Sports

14 years after, Ese Brume returns Nigeria to World Indoor Championships podium

Published

2 years ago

March 21, 2022

Multi-talented Nigerian athlete, Ese Brume, on Sunday, ensured the country had a podium finish at the ongoing 2022 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade, 14 years after its last achieved the feat.

The Delta State-born Brume took the silver medal with a personal season’s best jump of 6.85m achieved in the third round to finish behind homegirl, Ivana Vuleta, who claimed gold with a personal best jump of 6.89m best in the second round, before improving to 7.06m in the fourth round.

Brume’s feat came after Nigeria last won a medal at the 2008 edition in Valencia through Olusoji Fasuba’s 60m gold medal, and took the country’s overall medals haul to 12, made up of two gold, six silver and three bronze medals.

A handful of Nigerian athletes had done the country proud in previous World Indoor Championships, though such feats have been sporadic and far between.

The 25-year-old Brume, however, becomes only the third Nigerian athlete after the late quarter-miler, Sunday Bada, and Gloria Alozie, to win medals at both World Indoors and Outdoors Championships as well as Olympic medals for the country.

Alozie, an hurdler who later switched allegiance to compete for Spain, had won a silver medal in the 60m hurdles at the World Indoor Championships in Maebashi in 1999, and the outdoor version same year in Seville, Spain, in the 100m hurdles before going on to win a silver medal at the Olympics in Sydney.

The late Bada had earlier set the pace by winning three World Indoor Championships medals in 1993,1995 and 1997 respectively.

He then topped his glorious feats when he helped Nigeria’s men’s 4x400m relay team to win gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 to add to a 4x400m relay bronze at the World Outdoor Championships he won in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1995.

Brume is the third long jumper to win at the World Indoors after Paul Emordi and policewoman, Chioma Ajunwa feats in 1987 and 1997 respectively.

She is also joint fourth on the top of the all-time African and Nigerian long jump indoor list behind Chioma Ajunwa (6.97m), Blessing Okagbare (6.87m), and Sierra leone’s Eunice Barber (6.86m).

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Sports

South Africa to host Ireland in Rugby Two-Test summer tour

Published

1 day ago

December 9, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Current Rubgy World Cup champions, South Africa, will host Ireland, in a two-Test series in July, 2024, which will be Ireland’s first trip to the nation in eight years.

Ireland was the only country to defeat South Africa as they went on to win the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France in October.

South African Rugby Federation which made the announcement on Friday, said the two countries will first meet on Saturday, July 6, in Pretoria, with the second Test in Durban on 13 July.

When the two sides first met on South African soil in 2016, the Springboks came out victorious, edging the Three-Test series 2-1.

In the first test in the 2016 series, Ireland won 26-20 in Cape Town, before losing the next two games, 32-26 in Johannesburg and 19-13 in Port Elizabeth.

Apart from the Ireland games, SA Rugby also confirmed that the team will face Portugal on 20 July at a venue yet to be announced.

South Africa will also host New Zealand, who they beat in the World Cup final, in Johannesburg on 31 August and Cape Town on 7 September as part of the Rugby Championship before concluding their home schedule against Argentina on 28 September, the Federation said.

Sports

Zimbabwe seals last gasp winner over Ireland in T20 Series opener

Published

2 days ago

December 8, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Host, Zimbabwe, started its 2023 T20 Series on a winning note after rallying back to defeat Ireland from 88-7 to 106-7 in their pursuit of an 118 to end the tie for victory, with the home side requiring 12 runs from as many deliveries at that point.

In the thrilling game played in Harare on Thursday, Ireland’s fightback was not enough as they fell just short as Zimbabwe sealed a last-ball win in the series opener.

Ireland had earlier taken control of the game and posted 147-8 while the hosts needed nine runs from their final over, winning it with two from Blessing Muzarabani off the last delivery.

Captain Sikandar Raza who was voted man of the match, took three wickets and scored 65 to lead their run chase.

Raza was supported with the bat by Wesley Madhevere, who scored 25, with wicketkeeper Clive Madande hitting 20.

Two further T20 contests between the sides will take place at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday and Sunday before three one-day games at the same venue on 13, 15 and 17 December.