Tobi Amusan has made Nigerians proud again as she qualified for the 100-meter hurdles semi-finals in the ongoing 2024 Olympics in Paris on Wednesday.

Naija News understands that the track and field athlete specialises in the 100-metre hurdles

Amusan, the reigning world record holder, outpaced the USA’s Alaysha Johnson, who finished second with a time of 12.61 seconds, and Janeek Brown, who clocked in at 12.84 seconds in Heat 1.

This performance positions Amusan as the second-fastest qualifier overall, trailing only the defending Olympic champion, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn from Puerto Rico.

It is noteworthy that Nigeria has not yet secured a medal in this year’s Olympic Games.

Naija News reports that the semi-finals are scheduled to take place on Friday, August 9, with the final event planned for the second-to-last day of the athletics competition, Saturday, August 10.

The 27-year-old athlete has demonstrated exceptional performance leading up to the sporting event, achieving a season-best and world-leading time of 12.40 seconds (0.9) at the Jamaican Athletics Invitational held in Kingston in May.

Prior to this, she established the indoor record for the African 60m hurdles on two occasions in January and February.

In March, she secured her third consecutive title at the African Games in Ghana, while also contributing to the women’s 4x100m relay team that won gold in Accra, in addition to her victory at the African Championships in Cameroon three months later.

Throughout this season, Amusan has participated in 17 competitions, which encompass the 60m, 100m, 100m hurdles, and the 4x100m relay.

Amusan, a three-time consecutive Diamond League champion, two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist, two-time African champion, and three-time African Games gold medalist, has represented her country in two Olympic Games (Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020)

Rena Wakama, head coach of Nigeria’s Senior National Women’s Basketball Team, D’Tigress, has expressed confidence in their quarterfinal match against the United States in the ongoing Paris Olympics.

Speaking virtually from Paris, France, Wakama shared the team’s excitement about facing the nine-time gold medallists in today’s clash.

“We are really excited because we want to play the best of the best. We believe that everything happened for a reason. We met them already in Belgium but did not play our best, so we look forward to meeting them again on Wednesday (today),” Wakama said.

Reflecting on their previous encounter, she noted, “I think the first game we played with them was an eye-opener. We were able to watch the game and break down what we did wrong, what we did well and I think now that our girls have the experience of playing against them, it would help a lot.”

Wakama also highlighted the team’s preparation, stating, “We’ve also played about five games now; we have three friendlies and three matches here, so we are going into the game confidently. We are playing well, and we have a great addition to the team (Ezinne) who brings another level of intensity and experience to us.”

She emphasized that the USA would be facing a different team this time. “So I think the USA has not played against this team before because the team they played against in Belgium differs from this team. So we are looking forward to doing what we do and do it well,” she added.

D’Tigress have already made history in Paris, becoming the first African team, men’s or women’s, to reach the quarterfinals in Olympic basketball. Ending the United States’ 58-match winning streak and seven consecutive gold medals would rank among the greatest upsets in sports history.

The U.S. and Nigeria have met only once at the Olympics in women’s basketball, a group-stage game in Tokyo four years ago, where Team USA won 81-72, despite taking a 20-point lead into the fourth quarter. The two sides have also met twice previously at the FIBA World Cup, with the U.S. winning a group-stage game in 2006 and a quarterfinal in 2018.

Four family members have lost their lives after reportedly eating amala, a staple food, in Kwara state.

The food was suspected to have contained poisonous substances.

They were said to have become sick after consuming the staple and were rushed to university of Ilorin where they gave up the ghost.

Dr Amina El-Imam, the Kwara State Commissioner for Health, who made this known during a news conference on Tuesday in Ilorin, said the incident happened in Eruda, a community in Ilorin, the state capital.

According to her, the health team of the ministry visited the community after a report of a family that lost a number of its relatives after consumption of amala.

“On getting there, the claim was that there was an instance of food poisoning where the 70-year-old woman fell ill and died after consuming Amala.

“Unfortunately, her son and grandkids also consumed the same food, fell ill and died. They were taken to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, where they passed away,” she said.

El-Imam stated that the amala made from Lafun (cassava) could have been responsible for the death since those who consumed amala made from yam flour were fine.

The commissioner disclosed that several others are recuperating well in the hospitals where they are receiving treatment.

“Some are doing well and hopefully, following intensive medical treatment, they will be able to recover fully. It was observed that the residence was in a location where personal and environmental hygiene was not really optimal,” she said.

El-Imam stated that this is a case of chemical food poisoning, potentially due to underprocessed cassava used in the production of Lafun.

“We have another four cases recovering at the moment, in addition, of course, to the four that we unfortunately lost,” she lamented.

The Federal Government is collaborating with the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) to revive the country’s cotton and textile industry. 

Vice-President Kashim Shettima disclosed this following a meeting with an ICAC delegation, led by Executive Director Mr. Eric Trachtenberg, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja according to a post on the official X page of the Vice President’s activities. 

The Federal Government aims to create over 1.4 million jobs annually in the cotton and textile sector and develop key components of the cotton value chain. 

This value chain includes farming, weaving, ginning, and linking of cotton, aligning with the industrialization drive of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Shettima urged stakeholders to devise a roadmap for revitalizing Nigeria’s cotton and textile sector. 

The vice president assured the delegation that the administration would make concerted efforts to harness opportunities within the cotton value chain. 

The vice president assured the delegation that the administration would make deliberate efforts to harness opportunities within the cotton value chain. This, he noted, would help Nigeria regain its ICAC membership. 

Shettima acknowledged ICAC’s commitment to developing the sector in Africa, highlighting that the diverse backgrounds within ICAC provide a nuanced understanding of the complexities and opportunities in the cotton value chain. 

Lagos is well positioned for cotton industrial development 

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State stated that the state is well-positioned to capitalize on opportunities in the cotton value chain. He emphasized that Lagos, as a key part of this chain in Nigeria, would support efforts to revamp the sector, enabling the state to maintain its status as the largest fashion hub on the continent.  

He commended the federal government’s initiatives aimed at revitalizing the industry to create jobs and drive economic transformation. Sanwo-Olu also pledged the state’s readiness to procure cotton produced in other parts of the country for companies based in Lagos. 

Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State remarked that the meeting was part of Nigeria’s efforts to rejuvenate the textile industry and boost economic growth. He said Imo State and the Southeastern region would integrate into the cotton/textile sector to create jobs through the country’s industrialization. 

ICAO pledges commitment to Nigeria  

• The ICAC’s Executive Director, Eric Trachtenberg, expressed his satisfaction with the interest and commitment demonstrated by Nigeria’s leadership.
• He also commended other stakeholders for their efforts in reviving the industry in the country. 
• Trachtenberg highlighted the transformative potential of the cotton value chain by citing examples from China, India, Pakistan, and other parts of the world.
• He emphasized that the cotton and textile sectors offer significant competitive advantages and drive economic transformation. 
• He assured that the ICAC would support Nigeria’s cotton value chain by providing expert advice on improving productivity and enhancing the value chain, as well as facilitating investment.

[Nairametrics]