Author: tdpel

By Victor Okoye

Kada Stars and Bauchi Nets Basketball Clubs were off to a flying start as they began their quest for qualification into the Round of 16 in the Mark ‘D’ Ball Men’s basketball championship in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kada Stars defeated Bayelsa basketball team 64 – 42, while Bauchi Nets beat TAP basketball club of Ogun State 69 – 55 respectively in Matchday One Phase 1, Group 3 fixtures on Saturday.

Kada Stars showed their superiority early in the game as they dominated the match right from the blast of the referee’s whistle to take it 10-7, 22-10, 20-10, 12- 15.

Paul Dibal ran the show for the Kaduna-based clubside as he scored a total of 24 points, including four steals and four turnovers.

Dibal combined well with Umoru Babatunde who also garnered 14 points, including five rebounds and one assist for a massive 22 point lead at the end of a one-sided encounter.

In the other game also played on Saturday, Bauchi Nets came back from two sets down to defeat TAP at the end of a thrilling encounter.

The Ogun-based clubside had taken the first two quarters 17-12, 14-13 for a 31-25 lead at the end of the second quarter.

However, Bauchi Nets rallied in the third quarter to take it 19-10 for a 44 – 41 scoreline and completed their comeback in the fourth quarter, taking it 25-14 to finish the game with a shocking 14 point lead, for a 69-55 win.

The quartet of Suleiman Hassan, Chidubem Wisdom, Phiip Israel and Armstrong Omoikhudu were instrumental to the team’s victory as they scored a combined total of 45 points, including 18 rebounds, four assists and 10 turnovers.

NAN also reports that other results of Matchday One saw Delta Force lose 70-79 to Kano Pillars, while Novena Heartlanders of Imo out-dunked Benue Braves 79-66.

The three-month long championship which resumed on Saturday with the Phase 1, Group three final round of matches will end on Friday.

Five teams each are expected to qualify from each of the three (eight-team) groups for the Round of 16, with the best loser joining the qualified teams.

Mo’ Heat, Gombe Bulls, Hot Coal Ballers, Nile University Spartans and APA Flames have already qualified from Phase 1 Group 1.

Also, Nigeria Customs, FCT Hardrockers, Kwara Falcons, Suleja Bulldogs and Civil Defenders are the already qualified teams from Phase 1 Group 2. (NAN)

By Ijeoma Okigbo

Visiting Sokoto United secured their first win of the ongoing 2021/2022 Nigeria National League (NNL) season by beating Oyah Sports FC of Abuja 3-1 on Saturday.

In their Group A1 fixture played at the Area 10 pitch, an Uche Collins brace and Mouktar Umar’s solitary strike gave the visitors their first win in four matches.

Sokoto United dominated the Match Day 4 game well enough in the first half and Collins gave them the opening goal in the 20th minute.

The second half saw the home team overcoming their seeming lethargy, applying more pressure on their opponents and this eventually paid off with William Ude’s 62nd minute equaliser.

Collins responded four minutes later for the Sokoto United team as he reclaimed the lead for his team.

Umar, however, sealed the victory for his team as he scored during a goal scramble two minutes into added time.

After the game, Martial Amodu, an excited captain of Sokoto United, lauded the team for the effort.

“I am so happy with this win, especially as our state’s Commissioner of Sports, Bashir Usman, is here to watch us. It is such an amazing feeling.

“I appreciate the efforts of the team. We all put in our best to see that we are successful today.

“Our next game is at home against Zamfara United and I am sure that we are going to sustain this tempo and secure maximum points,” Amodu said.

On his part, Abdulrazak Mohammed, coach of Oyah FC, who are yet to pick a point in three matches, said the team needed to correct a few lapses.

“Today, we didn’t play like a team. The players didn’t perform to instructions. Although the officiating was fair, there are a lot of things we need to get right.

“We will go back to the drawing board and prepare better ahead of our next game against EFCC FC,” Mohammed said.(NAN)

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Nigerian investigative journalist Kemi Olunloyo said on Twitter that Baba Ijesha said Princess told him to kiss and suck her daughter’s br**st.

She wrote “Baba Ijesha said Princess told him to kiss and suck her daughter’s breast👀
Now you see why I didn’t investigate this case aside from the fact that the Judge is related to me. ”

See her tweet.

Baba Ijesha said Princess told him to kiss and suck her daughter’s breast👀
Now you see why I didn’t investigate this case aside from the fact that the Judge is related to me.

DISCUSS‼️#DrKemi𓃵 #KemiTalks𓃵#KemiOlunloyo𓃵

— Journalist Dr Kemi Olunloyo📡🇳🇬 (@KemiOlunloyo) March 6, 2022

It was a day that saw Australia’s batters cash in on a highway of a pitch to keep themselves in the first match of the series.

The Australian and Pakistani players left the field at 3.53pm local time with 21 overs still to bowl because of poor light, with the visitors cruising at 2-271 and reducing their first-innings deficit to 205 runs.

The covers came on shortly after due to rain on yet another shortened day, taking the number of overs lost in this Test to 33.

Rawalpindi: Usman Khawaja was a perfectly executed reverse sweep away from fulfilling a boyhood dream of scoring a Test hundred in Pakistan on Sunday, just a few kilometres from where he was born.

After David Warner (68) and Khawaja (97) put on 156 runs for the first wicket, Australia’s second highest opening partnership ever in Pakistan, No.3 Marnus Labuschagne carved out a half-century (69 not out) alongside Steve Smith (24 not out), who looked at ease in the middle.

Six wickets have now fallen in this Test for 747 runs.

The fairytale almost came to fruition for Khawaja in Rawalpindi but a triple-figure score on this tour, Australia’s first to Pakistan since 1998, will have to wait.

As Khawaja eyed off a third Test ton from five innings since coming back into this Australian XI, he pulled out a reverse sweep on 97, which had been a productive shot throughout the morning.

Khawaja was given not out on the field, but replays showed it had clipped his glove before ballooning to Imam-ul-Haq in close. It was Khawaja’s third score of 97 in Tests.

“It’s not the ideal feeling, but you take the good with the bad,” Khawaja said after play.

“Cricket is a funny game. You bat so well for 97 and then you get out and you come back into the change room and it probably feels worse than getting a 20.

“I would have loved a hundred in Rawalpindi, near where I grew up in Islamabad. I know Mum and Dad were watching back home [in Australia] and my wife too, who is pregnant with our second child. I think it would have brought a lot of joy. To put it in perspective, I wasn’t even in the Australian team a few months ago. I’m very grateful to be here.”

In his first innings on Pakistan soil, Khawaja played beautifully and edged towards his milestone thanks to a flurry of drives and shots square of the wicket.

Three decades ago, the left-hander played with other Pakistani kids in this neighbourhood at the old Rawalpindi Stadium.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sunday to declare a ceasefire in Ukraine, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement, his office said.

NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea and has good ties with both. Ankara has called Russia’s invasion unacceptable and offered to host talks, but has opposed sanctions on Moscow.

In a statement after a one-hour phone call, the Turkish presidency said Mr Erdogan told Mr Putin that Turkey was ready to contribute to a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

“President Erdogan, who said an immediate ceasefire will not only ease humanitarian concerns in the region but also give the search for a political solution an opportunity, renewed his call of ‘let’s pave the way for peace together’,” his office said.

“Erdogan emphasised the importance of taking urgent steps to achieve a ceasefire, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement,” it said.

The Kremlin said Mr Erdogan was told Russia would only halt its military operation if Ukraine stopped fighting and if Moscow’s demand were met, adding the operation was going to plan.

Reports from BBC confirms that Russia is on the offence in Mariupol, shelling civilians and military personnels.

We’ve been reporting on civilians fleeing the town of Irpin, north-west of Kyiv, to escape terrifying Russian bombardment.

It’s now reported that at least three people have been killed by Russian mortar shells targeting a damaged bridge that residents have been using to try and escape.

The New York Times reports that three members of the same family were killed. The newspaper says that small groups were making a run for it across a section of exposed road, and being helped by Ukrainian soldiers to reach cover.

The Mariupol City Council, which announced a ceasefire and fresh evacuation attempt this morning, has now confirmed that the plans have been aborted.

It says Russian shelling has made the safe evacuation of civilians impossible.

The city is now in its fifth day with no water, no power, no sanitation, and food and drinking water are fast running out.

The evacuation of civilians from the besieged south-eastern city of Mariupol has been halted, the International Committee of the Red Cross says.

Ukrainian and Russian forces blamed each other for failing to observe a ceasefire to allow local people to escape, after a similar agreement fell apart yesterday.

This was the agreed evacuation route:

We’ll bring you more as we get it.

• More than 1,100 people have been detained at anti-war protests in Russia.
• Mariupol city officials say there will be a temporary ceasefire from 10:00 to 21:00 GMT to allow for evacuation officials.
• The Red Cross says the situation in Mariupol is extremely “dire”.
• Mastercard and Visa announce they are suspending operations in Russia.
• Ukraine’s foreign minister tells US counterpart his country needs fighter jets and air defence systems and says NATO’s refusal to implement a no-fly zone over Ukraine is a “sign of weakness”.
• The IMF warns that the “serious” global economic effects of the war in Ukraine would be “more devastating” if the conflict escalates.

Erdogan urges Putin to declare Ukraine ceasefire, sign peace deal

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to declare a ceasefire in Ukraine, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement, his office said.

In a statement after an hourlong phone call, the Turkish presidency said Erdogan told Putin that Turkey was ready to contribute to a peaceful resolution of the conflict, adding he stated that a ceasefire would ease concerns over the humanitarian situation.

“President Erdogan renewed his call of ‘let’s pave the way for peace together’,” his office said. “Erdogan emphasised the importance of taking urgent steps to achieve a ceasefire, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement.”

Molefe resigned from the station six years ago following an alleged fallout with the SABC.

A source from the radio station informed City Press that the star will man the popular afternoon drive slot on Metro FM.

The afternoon drive slot is currently manned by Sphe “DJ Sphectacula” Ngwenya and Lebogang “DJ Naves” Naves – known by radio lovers as Kings of the Weekend.

The article adds that the station has seen a decline in listeners since the exits of fan-favourite radio personalities such as Pearl Modiadie, Bad Boy T, and so forth.

“Metro FM’s seen a decline since the departure of some big names in the past few years, so they had to bring in a big fish to bring listeners back to the station.”

“Touch wanted the morning slot because he has other things going on during the day, but I think he got the [afternoon] one.”

Touch previously revealed in an interview with Thabo T-bose Mokwele at Kaya FM that he left the station as a matter of principle and that he was getting paid R200k monthly when he left Metro FM.

“I was getting about R200 000 a month when I left. It was a nice cheque.”

“No one’s ever left in their prime. If you look at where I was there, you’ll know what I’ve done.”

“You don’t make that kind of decision when you’re earning the biggest cheque in the building. [I said] ‘I’m out!’ on principle.”