No Bus to go to training, no Pitch to train on - John Mikel Obi recounts his Rio Olympic experience.

Mikel displaying the Olympic Bronze Medal 

 In an interview with Chelsea fc, John Mikel Obi relates his experience at the just concluded Rio Olympics, where the Nigerian team against all odds won bronze medal and concludes despite the ugly experience, the tournament remains his most memorable.

The Chelsea midfielder captained Nigeria to its sole Olympic medal last month, turning in a series of heroic displays to the delight of the nation, eventually helping them beat Honduras 3-2 in the bronze medal match.

Mikel returned to Cobham at the end of the Games, only to then go on full international duty with his country to complete the qualifying campaign for January’s African Cup of Nations, a tournament Nigeria failed to qualify for.

Despite that disappointment, it has been a summer to remember for one of our longest-serving players.

A tough build-up meant the Nigerian footballers only flew into Brazil on the day of its first group match in Manaus, but after coming through a group involving Japan, Sweden and Colombia, they advanced past Denmark in the quarter-finals before being edged out by Germany, going on to beat Honduras to claim the bronze.

Now back at Cobham and training with the squad as we prepare to face Swansea.

Mikel, welcome back. Tell us about the summer…

‘I hadn't played in an Olympics before, I missed out in 2008 in Beijing and in 2012 we didn't qualify for London, so I spoke to the club and got their permission to go. It was an amazing experience to play with the Under-23s and lead the team, being the captain of the nation leading it to Rio. I’m very, very proud.

‘As a footballer you probably only get one opportunity to play in the Olympics, it was a great experience and the Brazilian fans were amazing too. They supported us all the way and wanted us to do well, to make the final. It was one of the best tournaments I've had.’

As the squad’s foremost player and one of only two aged over 23, you must have been something of a father figure to your younger team-mates?

‘Yes, it was amazing. Leading the team not just in football but athletics, basketball, everything, was amazing for me. What an honour to be able to do that, and to represent my country is something I’m always proud of.

‘The boys were absolutely amazing and I hope to see them all playing at the top level soon.’

The team had problems in the build-up, to do with financing. What happened in your training camp in the US?

‘It wasn't a great experience in the build-up in Atlanta. There was no food for the guys, no bus to go to training, no pitch to train on.

‘Coming into the team I tried to help as much as I can. The boys had suffered for two years, working very hard trying to play in Rio. I wanted to help as much as I could and they all say they owe me. It’s a great achievement that we managed to go there and win a medal.’

Your relationship with Samson Siasia, the coach, must have helped?

‘We have known each other for a long time. We know how to communicate with each other and it made for a good atmosphere with the rest of the team on the training pitch. We tried to calm the players, make them see the bigger picture and not let external things influence us.

That first game against Japan was a roller coaster. What happened around that 5-4 win?

‘It was a crazy one! We just came off the plane two or three hours before the game, went to the hotel, put our bags down, ate and headed straight to the stadium. Not the typical match preparation. So it was a crazy game, lots of goals, and one we were very happy to win though. To go from there and win the second game helped us settle into the tournament.’

And you found the net with a tidy finish against Denmark in the quarter-final…

‘I always do when I play for the national team! I tend to push a bit further forward and express myself a little bit more, so there is more responsibility to create chances, and if I can get one or two goals here and there it’s great.’

Defeat to Germany and then the bronze medal match against Honduras. Where does it sit in comparison to your other career achievements?

‘It ranks up there. Obviously the Champions League is the Champions League and winning the African Nations and Premier League are massive, but this is up there with those trophies. I can’t express how proud and happy I am to have achieved this.

‘The reception at home was great. The Nigerian people were very happy, it was the only medal we won and they were very proud.

Ogun State High School Vice Principal Issues Students’ Academic Report Card On Sheets Of Paper | Sahara Reporters

Ogun State High School Vice Principal Issues Students’ Academic Report Card On Sheets Of Paper | Sahara Reporters: Schools owned and run by the Ogun State government are now issuing their students report cards written on plain sheets of papers; SaharaReporters has found out. “This is a ridiculous development,” said a parent of one of the pupils in a state-run school. She was one of several parents who criticized the practice, voicing deep concern for their children’s academic future.

A BUILDING IN TEL AVIV COLLAPSE, INJURES SEVERAL PEOPLE - NBC

Several people were wounded and many others feared trapped when a building collapsed in North Tel Aviv on Monday.

Spokesman for the Police, Mickey Rosenfed said emergency units were already at the scene in the Ramat Hachayal neighborhood, and asked local residents to avoid the area.

A rescue worker with United Hatzala, Moshe Levi said , he found a lot of wounded people when he arrived at the scene

“There are more people under the rubbles”, Levi said.

A report from the Israeli military said, search and rescue forces were called in to assist in the “rescue and extraction “of civilians people from the structure.  

NORTH KOREA FIRES THREE MISSILES WHILE THE G-20 IS MEETING IN CHINA - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

 

Rocket Launch from North Korea

Report from Seoul, South Korea, has indicated that North Korea fired three ballistic missiles off its east coast Monday, according to a military source, in a show of force timed to the G-20 economic summit in China.

The provocative action of the North, which is coming just days after the G-20 Summit began in the city of Hangzhou in eastern China, is the latest in what seems to be a tradition to the North Koreans, who usually take advantage of a gathering of this sort to engage in missile and rocket tests.

China is the North's only major ally, but ties between the neighbors have frayed amid a string of nuclear and missile tests and what many outsiders see as other provocations in recent years.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the three missiles, launched from the western North Korean town of Hwangju, flew across the country before splashing in the waters off its east coast. Officials did not describe the range of the missiles.

The launch comes four days before the 68th anniversary of the founding of North Korea's government, and days after South Korean and U.S. troops ended annual joint summertime military drills — which North Korea regularly describes as a dress rehearsal for invasion.