Sports
Amaechi Tasks Dolphins, Rivers Angels On More Trophies
Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi has rewarded state owned clubs,Dolphins and Angels Football clubs for winning the 2010/2011 Nigeria Premier League and the female Federation Cup titles, respectively, while urging them to win more titles in order to get more rewards in the future.
Speaking at a special reception and award giving ceremony at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday, the Governor said he has achieved in spurring the two teams to victory.
“You remember when you came with Sharks and we gave Sharks a car’’, Amaechi recalled ,” all of you were very unhappy going home without a car and I told you that if you wanted a car go and win a trophy and come. So it wasn’t upto a year you won a trophy, so congratulations.’’
In the same vein, the Governor lauded Rivers Angels pointing out that the female team has been exceptional and has remained in the national lime light of the female football adding,” it is good that you remain there and continue to enroll as many women, or as many girls as possible who will hold the national position in the female league’’.
He announced a Ford Saloon car gift to both the players and the coaches, while donating a cash gift of N1million to the coaches and N500,000 to each of the players, assuring that government will continue to reciprocate hardwork from its sportsmen.
However, Governor Amaechi challenged Dolphins to win this year’s league,” I hope you will climb the league…currently I hear that Dolphins is in the third position…even it is one point the man who has one point high and above Doplhin will have won the league. So why not remain on top of the league so you win the trophy’’.
Earlier, Commissioner for Sports, Mr. Fred Igwe said the gesture is in fulfillment of the Governor’s pledge to the players during his last visit to their camp.
He said that Dolphis has won many trophies in the past, while stressing that,” Since we took over from Eagle Cement it has been one trophy or the other’’.
Also, he noted that Rivers Angels have remained outstanding in the female league,” one remarkable thing about the team is that about 21 of our Rivers Angels players contitute the national female teams ‘’.
Responding on behalf of the coaches and players, coach of Dolphins Football Club, Mr. Stanley Eguma expressed joy and fulfillment over the gesture,” Your Execellency you have matched your words with action and we will work harder to win more trophies in the state’’.
While praising the Commissioner in addressing the welfare of players, Mr. Eguma solicited further governments assistance to the club by providing a bus to convey its Supporters Club to match venues.
The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria ( SWAN) Rivers State Chapter has set up five standing working committees on Tuesday, in its general congress.
At the playoff held at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, Onikan, the team of Canice Abua, Michael Emmanuel, Daniel Adeleye, and Abubakar Yusuf was majestic as they restored Nigeria’s hope in a sport that once gave the country so much joy.
Speaking after the final game, Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) President, Victor Ochei, said the Davis Cup feat is the stepping stone to better days in the sport, adding that the federation has set up programmes that will help the budding talents across the country play at the same level as their counterparts in other tennis-developed countries.
Ochei said: “The whole aim of having this new board is to lift the sport to the level we used to be. I tell you, tennis is taking a new shape in Nigeria. We are putting everything and anything to make that work happen.”
Ochei said that the NTF has looked at sponsorships and how to get the emerging players compete at the same level with their peers elsewhere, adding that the federation is working on organising local competitions and helping the players to compete in international championships.
“We believe that with what we are doing now, sponsors will come to us to organise new competitions. But beyond that, there’s a strategic growth development plan, a 10-year development plan, which the board is working on.
“The programme will ensure that we catch them young. This is because we believe that to create champions, we must start grooming them early. The champions you are seeing today were those groomed yesterday.”
“The process of building new champions will include building the coaches, the players, the infrastructure and sensitising the parents so that we can start catching them as young as age five to six.
“By the time that we groom them through 10 years of training, at age 15, 16, you will see fantastic professional players.”
To achieve the federation’s plans, Ochei admits that the NTF needs a lot of investment, adding that the board is working at realising the funds quietly and tenaciously.
The NTF president acknowledged the contributions of former international stars like Nduka Odizor and Sadiq Abdullahi to the bid to rejuvenate Nigerian tennis, adding that NTF is open to collaborating with former players who know what it takes to play at the highest level of the sport.
He said, “Nduka Odizor is around as one of our VIP personalities. He has been psyching up the boys in the battle with Uzbekistan. He will not enter the court to play, but his mere presence is enough motivation to the boys, who will want to be like him in the future.
“You see, the type of support the Odizors, the Imonities and the Abdullahis got in their time is no longer there, but we are revamping it with the support of our stakeholders in the Diaspora.
“It will appear to take us some time, but I can tell you that the Diaspora support is massive.”
In its bid to get good results in this year’s Commonwealth Games, the National Sports Commission (NSC) has disbursed N200 million as training grants to 26 athletes.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow, Scotland.
The NSC stated that the grants were disbursed through its Elite and Podium Board, noting that N200 million was allocated to select top-performing athletes.
The beneficiaries are both foreign-based and home-based, the NSC said, adding that it will cater for their training and preparation expenses.
According to the NSC, the recipients span several sports, including athletics, wrestling, weightlifting, and para-sports, in line with the Commission’s mandate to prioritise athletes’ welfare and high-performance development.
The Commission added that the disbursement follows the establishment of the Elite and Podium Board, created to implement a scientific and institutionalised support system aimed at sustaining peak performances by Nigerian athletes at major international competitions.
NSC Director General, Bukola Olopade, said the Commission, under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was established to restore confidence and provide renewed hope for Nigerian sportsmen and women by placing strong emphasis on athlete welfare.
“The training grants disbursed to 26 athletes across different sports followed a careful and professional selection process by the Yusuf Ali-led Elite and Podium Board. This is our way of reassuring our athletes that their welfare remains our utmost priority,” he said.
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