With exactly six months to the London 2012 Games, the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has handed over the Olympic and Paralympic Village site to the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG).

Four-time Olympic gold medalist, Matthew Pinsent, helped to facilitate the LOCOG’s bedding process, lifting the first of more than 16,000 beds to be installed. Work will now begin on the huge process to fit out the new apartments and Village site ready to welcome athletes and officials from around the world in six months’ time.

The ODA started work on the Village in June 2008 and has now completed the construction of 2,818 new apartments on time. These apartments have been built in 11 residential plots, complete with spacious courtyards, gardens and balconies, in a project that has provided work for more than 16,500 people.

In statement placed in London Games’ website, ODA Chairman, John Armitt said: “The Olympic and Paralympic Village has been built by companies from every part of the UK, working together to ensure it was completed on time and overcoming the challenges posed by the credit crunch and economic downturn.

“We will be finishing the landscaping as winter turns into spring, and then returning after the Games to complete the transformation to create new homes for Londoners.”

The Olympic and Paralympic Village will be able to house up to 16,000 athletes and team officials during the Olympic Games, and 6,200 athletes and team officials plus 1,000 referees and umpires during the Paralympic Games.

The overlay work to get the Village ready includes installing 64,000 bed sheets and 11,000 sofas, constructing the 24-hour main dining facility with 5,000 seats, and building the Olympic Village Plaza, the main social hub featuring essential shops and services.

LOCOG Chair Seb Coe said: “With the Village now handed over we are starting the huge process to install essential facilities and services ready to welcome competitors from around the world in six months’ time.”

After the Games, the Village will create a legacy of new homes across 11 individually-designed plots in a new community to be known as East Village. Of these homes, 1,379 have been purchased by joint venture Triathlon Homes to provide high-quality affordable housing.

The remaining 1,439 properties will become private housing after being acquired by a consortium of UK developer Delancey and the Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company.

Former President, Nigeria Weighting Federation (NWF), Ajibade Fashina-Thomas has decried the poor treatment of weightlifters that will represent the country at the London Olympic Games.

?Fashina-Thomas, said in Lagos that weightlifting was a veritable avenue for the country to win many medals at the Olympics.

?He stressed that the sport should not be treated with levity but rather with some considerable respects.

??“Apart from athletics where we draw our medals from, weightlifting is another veritable avenue of getting medals at the Olympic Games.

“So, if our weightlifters do not go to the Olympics that would be a disaster because we really bank on having some medals from weightlifting.

?“I do hope that things will improve in the next month or couple of months and reasons will prevail so as to allow our weightlifters go on training tours and eventually participate in the Olympics.”

?He expressed concern over the poor preparation of athletes for the Olympic Games, especially the inability of the National Sports Commission to organise training tours for athletes.

Fashina-Thomas also said the country should always strive to begin early preparation for competitions, as the usual “fire brigade approach” would never yield good results.

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Beijing long jump bronze medalist, Blessing Okagbare, has high expectations for the coming season, and not just because it’s an Olympic year. Last year was a difficult one with injury dampening the expectations of an athlete who until then had been on a continuous upward curve.

Blessing says: “Last season, I wasn’t expecting so much. I had my surgery and also made the transition from the collegiate season to the professional circuit. I wasn’t expecting too much.”

The surgery was repair to a stress fracture to the tibia which meant a winter of rehabilitation rather than the hard training that sets an athlete up for the summer season.

She’s quite satisfied with training at the moment. “It’s going on well. (In fact), pretty decent. Right now, I’m doing long runs, power lifting and technical work,” she said.

Last season was not a complete write-off. Blessing performed creditably in the 100m in the World Championships in Daegu, finishing fifth. She says: “I was really trying to get myself back into shape. I wasn’t going to go super fast.”

She followed that up with long jump gold and 100m silver at the 2011 All-African Games in Maputo.

When you add that gold medal to the Olympic bronze she won in Beijing you’d be forgiven for thinking long jump is her event. Her manager Paul Doyle reckons she could become the best in the world if she concentrates on the sand pit, but she doesn’t see that as her focus for what she does in an Olympic year.

“I’m enjoying sprinting right now, but it can be a combination of both. Maybe also in the 200m.”

Okagbare has qualified for all three events in London, although the timetable suggests a choice between the 200m and long jump.

The surgery last year is not the only difficulty she has had recently in her career.

Blessing has graduated from a university in Texas and moved to Los Angeles to join the stable of renowned sprinting coach John Smith.

“I’ve had three coaches in four years. There’ve been a few changes in my life, but I’ve been able to deal with it. John Smith is a very good coach. I’m not saying other coaches I’ve worked with are not good, but I really think we can work together as coach and athlete. I want to get better, that’s my goal. When I went down to see what he does, I was pleased with what I saw.”

For an athlete who has big ambitions for the coming season, hooking up with Smith is a change that could make all the difference.

“I’m aiming really high. I wasn’t sure about getting to the final of the world championship, but I did and that was a huge one for me. I know it’s going to be hard and tough. I’m here to push for the top three. If I get it that’s it, if I don’t there’s 2016.”

There will be pressure from an expectant nation on her shoulders in 2012 and she admits the Olympics are different.

“When I went to the first Olympics, I was young and a bit naïve. It was when I went out for qualifying and got to the final (that it hit home). It’s different, yet similar to the World Championship but different to a Commonwealth or African Championship. It’s a world event and you’re competing with the best people in the world, but it does differ for individuals.”

There is still a decision to be taken about whether to have an indoor season and go to Turkey for the World Championships in March.

“I might have an indoor season, but it’ll be really late. I’m not sure if I want to go for the worlds. I’ll see if I make the standard.”

With winter training going well, expect her upward curve of achievements to be resumed next year.

Personal Bests
Outdoors
100m: 11.00 (2010) / 10.98w (2010) 200m: 22.71 (2010) Long Jump: 6.91 (2008) Triple Jump: 14.13 (2007)

Indoors
60m:? 7.18 (2010)
200m:? 23.52 (2010)
Long Jump: 6.87 (2010)
Triple Jump: 13.64 (2008)

Yearly Progression
60m/100m/200m: 2008: 23.76; 2009: 11.16/-; 2010: (7.18i)/11.00 (10.98w)/22.71(23.52i) Long Jump: 2006: 6.16; 2007: 6.51; 2008: 6.91(6.68i); 2009: 6.73, 2010: 6.88 (6.87i); Triple Jump: 2006: 13.38; 2007: 14.13 (AJR); 2008: 14.07 (13.64i); 2009: 13.59; 2010: (13.55i);

Career Highlights
2006:? 6 q?? IAAF World Junior Championships, Beijing (Long Jump) 5.97.
2006:? 8 q IAAF World Junior Championships (Beijing)?? (Triple Jump) 12.81 2007 1st Nigeria Track and Field Champs (Lagos) (Long Jump) 6.50.
2007: 1st Nigeria Track and Field Champs (Lagos) (Triple Jump) 14.13(AJR).
2007: 4th All-Africa Games (Algiers)??????????????? (Triple Jump) 13.77.
2007: 2nd All-Africa Games (Algiers)????????? (Long Jump) 6.46.
2008: 2nd NCAA Indoor Championships (Fayetteville, AR) (Long Jump) 6.68i.
2008: 3rd NCAA Outdoor Championships (Des Moines, IA) (Long Jump) 6.59.
2008: 2nd NCAA Outdoor Championships (Des Moines, IA)? (Triple Jump) 14.01.
2008: 1st??? Nigeria Track and Field Champs (Abuja)? (Long Jump) 6.86
2008: 1st??? Nigeria Track and Field Champs (Abuja)?? (Triple Jump)?? 14.07.
2008: 3rd? Olympic Games, Beijing (Long Jump) 6.91.
2009: 1st Nigeria Track and Field Champs (Abuja) (100m) 11.16.
2009: 1st Nigeria Track and Field Champs (Abuja) (Long Jump) 6.73.
2010: 1st NCAA Indoor Championships (Fayetteville, AR)? (60m) 7.18i.
2010: 1st NCAA Indoor Championships (Fayetteville, AR) (Long Jump) 6.87i.
2010: 1st? NCAA Outdoor Championships (Eugene, OR)? (100m)????? 10.98w.
2010: 1st? NCAA Outdoor Championships (Eugene, OR)?? (Long Jump)???? 6.79.
2010: 1st Nigeria Track & Field Champs (Calabar) (100m) 11.06.
2010: 1st??? Africa Athletics Championships (Nairobi)?? (100m)?? 11.03 (CR).
2010:? 1st??? Africa Athletics Championships (Nairobi)? (Long Jump)????? 6.62.
2010: 1st??? Africa Athletics Championships (Nairobi)?? (4X100m)?? 43.45 (CR).
2011: 1st? All African Games (Maputo) (long jump) 6.50.
2011: 1st All African Games (Maputo) (4X100m) 43.34.

Source from nigeriaolympiccommittee.org/iaaf.org
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Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) has promised that the year 2012 will experience a positive turn-around in the sport. It said the fruits of its hard work and reforms will compel a change for improved performance in the New Year.?

In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP SPORTS, NSF 1st vice president and Chairman Rules and Disciplinary Committee, Sulaiman Garba Gora, urged the Scrabblers to obey the new collins dictionary, WESPA rules and regulations and NSF exclusive rules and regulations adopted at the last General Assembly of the association. He said the compliance from all will make the 2012 a happy jamming. “I urged compliance from all and wish all of you happy jamming. On behalf of the board we pledge to serve you better,” he said.

Gora while calling players and stakeholders to support the NSF board with constructive contribution, suggestions and criticisms that will help them move the game to the next level in the country assured that the year 2012 will witness exceptional improvement in terms of administration, competitions and organization for the benefit of all.

NSF in its effort to ensure efficient management and growth of scrabble clubs across the country recently trained twenty five additional tournament directors. The training exercise was one of the highlights of their 2011 Annual General Assembly held in Abuja. The tournament directors were coached on how to handle, direct and conduct computer paring for championships.

The body also resolved to continue its campaign to encourage children, parents, teachers and the community to take active roles in developing self esteem and pride in academic achievements through scrabble.

Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has won the 30th edition of the Annual Public Service Games tagged ‘Calabar 2011.’ The games came to a climax last Sunday in Calabar, Cross Rivers State capital. NSCDC emerged the overall winners of the 10-day event with 68 medals comprising of 40 gold, 13 silver and 15 bronze.

Nigeria Port Authority (NPA) had a total of? 26 medals having won 5 gold, 15 silver and 6 bronze medals to beat National Sports Commission (NSC) to the second spot. Sports Commission which could not feature athletes in many events due to financial constraint, had a total of six medals; two gold, three silver and one bronze to finish third on the overall table.

In the final football event played at the University of Calabar Stadium, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) sports club defeated National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) 5-4 on penalty to win the gold in the football event.?

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the championship, Cross Rivers State governor, Liyel Imoke, represented by the secretary to the State Government, Mr Mike Aniah, described the games as very important. “This is very important, as it is said that ‘all work and no play makes jack a dull boy’. It is for this reason, that I highly appreciate the initiative of the founding fathers and commitment of current leaders to sustain the initiative. Though, it is not a skill providing activity for national and international sports competition, by some luck, a fraction of this has been realised in the last 10-days even as the main idea for the physical fitness of the body and interaction among civil servants,”? he said.

Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) last weekend showed that the moribund state of the nation’s sports sector can be revived, if every stakeholder in the sector can pull together and function as a team. The body spared no effort in its commitment towards the development of sports in the country by its swift move at electing a new president, Dr Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, to pilot its affairs following the sudden death of former president, Alhaji Jamiu Tunde Ojulari.

The Federation is one of the most efficient grassroots sports development organisations that have produced lots of sportsmen and women for the country. A peep into the history of body reveals that the organisation has a good focus from the beginning on what it intends to achieve and to some extent had done everything within its power to remain on track.

Knowing these enormous challenges and responsibilities that await him, the new president, Gawuna, who was sworn in last Saturday in Abuja as the third president of the association with the overwhelming support of the delegates to run the affairs of the Federation, vowed to give the organisation a quality leadership that would be devoid of any form of rancor.

He said he offered himself for the position of YSFON president because of his desire for a positive change. “I offered to be the president of YSFON because I want to lead a transformational movement. YSFON as family is passionate about our youth development. We all know that our sport is nose diving because of faulty foundations. I want to assure you today that, YSFON will be completely repositioned to revive our sports and bring back the lost glory,” he assured.

The former chairman of Nasarawa local government area of Kano State revealed that his first major task as he takes over the mantle of leadership of YSFON is to review the constitution of the organisation and make it sound and a time-bound constitution that will give every member the opportunity to make his or her contribution to the growth of sports.

“One way to foster teamwork is to engage members in activities that require them to work together. Working together for a charitable cause builds teamwork and gives the participants a good feeling of working together.

“As I promised you during my tour of zones, we are going to have our constitution reviewed to make a sound and time bound constitution that will provide opportunity for everyone to make meaningful contribution to sports development.

“We will decentralise the working structure of the organisation and give all zone autonomous power to operate.? This will definitely make us closer to the youths in all nooks and crannies of the country and also make our presence felt in all the local government areas of the country.

“We will partner with all the relevant sports bodies in the country and work closely with them to ensure that our lost glory in sports is restored. We are going to knock on the doors of every relevant body and individual that will help us to achieve our desired goal of lifting YSFON and Nigeria’s sports in general to greater height.? I appeal to all our states chapters to be up and doing and ensure that in all the 774 local government areas of the country, YSFON is in place. This is the only way we can truly unveil talents that are bond in all the nooks and crannies of the country,” he said.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of the new president, former secretary of Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Fanny Amun, noted that the primary role of YSFON is to unveil talents; he therefore urged the body to separate politics from the objectives of its founding fathers. He attributed Nigeria’s failure in sports in the last decade to lack of vision and focus of the present administrators.

“The primary objective of YSFON is to unveil talents in the grassroots. Nigeria failed in the last 10 years in sports simply because everyone was after result and forgets to give our aspiring athletes a solid foundation that would enable them surmount the challenges ahead. YSFON must lead the campaign and return back to the basics of sports development.

Reposition the age-grade levels competitions and bring some level of sanity to the system.

Introducing some stringent disciplinary measures into the organisation of sports competitions among youths would help us to always get the right players in the senior national team,” Amun said.

YSFON, in spite of its tremendous achievements in sports development especially in football, the greater challenge has always been how to find a happy medium in the working relationship between the organisation and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). There has to be a symbiotic relationship between them so that the former can be fully exploited by the later for the benefit of the country.

The Grand finale of the 2011 edition of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) sports and cultural festival has commenced with 22 states taking part in various sporting events, drama, dance and comedy.

The event which was declared open by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Samuel Afolayan, who was represented by Commodore Kingsley Nwokena is the 27th edition since inception. The theme is: Sports and Culture As Tool For National Transformation: The Role Of NYSC and with the introduction of standup comedy as one of the events to be competed for by the NYSC state secretariats.

Giving his welcome address, the Director General, Brig.Gen. Nnamdi Okore-Affia, said sports have assumed the status of social mobilisation instrument for the nation’s youth and adult alike.
“Over the years, sports have galvanized the diverse multi-ethnic groups in the country for positive collective social action. In light of the foregoing, we consider it a great privilege and worthy service to our great nation to be part of today’s activities.”

“In the next five days, our young men and women drawn from various states of service shall be competing for honours under different sporting and cultural events, the exercise will enable the corps members interact more deeply, build bridges of understanding and cooperation across diverse culture,” He said.

In deciding whether to embark on charity work, perhaps the first question to ask yourself is, “What is my aim?” It is important one asks what the aim of his or her career is going to be.

Is it to make money or to assist others who do not have the opportunities?? But if you feel passionately about the less privileged and disadvantaged, then charity work is for you. This is the tale of a sport loving Australian parent, Robyn Ogunbambi, who due to lack of organised activities in Abuja to catch young talents in gymnastics, decided to run gymnastic classes at no cost for kids in order to take them off the streets after school.

Robyn who spoke to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND Sports during Gymnastics Grading Day organised by her club, Robyn and Salma Gymnast, said she got her inspiration to help children in Abuja after observing the numerous benefits children in the UK enjoy from gymnastic facilities during holidays. “During the holiday breaks, our children have enjoyed positive gymnastic experiences in London at both ‘The Little Gym’ (Chiswick) and at the ‘Richmond Gymnastic Association.’? Exposure to these clubs inspired me to create more gymnastic opportunities for the children in Abuja,” she said.

She said she started the after school club gymnastic programme purposely to get her two kids trained, but because of lack of events for kids in Abuja, she could not resist the pressure from parents to allow their children join hers. “The gymnastic group was started by me simply to get dedicated lessons from a gymnastics coach. Anthony Asuquo, whom I employed for my two children, had requests from my friends to join and I could not refuse due to the lack of organised activities in Abuja.

“My friend, Salma (Mrs Assalama Cisse) requested that her daughter Aminata (aged seven years) join and offered to run classes at her home in an outdoor area in addition to my home classes in our gymnasium in our apartment building.? We both purchased four large padded mats.? They are not as professional as we would like, but the best you can get in Nigeria without importing.? We still have people calling to join our club and even after Saturday’s event, several people requested to join. However, we are full and now seek a larger venue so that we can accept new members.

“Our home classes were very appealing to my friends.? As a result, they have unintentionally grown into a group of 26 children, meeting 1-2 times weekly at two home locations.? The focus has been on floor skills, limited by our equipment of floor mats and a small trampoline.? This has given the gymnasts aged 3-7 years a good foundation to the sport,” she said.

Roybn who expressed satisfaction with the mental strength approach of the kids to the sport, however revealed that her desire to expand the club to more kids? trained in sport, is not getting the supports of the Gymnastic Federation of Nigeria (GFN) and the National Sports Commission (NSC). “We have all been amazed with the development of the children both with their physical ability as well as their mental strength to approach challenges.? Social benefits have also been derived from being part of the club and mixing with children from different schools.

“There is without a doubt, a very clear opportunity to increase the membership rate of gymnastics in Abuja.? Without any marketing, numerous people have contacted me to join our home classes. Unfortunately we have had to decline them due to limited space.? I requested the support of GFN in the form of making the “Gymnastic Hall at the Package B” of the National Stadium, Abuja, available to us as the premier gymnastic destination with regular classes and events.? The parents are willing to pay for the coaching and administrative operational support of the club, while we request that the government would be responsible for the infrastructure and the working order of facilities (lighting, air-conditioning, bathrooms, safety of facilities etc, but still waiting on the verdict from the Gymnastic Federation.?

“As I mentioned to you, I received a call from the president of the GFN Nigeria, Mr Adefemi, who was most positive about my proposal.? He said that they would meet with me at the National Championships however and unfortunately, they were not present at the times that I was there on three consecutive days.? I put a call to one of the board members however and have not had my call returned yet.? I am hopeful that something will come out of it,” she enthused.

According to her, Anthony Asuquo, a former gymnast and an experienced coach has demonstrated enough? ability as a very effective communicator with children and has excellent skills in guiding them to higher levels and safety. “The number of students in Abuja under Anthony’s instruction totals 105, demonstrating an increasing level of demand together with a high level of continuity through re-enrolment.? This is made up of both home classes and school club programs as follows:? American International School of Abuja (25), French International School of Abuja (18), International Community School (24), Placemat Private School (8), Private home class (4) and Private home class (Robyn & Salma’s) (26).

“Tony is motivated to advance the skills of his students.? He is taking proactive steps to make the existing program more professional by introducing the “International Gymnastic Levelling System” across all of his teaching platforms in Abuja.

“To achieve this, I hope to gain the support of the GFN to utilise the Gymnastic Hall Package B of the National Stadium, Abuja.? Gymnastics as a sport would become a vibrant and very attractive youth activity for the city – opening opportunities for regular instructional classes, holiday camps, competitions, inter-school competitions, national and international competitions,” she stated further.

Nigeria Scrabble Federation (NSF) has called on the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the host state of the 18th National Sports Festival, Lagos to include Scrabble as a medal winning sport for the bi-annual championship.

NSF president, Olobatoke Aka who made the call during an interactive session with sportswriters in Abuja, said scrabble is the only sport that Nigeria is dominating in Africa, with the nation winning eight out of the nine competitions held in the continent so far. He said for Nigeria to maintain the lead in scrabble the game needs to be included in the National Sports Festival as a medal sport in order to encourage participating states to support the game in their respective states.

“This is only the sport Nigeria has dominated for quite a long time. We are number one in scrabble ranking in Africa and to maintain this position, we need to develop the game from the grassroots. Scrabble became a medal winning sport in the National Sports Festival in 2004 when the games was held in Abuja after being a demonstration sports for many years. But at the last sports festival in Port Harcourt, scrabble was removed from events listed for the games with the excuse that only Olympic sports will now feature in the festival. Because of this, most our state associations are having it difficult to get the support of their state governments since the sport is no longer counted as medal sports at the National Sports Festival.

“At present, there is no corporate body associated with the sponsorship of scrabble. That is why we are appealing to the Sports Commission to include the sport as a medal winning event in the festival so that states can because of that develop the game in their states,” he begged.

Local boy Greg Chalmers survived a fine late run by Tiger Woods to win his second Australian Open.
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The 38-year-old, who first won the title in 1998, carded a three-under final round of 69 to finish 13 under, one and two shots clear of compatriot John Senden and Woods respectively.
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Woods recorded an eagle and five birdies in a fine 67 as he battled back from a third-round 75.
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Victory at The Lakes would have been a first for Woods in nearly two years.
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The tournament ended in thrilling style, with Chalmers forced to watch nervously from the clubhouse as overnight leader Senden went close with a 35-foot birdie putt at the 18th that would have forced a play-off.
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An emotional Chalmers, who fought back tears after beating a field including eight of the world’s top 20, said: “I’m just extremely excited and extremely pleased to win this tournament twice.
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“You can stumble into it once but to win it again, in this field, one of the strongest fields we’ve had in Australian golf for a long time, that does something for me, that really floats my boat.
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“I think I stumbled into it when I was 26 … I know what it takes now, it’s hard to win.”
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A day shy of the second anniversary of his 95th and last title win at the 2009 Australian Masters, the crowd was thrilled as 14-time major winner Woods surged back from six shots behind.
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Woods, 35, said: “A couple of drives on the back nine cost me. I fought real hard all day but I’ve come up just short.
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“I’m just going to keep plugging along. It’s just nice to be playing and not on the sidelines.”

Nigeria’s beach volleyball men team A and B, yesterday brightened their chances of playing at the 2012 London Olympic Games with a two straight set defeat of their Burundian counterpart in the opening match of the zonal phase in round two of the Confederation of African Beach Volleyball Continental Cup and Olympic qualifier in Abuja.

The Nigerian team coach Charkuma Ismail lived to his pre-tournament boast with a 21-20 and 21-14 smashing of Burundian team B in the first match. In the second match, Nigeria’s team B also thrashed Burundi team A 21-19, 21-15 in a two straight set. ?

Eight countries –Nigeria, Gambia, Congo, Burundi, Mauritius, Angola, Cave-Verde and Ethiopia are all competing for the top four spots of the men and women categories in order to keep their chances of qualifying for the London Games alive.

On the way to London, the team is expected to go through four phases round of qualifier to qualify for the London Olympic Games. The first round of the qualifying series held in the Republic of Benin earlier this year for the West African zone, coach Ismail tutored team qualified alongside other ten teams to the second round.

Also, in the second phase of the qualifier held in Accra, Ghana, Nigerian women and men teams came top respectively. ?

Speaking to LEADERSHIP WEEKEND Sports before the tournament, chairman of the Nigeria Beach Volleyball Committee, Musa Nimrod, expressed confident that the Nigerian teams will pick the ticket to the London Games. “I am very sure that both the men and female teams will be representing Nigeria and Africa in general very well at the Olympic Games. We have the best squad that comprises of young and old players in the team, and I don’t think any team will be a stumbling block to our dream of representing Africa at the London Olympic Games,” he assured.

New Zealand rugby players yesterday were crowned world champions for the first time in 24 years after squeezing past an inspired France team by a single point. Tony Woodcock’s early try and a penalty from fourth-choice fly-half Stephen Donald were enough to see the All Blacks home in an extraordinary match that defied all pre-match predictions.
France produced their best performance of the tournament and appeared to be close to pulling off one of the great upsets after captain Thierry Dusatoir’s try with half an hour remaining set up a nerve-shredding finale.
But Francois Trinh-Duc missed a long-range penalty before desperate defence saw the favourites hang on for a famous win.
As you looked around Eden Park late yesterday night, camera-flashes twinkling among the black-clad thousands in the stands like stars in the night sky, one emotion dominated all others: an enormous, unmistakable sense of relief. The final whistle triggered scenes of wild jubilation at Eden Park as a nation celebrated a repeat of the outcome from the very first World Cup final in 1987.
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