Sports

Tobi Amusan Hits Season’s Best At Paris Diamond League

Published

7 months ago

June 21, 2025

Nigeria sprint icon, Tobi Amusan has emerged as the winner of the Diamond League trophy for a third consecutive time.

World record holder Tobi Amusan delivered a powerful performance at the 2025 Paris Diamond League on Friday, recording a season-best 12.24 seconds in the women’s 100m hurdles to secure a strong second-place finish.

This marks the Nigerian star’s second-fastest time ever, trailing only her world record of 12.12s set in 2022.

Amusan surged in the final stretch, narrowing the gap on the USA’s Grace Stark, who had an explosive start and clinched victory with a lifetime best and meet record of 12.21s—making her the fifth-fastest woman in history over the distance. Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent followed closely in third, clocking 12.30s.

The race in Paris was a thrilling continuation of Amusan’s resurgent 2025 campaign. After beginning the season with a pair of fourth-place finishes in Xiamen (12.74s) and Shaoxing (12.66s), she rebounded in style, winning the Rabat leg of the Diamond League in 12.45s—a season-best at the time and a meet record.

Paris marked Amusan’s fourth Diamond League appearance this season, and the consistency she’s building suggests she is rounding into peak form just as major international competitions approach.

She faced a stacked field that included the likes of former world silver medallist Keni Harrison, Jamaican rising talent Ackera Nugent, Poland’s Pia Skrzyszowska, Dutch national champion Nadine Visser, Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas, and the in-form Diamond League leader, Grace Stark.

Despite the fierce competition, Amusan showcased her experience and rising form, finishing strong and scoring valuable points in the race toward the Diamond League Finals in Zurich.

She now sits fourth on the Diamond League leaderboard with 10 points, trailing Stark (23), Danielle Williams (15), and Marione Fourie (12).
(VANGUARD)

Sports

CRASH: Anthony Joshua Opens Up On Friends’ Death

Published

35 minutes ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Former world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, has said the death of his two friends posed a tough time for him.

Recall that a car conveying the boxer earlier this month, rammed into a stationary truck along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The accident claimed that lives of his personal trainer, Kevin Latif Ayodele, and his strength and conditioning coach, Sina Ghami.

In a post on his verified Facebook page on Thursday, the former heavyweight champion said it was tough for him.

Joshua acknowledged that the incident was “even tougher” for the parents of the deceased.

He wrote, “Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers. I didn’t even realise how special they are.

“I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.

“100% it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents. I have a strong mind, and I believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.”

Sports

NPFL: Kano Pillars Sack Two Players

Published

42 minutes ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Kano Pillars have announced the departure of the duo of Umar Sani Yakasai Samuel Tiza.

Yakasai and Tiza’s contracts were terminated by the Kano-based club.

The Sai Masu Gida confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday.

“Kano Pillars FC wishes to announce that, following a mutual understanding, the club have amicably parted ways with striker Samuel Tiza and midfielder Umar Sani Yakasai,” Kano Pillars wrote in a statement confirming the players departure.

“Both players will now continue their careers elsewhere ahead of the second stanza of the 2025/2026 Nigeria Premier Football League season.”

Kano Pillars is expected to make up for their departure with the signing of new players.

Sports

AFCON: It’s Not Possible – NSC On Super Eagles Players Requesting Cash Payment

Published

47 minutes ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

Chairman of the National Sports Commission, NSC, Shehu Dikko, has insisted that it is not possible to pay the Super Eagles of Nigeria their match bonus in cash.

Dikko stated this while clarifying the situation about Super Eagles match bonuses following reports of players threatening to boycott training and refusing to travel to Marrakech for Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, quarter-final clash against Algeria on Saturday.

He spoke on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

“Clearly, the players requested whether they could get some of these in cash, and they were told it’s not possible,” Dikko said.

“These bonuses are not paid in cash; they have to be paid through the bank, which is the normal procedure.

“The only ones they agreed to pay in cash are the daily allowances.”

The Super Eagles progressed to the last-8 after humiliating Mozambique 4-0 in the AFCON Round of 16.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance, Doris Nkiruka-Anite, had earlier disclosed that the Super Eagles players will start receiving their bonus money alerts today or tomorrow before the Algeria clash.