy Iyioke, also of ESUT won gold in shotput female category, Benita Okwudiba, also won gold medal in long jump girls as well as, silver in 100 metres girls .                    

Institute of Management and Technology IMT, were placed second with  2 gold medals  from  Moses Chiagozie, in shotput male , while Christopher Achebe, in 1500 metres boys,  also Nnaji Precious of lMT won 1 silver medal.           

 University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, UNEC are placed 3rd with 1 gold medal, from Precious Chukwuemeka  won silver in 1500 metres female   and  bronze medal from Nneoma Ub ochi.                          

State University of  Medical and Applied Sciences, (SUMAS), Igbo-Ano are also placed joint 3rd  with UNEC, with 1 gold medal won in long Jump boys, as well as, 1 silver medal from  Nnaji Precious in long jump boys, while Nelson Ishiwu came 3rd and won bronze medal.          

University of Nigeria Nsukka, UNN are in distant 4th position with 3 silver and 3 bronze medals. OSiSATECH won  2 silver medals while Federal Co- operative College, Oji River have 1 bronze medal.  Coal City University and Peaceland College of Education are yet to win medals.                    

Speaking at the event, Enugu State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Hon Lloyd Ekweremmadu described the  Inter-Campus Athletics Championship as historic event  as the state, has never organized any of such previously adding that the championship was  envisioned to harness athletics talents in tertiary institutions in the state.               

He reiterated that Governor Peter Mbah was committed to developing sports noting that athletes discovered from the championship will be nurtured to compete for Enugu State in the forthcoming National Sports Festival, “Coal City Games” coming up in Enugu in November, 2026.                  

He commended King Makers for sponsoring the Inter-Campus Athletics Championship, the institutions, the Ministry  for organizing the event and  the students for their participation  

The 2 day Championship which held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, ended on Friday 13th February.

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The Vice-Chancellor of ESUT, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie on Monday declared open, the VC Games 2026.

Marking the opening ceremony of the Games at the ESUT Play-Ground, Ebeano City, the VC commended the Director of Sports and Students Union Government for putting up the competition which he said will foster unity and exercise among the students.

Represented by his Deputy, Professor Chike Nwoha, the VC promised that the Games will be an annual competition.

“This is the first time we are having the VC Games in ESUT and this is not just historic but commendable. It is commendable because the Director of Sports and the students union joined hands to organise the competition and when they brought the proposal to the management, we had no objection. In fact, the VC was happy and promised to give every support needed to ensure its success.

“The initial plan was to name it after the VC, that is, “Professor Okolie Games” but because we know that leadership is continuum, the VC opted that it should be called ‘VC Games’. He therefore gave the node for the Games to officially start.

“Let me also inform everyone here that the competition is not going to be a one-off event. It will be sustained going forward. We want to see our students actively engaged in sports, establish relationship and network. While we preach for fairness and injury-free competition, we also welcome partners to help promote the games,” the VC said.

Earlier in her opening remarks, the Director of Sports, ESUT, Professor Rita Ani, thanked the management for their maximum support and expressed confident that the competition will achieve its expected results.

Prof Ani disclosed that the Games will serve as trials for the selection of athletes that will be part of the ESUT Contingent to the NUGA Games in Calabar later in the year.

“We are glad that the Games have been officially declared open by our dynamic and sports-loving Vice-Chancellor. We can’t thank him enough. This Games is very important to us not only that it will help our athletes to keep fit and winners rewarded but it will also serves as trials for us to select the best legs that will represent ESUT at the 28^th NUGA Games due to hold in University of Calabar, Cross Rivers State later this year,” she said.

The Games which started on Friday, is expected to last for two weeks.

 According to fixtures made available to ESUT Monitor Sports Desk, Faculty of Social Sciences will take on their Management Sciences counterpart in the football event on Thursday by 4pm.  

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The University of Calabar has been confirmed as the host of the 28th edition of the Nigerian University Games Association Games, scheduled for August 2026.

NUGA announced this in a Facebook post on Wednesday, stating that the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Offiong Efanga Offiong, formally received the hosting flag and signed the Memorandum of Agreement, officially granting UNICAL the mandate to host the Games.

“The University of Calabar is officially set to host the 28th NUGA Games.

“The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Offiong Efanga Offiong, formally received the hosting flag and signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), officially granting the university the mandate to host the Games,” the statement read.

According to NUGA, the flag handover and MoA signing took place during a courtesy visit by the NUGA Games Committee, led by the Chairman of UNICAL NUGA Games 2026, Prof. Lukas Ogunjimi.

“The flag handover and MoA signing took place during a courtesy visit by the NUGA Games Committee, led by the Chairman of UNICAL NUGA Games 2026, Prof. Lukas Ogunjimi.

 “The Vice Chancellor assured the delegation of the University’s full commitment to delivering what he described as ‘the best NUGA Games ever,’ while highlighting Calabar’s reputation as a peaceful and welcoming host city,” the post added.

The association also disclosed that the Cross River State Government will serve as the Chief Host for the Games, with preparations already underway ahead of the event.

“With the Cross River State Government serving as Chief Host, preparations are already underway for the Games scheduled for August 2026, as UNICAL positions itself to deliver a memorable sporting and cultural experience for athletes, officials, and guests from across the country,” the statement said.

Recall that the 27th edition of the NUGA Games was hosted by the University of Jos and held in November 2025.

The competition brought together student-athletes from universities across Nigeria to compete in various sporting events under the theme Unity, Play, and Peace, celebrating sportsmanship, youth empowerment and cultural integration.

Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, has secured provisional hosting rights for the 29th Nigerian University Games scheduled for 2028, marking a return of the biennial event to the institution after more than two decades.

(PUNCH)

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 By Amaechi Agbo

Nigeria broke their penalty shootout hoodoo to secure third place (and the bronze medals) of the 35^th Africa Cup of Nations, after edging Egypt 4-2 in a dramatic shootout at the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca on Saturday.

The victory made it the 9^th bronze medal Nigeria is winning at the AFCON

Going into the encounter, Nigeria had never lost a third-place match at the Africa Cup of Nations, and incidentally won their first when defeating Egypt 3-2 in Addis Ababa 50 years ago. Victory took them to a record-extending nine AFCON bronze titles, with Egypt at six.

As has been the tradition in most third-place encounters, both teams fielded understrength squads following the disappointment of semi-final losses. Aside that, Egypt were without the suspended Marwan Attia and Salah Mohsen, while Nigeria’s energetic centre-back Calvin Bassey was also ruled out.

Coach Eric Chelle opted to leave out captain Wilfred Ndidi (recovering from injury), and assistant captain Victor Osimhen, while Alex Iwobi started from the bench.

In the circumstances, Simon Moses led well and gave the Egyptian defenders some horrendous moments. Mahmoud Hassan’s cross was well-read by goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali in the 2^nd minute, and in the 27^th minute, the Pharaohs came close through Liverpool of England ace Mohamed Salah.

Nigeria, through Moses and Samuel Chukwueze, asked several questions of the Egyptian defence in the first half. Akor Adams thought he had put Nigeria ahead in the 36^th minute with a smart header from Chukwueze’s cross, but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Substitute Ademola Lookman also had a goal chalked off two minutes into the second half, but Nigeria were undaunted and continued to pile pressure on the seven-time champions.

Midfielder Raphael Onyedika and Moses had long-range shots saved early in the second period. Salah tried hard to galvanize the Pharaohs into making incursions into the Nigeria vital area in the second period, but the defenceline of Bright Osayi-Samuel, Semi Ajayi, Igoh Ogbu and Bruno Onyemaechi held firm.

In the ensuing penalty shootout, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali emerged the hero, saving Egypt’s first two kicks by Salah and Omar Marmoush. Though Fisayo Dele-Bashiru failed to convert on the Nigeria side, Adams, Simon, Iwobi and Ademola Lookman all struck past goalkeeper Moustapha Shoubir to give Nigeria victory.

Nwabali’s heroics earned him the Man-of-the-Match award.  

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The Pharaohs of Egypt edged the Super Eagles 2-1 in an international friendly played at the Cairo Stadium on Tuesday, in what amounted to the two teams’ final preparatory game ahead of the commencement of the 35^th Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco on Sunday.

Nigeria started with an unusual 3-5-2 formation, for the first time under Coach Eric Chelle, but they maintained balance and dominated possession in the first quarter-hour, before the hosts clawed their way into the game with sharp counterattacks which paid off midway into the first half when they took the lead.

Three-time AFCON winners Nigeria kept their shape despite the setback and threatened the Pharaohs’ rearguard with a combination of long balls and quick movements through the middle. The Eagles were dangerous from dead-ball situations and in added time, defender Zaidu Sanusi swung one into the box that was guided into the net by Chidozie Awaziem for the equalizer.

In the second half, the Eagles reverted to 4-4-2 formation with the introduction of Amas Obasogie in goal, as well as Ademola Lookman, Cyril Dessers, Semi Ajayi, Bruno Onyemaechi and Tochukwu Nnadi. Possession appeared largely balanced in the half but the Pharaohs struck from what looked like offside positioning. Nigeria protested but the referee stuck to his gun.

The hosts then resorted to defending deep into their own half to thwart every onslaught from the Eagles. Coach Eric Chelle was shown a yellow card after remonstrating one of the referee’s poor decisions, including a handball incident in the Egyptian box that was waved away.

The Super Eagles will fly to Fés on Thursday aboard a chartered flight for their Group C encounters against Tanzania, Tunisia and Uganda (in that order), while the Pharaohs head to Agadir for Group B games against South Africa, Angola and Zimbabwe.    

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The Chess Section of the Enugu Sports Club on Saturday flagged off its 2025 end-of-year annual competition at the Club’s Chess Conclave.

The ceremony opened with a novelty match between the leader of the Section, Oba Agbalanze Prince Chukwuemeka Onyeso, and Dr. Onwumere, and featured the theme: “The Very Best Move Often Does Not Exist.”

The Chairman of the Organising Committee and Secretary of the Enugu State Chess Association Board, Dr. JBC Emenike, announced that the main competition will commence on Monday, 1st December 2025, and continue daily. The grand finale and awards ceremony will hold on 12th December 2025 and Leaders and award night at the Chess Conclave, Enugu Sports Club, GRA, Enugu.

Speaking after the flag-off, the Leader of the Chess Conclave, Oba Agbalanze Prince Chukwuemeka Onyeso, noted that the event is part of the annual tradition in which every section of the Enugu Sports Club organises a competition to mark the end of the year.

In his remarks, the former Section Leader and Chairman of the Enugu State Chess Association Board, Dr. Onwumere, described the event as a social interaction platform designed to bring members together in a convivial atmosphere of friendship and celebration.

Dignitaries present at the ceremony included the Leader of the Chess Conclave, Oba Agbalanze Prince Chukwuemeka Onyeso; Chairman, Enugu State Chess Association Board, Dr. Onwumere; Deputy Leader, Sir Clement Okwor; Chairman, Organising Committee, Dr. JBC Emenike;  Dr. Alex Ogbonnia. Mr. Ment Nomeh, Chief Mrs. Erinne, among others.

In another development, the Enugu State Chess Association Board will conclude its chess promotion and sensitisation programme in selected secondary schools across Enugu metropolis at Abakpa Girls Secondary School on Tuesday, 2nd December 2025.

The Chairman of the Board, Dr. Onwumere, stated that the programme aims to popularise the game of chess in secondary schools across Enugu State, in order to identify and develop talented players who will represent the state at the forthcoming National Sports Festival, scheduled to hold in Enugu State in 2025.

He explained that the Association has so far visited and taught chess in eight schools, including Queens School, Enugu; College  of the Immaculate Conception (CIC), Enugu; Holy Rosary College, among others.

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In a heart-warming display of commitment to ensuring athletic excellence, the Nasarawa State Government, through the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, on Tuesday, donated an array of sports kits to the Federal University of Lafia, FU-Lafia.

The donation which comprised an assortment of high-quality sports equipment and kits, including male and female football jerseys; male and female basketball jerseys; male and female Volleyball jerseys(total of 112 pairs); five pieces of football, three pieces of basketball, three pieces of volleyball, two pieces of handball, two pairs of football goalposts’ nets, a set of handball goalposts nets, five pairs of spike shoes for athletics, two badminton rackets, two packs of badminton shuttle calls, and a set of football field corner flags, was presented by the Commissioner, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, who was represented by the Ministry’s Head of Public Relations, Mr. Eche Amos.

In his remarks, the Commissioner highlighted the Ministry’s unrelenting quest to create an enabling environment that would facilitate the holistic development of sports in the State.

He noted that Governor Abdullahi Sule, in his continuous support for sports and talent development in the State, had magnanimously approved funds for the procurement of the items following the request by the University authority through the Ministry, with the high expectations that the items would help to give identity to athletes and officials of the Institution and boost their confidence to excel at sporting competitions.

Kwanta stated that the gesture was part of the State Government’s broader strategy to identify, nurture, and harness the latent talents of Nigerian youth, with a view to projecting them onto the global sporting arena, emphasizing that the gesture would also help to create a culture of sports excellence in the University, thereby contributing to the overall development of the State’s sporting landscape.

The Commissioner assured that the Ministry and the State Government would continue to collaborate with the University community to achieve mutually beneficial goals, particularly in nurturing the next generation of leaders and sports icons.

Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Shehu Abdulrahman, in his remarks, lauded Governor Abdullahi Sule for providing funds to procure the items.

The Vice Chancellor also commended the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Kwanta Yakubu, and the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ibrahim Adamu Alhassan, as well as Staff of the Ministry, for the initiative, describing it as a proof of the State Government’s undiluted commitment to the development of sports in the University and State as a whole.

He assured that the sports kits and equipment would be judiciously utilized to enhance the sporting capabilities of the Institution’s athletes, thereby projecting the University’s brand on the national and international stage.

Professor Abdulrahman appreciated the Director of Sports of the University, Dr. Isa Ozegya Mohammed, and his team, for going the extra mile to achieve the feat, urging other staff of the Institution to emulate them for the development of the University.

Earlier, the Director of Sports of the University, Dr. Isa Ozegya Mohammed, expressed gratitude to the Vice Chancellor and the University Authority for giving him and his team a level-playing ground to carry out their tasks effectively.

Ozegya equally thanked the Commissioner and entire Staff of the Ministry for supporting the University community to achieve success in sports and talent development.

Also present at the brief ceremony were Professor Ilemona Adofu(Director of Academic Planning), Dr. Ezekiel Obuje(Head of History Department), and Dr. Abdulkareem Alhassan(Acting Director, General Studies), all of the University.

Climax of the event was the formal presentation of the donated items to the Vice Chancellor and photography.

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The Director of Sports, ESUT, Professor Ngozi Rita Ani has been elected as the South-East Zonal Representative at the Nigeria Rowing Canoe and Sailing Federation (NRCSF).

Professor Ani secured four out of five votes cast during the zonal election to beat her closet rival. By the virtue of her victory, she also emerged the only elected female official in the NRCSF board.

Speaking with ESUT Monitor in a interview, the young scholar expressed gratitude to her colleagues for finding her worthy to represent them in the board and promised to be the voice of the zone in NRCSF

I won the South East Representative of Nigeria Rowing Canoe and Sailing Federation 2025 comprising, Enugu, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi and Anambra States. As a matter of fact I am the only woman in elected position in the Federation.

Good evening sir, thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts.

“To me, being elected as the South-East zonal representative in the Nigeria Rowing, Canoe, and Sailing Federation, is a huge honour and a significant responsibility. It means that I have been entrusted with the task of representing the interests of Enugu , Anambra, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi States in the board and promoting the growth and development of the sport in our region.

“I see this role as an opportunity to serve our zone and contribute to the development of rowing, canoe, and sailing in Nigeria, work closely with athletes, coaches, and officials to promote excellence and inclusivity; foster strong partnerships with stakeholders to advance our sports and be a voice for our zone and advocate for the needs and concerns of our athletes and members

“I am excited about the challenges and opportunities that come with this role, and committed to working diligently to make a positive impact. I am grateful for the trust placed in me and I promise to work tirelessly to ensure our zone is represented with pride and dignity. This election is a justification for the faith and confidence of my colleagues. I will strive to live up to their expectations and deliver results,” she said.

The new board of the Nigeria Rowing Canoe and Sailing Federation was inaugurated on Saturday, October 5 2025 following the election of Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi as the new President

The Nigeria Rowing Canoe and Sailing Federation (NRCSF) is the body responsible for the administration and development of rowing, canoeing, and sailing sports in Nigeria. It oversees national competitions, selects athletes for international events, and works to improve infrastructure and coaching.

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Enugu – As the dates for the 2025 Nigeria Universities Games (NUGA) draw closer, Team ESUT will participate in 10 sporting events, ESUT Monitor can report

The number of events were confirmed following the conclusion of Zone O qualification series in Enugu on Saturday.

The 10 events Team Enugu will participate in include:  Football, volleyball, throws and jumps, track events, table tennis, badminton, chess, Scrabble, swimming and e- sports.

The 27^th edition of NUGA will hold from 6^th to 16^th November, 2025 at the University of Jos, Plateau State.

The NUGA Games serve as Nigeria’s premier inter-university sports competition, featuring 7,457 accredited athletes and officials from across the country, competing in multiple sporting disciplines.

NUGA is a biennial event that brings together student-athletes from universities across Nigeria, promoting FISU’s motto: “Excellence in Mind and Body.” FISU has a general motto of “Excellence in Mind and Body,” which promotes combining high-level sports performance with academic pursuits.

Founded 1965, following the 1st West African University Games at the University of Ibadan, over 80 universities (private and public) and more than 75,000 athletes have participated in the Games since inception.

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