Tima Godbless sped to a new 11.09 seconds to set Nigeria U-20 record to qualify for the semifinal of the women’s 100m at the World Athletics U20 Championships on Tuesday morning in Cali, Colombia.

18 year old Godbless, withdrew from the Nigerian Commonwealth Games team and won her first round heat in style by breaking the 23-year-old record (11.11 seconds) set by Joan Uduak Ekah in July 1999.

The time is also the second fastest ever by an African U20 athlete after Christine Mboma’s 10.97 seconds run last April in Gaborone and the 12th best in the Nigerian overall all-time best.

Godbless, a semifinalist a year ago at the last edition of the championships in Nairobi, Kenya has thrown herself into the reckoning for a podium appearance alongside Jamaica’s Tina Clayton who ran 11.38 seconds to win her heat in Cali.

The Nigerian will be joined in the semi finals by her compatriot, Praise Ofoku, a finalist a year ago in Nairobi who ran 11.55 seconds to come second in the third of seven 100m heats in Cali.

Team Nigeria increased its medal haul at the on-going Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, with two podium finishes in the women’s Discus event.

Phenomenal Onyekwere Chioma grabbed the Gold medal after series of outstanding throws while another bright light, Amaechi Obiageri finished on the podium with a Bronze medal in the same event.

Team Nigeria’s Ezekiel Nathaniel has qualified for the final of the men’s 400m hurdles of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

He finished second in the first semi final with a time of 50.38s to book his place in the final.

Esther Oshoba also qualified NIGERIA to the quarterfinal of the Women’s 54kg-57kg Featherweight Boxing event after she defeated Erin Walsh from New Zealand.

Team Nigeria’s quest for a medal in the men’s team table tennis came to an end after losing their third-place game to England at the NEC Table Tennis Show Court 1, Hall 3 on Tuesday.

Nigeria lost 3-0 to England to miss out on the bronze medal.

Having lost to India 3-0 in the semi-final on Monday, Nigeria faced England with the hope of picking up the consolatory bronze medal but found their English opponents too strong.

In the men’s double, the duo Bode Abiodun and Olajide Omotayo lost 11-6, 11-7, and 11-7 to Tom Jarvis and Paul Drinkhall while Quadri Aruna lost 11-9, 9-11, 12-10, and 11-6 to Liam Pitchford in the men’s single.

Team Nigeria’s hope of mounting a comeback proved abortive after Omotayo in his single game against Drinkhall lost 11-4, 11-2, and 11-4.

The defeat means the legendary pursuit of a Commonwealth Games gold medal will be put on hold until actions resume in the single, double, and mixed double events.

Sixteen-year-old Nigerian golfer, Iyeneobong Essien, created an enviable record at the Champion of Champions World Golf Championship Invitational in Northern Ireland by finishing first runner-up.

Iyene, as she is fondly called, is one teenager seeking to put Nigeria’s name on the map in the world of golf. She has competed on several continents and currently tops the junior player cadre in Nigeria.

The teenager competed in the 16 to 19 years category between July 26 to 28, 2022 at the Invitational; playing on two challenging courses, the Faldo Course and the Castle Hume Course at the Lough Erne Resort in Enniskillen, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

These courses have hosted several PGA Tournaments played by some of the World’s best golfers, including World number 2, Rory Mcllroy, who played at the recently concluded British Open. He played in the Faldo course as a junior golfer.

Recognizing her feat, Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare has promised her a handsome cash reward for her effort.

For Iyene, it took the close observation of a father to see her talent manifest, adding that he is optimistic about his daughter’s future.

Winning her first medal at five, she has added almost two dozen more medals to her coffers and has represented Nigeria 11 times at tournaments in Africa, Europe, and the United States.

Nigerian weightlifters have continued to do the country proud in Birmingham, as Rafiatu Folashade clinch another gold medal and set a new record.

Nigeria’s first gold at the games was won by Adijat Adenike Olarinoye.

Adijat competed in the women’s 55kg. She lifted 92kg in the snatch, and 111kg in clean & jerk, for a total of 203kg.

Weightlifter Edidiong Umoafia won a bronze medal in the men’s 67kg category.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s men’s table tennis team has advanced to the semi-finals of the event.

After a sluggish start at NEC Hall 3 on Sunday, an inspired Nigerian side, led by Quadri Aruna, bounced back to defeat Malaysia 3-2.

Nigeria join Singapore, who defeated Canada, in the semis, which hold on Monday.

The University of South Africa (Unisa) has granted special bursaries to Banyana Banyanaof South Africa players.

This will allow the players to pursue their studies after recently winning the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The team won the final in Morocco on Saturday after beating the host nation 2-1 in Rabat.

In a statement released on Friday, Unisa’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Puleng LenkaBula said the university will make available a special bursary programme for the 23 players.

“The historic victory of South Africa in the African football scene after twenty-six years is very inspirational to Unisa, the youth, and South Africa as a whole. The achievement of Banyana resonates with Unisa’s values of innovation, excellence, and responsiveness. It is for this reason that Unisa saw it befitting to offer our exemplary champions the opportunity to further their studies and futures.

“We hope that in the same manner that Banyana has inspired the nation; this small gesture will inspire young girls and boys to believe in sport, virtues of discipline and excellence and that there are long-term benefits and rewards associated with such virtues,” added LenkaBula.

“The offer, whose terms and conditions will be communicated to the potential recipients, is effective from January 2023.

Team Nigeria won its first gold medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games with Weightlifter Olarinoye Adenike Adijat securing Nigeria’s first gold medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Olarinoye recorded 92kg in the 55kg women’s snatch event in Weightlifting.

She lifted 92kg in the snatch, 111kg in clean and jerk, lifting 203kg in total.

India’s Sorokhaniban lfter settled for the silver, while England’s Fraer won the bronze.

Olarinoye’s victory threw the Team Nigeria camp into jubilation after other Nigerian lifters failed to make the podium.

Earlier on Saturday, Nigeria men’s table tennis team qualified for the quarter-finals after defeating Cyprus in their final group game.

The Quadri Aruna-led side will now take on Malaysia in the last eight on Sunday.

In boxing, Abdul-Afeez Osoba progressed into the round of 16, after knocking out Carl Hield of Bahamas in the first round of the men’s light middleweight.

However in the women’s light middleweight, Bolanle Shogbamu lost out to home girl Jodie Wilkinson.

OluwaTobiloba Amusan registered her name in gold as she broke the 100m Hurdles world record in the semi finals of her event before going on to win Gold in the final at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon.

As she crossed the finish line in the women’s 100m hurdles final at the World Athletics Championships, she was shocked and dumbfounded.

After the amazing feat, Amusan said, “the goal was to come out and to win this gold. I just did it,” said the Nigerian. “Honestly, I believe in my abilities, but I was not expecting a world record at these championships.” she added.

Three years ago, Amusan finished fourth at the World Championships in Doha. Her form only improved from there, and she posted a personal best of 12.41 at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Paris in June before traveling to Eugene for the World Championships, where her times only got better.

She topped Personal Best by .01 in the qualifying rounds on Saturday, breaking the African Record in the process, before breaking the world record in the semifinal and running the wind-aided 12.06 in the final.

In the final, Amusan accelerated ahead of the field after clearing the sixth hurdle. She held off Jamaica’s Britany Anderson and Puerto Rico’s Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, both of whom were officially timed at 12.23sec but separated in a photo finish by five thousand of a second.

South Africa’s Banyana Bayana defeated Morocco 2-1 on Saturday, in Rabat on Sunday, to win their first WAFCON title after trying to capture the title in four past editions.

This has ended a run of five finals without success for Banyana Banyana, who completed the tournament in Morocco with a 100 per cent record, as well as securing qualification to next year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand

Magaia scored through an excellent cutback from Jermaine Seoposenwe, who ran onto a loose ball to create the opening goal as she held off her marker to provide an excellent pass in the 63rd minute.

Magaia doubled the lead in the 71st minute with another close finish.

South Africa lost possession which gave Morocco hope of a comeback as Rosella scored in the 80th minute after being set up by Fatima Tagnaout, as the game ended 2-1 in favour of the Banyana Banyana of South Africa.

Sadio Mane has become the 10th player to win the African Footballer of the Year award more than once.

The Senegal captain was announced the 2022 winner at the Confederation of African Football awards ceremony in Rabat, Morocco on Thursday.

Mane was in Morocco to collect his award, less than 24 hours after making his Bayern Munich debut in the United States.

Mane topped the vote ahead of former Liverpool teammate Mo Salah and Chelsea’s Senegalese goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Salah was the standout player in England’s Premier League last season, winning the Golden Boot with 23 goals and topping the assists chart with 13.

But Mane, who left Liverpool to sign for Bayern in June, twice got the better of Salah at international level.

Mane’s Senegal beat Salah’s Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations final in February and in a World Cup qualification play-off in March.

Mane is the sixth player to be named African Footballer of the Year on exactly two occasions. The others are Salah, Didier Drogba, Roger Milla, Nwankwo Kanu and El Hadji Diouf.

George Weah and Abedi Pele are both three-time winners, while Samuel Eto’o and Yaya Toure have won the award four times each.

In the women category, Super Falcons and Barcelona striker, was crowned 2022 CAF women’s ‘Player of the Year.’

The 27-year-old was announced the winner in the gala held in Rabat, Morrocco, on Thursday.

This is her fifth time winning the award — surpassing Perpetua Nkwocha, former Falcons striker.

Oshoala had won the best African female football in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019.