Sports
School Sports, Catalyst For Sporting Excellence In Rivers – Educationists
Governments at the various tiers have been urged to revive school sports as a necessary ingredient for sporting excellence in Rivers State and Nigeria at large.
A cross section of sports fans in Port Harcourt told Tidesports that school sports should become an integral part of every government educational policy.
They reasoned that most private schools in Port Harcourt and environs do not provide sports facilities for their students, while lacking adequate space to locate such facilities.
An educationist and director of Promise Institute of Commerce (PIC), James Mpi noted that most successful sports men and women in the country were spotted during inter school competitions.
According to him, talents spotted during the competitions were nurtured to stardom, by giving them scholarships and opportunities to explore and actualise their talents.
Mpi decried the dearth of sporting facilities in most public schools in the state, and lauded the efforts of the Governor Chibuike Amaechi’s administration to revive public schools.
Assessing sports in private primary and secondary schools, which dot the state, Mpi called for the ban of schools without the right environment and facilities to aid sports learning.
‘How can you operate an institution responsible for the growing of the future generation without the necessary facilities in that regard.
Sports is a vital ingredient for the development and it must be taken seriously in any academic curricula.
“I recommend that any school without the necessary facilities should be suspended, especially if we want to improve our performances and fortunes in national and international sports competitions,” he said.
Mpi praised some schools, especially, in the rural areas for embarking on yearly inter-house competitions and called on the appropriate sports authorities to attend these events to achieve its purposes.
Another retired educationist, Pa Austin Ekanem, said that considerable funds should be voted yearly for sporting activities in schools.
Ekanem said that despite the presence of facilities in some schools, the organisation of sports competitions involves huge financial and material resources.
“I can tell you that, when I was in the school system, one of our greatest challenges was getting financial help from government and public-spirited individuals.
“Let the funds be provided, monitored and we would see how it goes.
However, the schools should be able to raise considerable amounts through the parents’ teachers association (PTA) and other philanthropic individuals”, he said.
Akonta Samuel
The Nigeria Football Federation has defended the recent quarter-finals draw for the 2025 President Federation Cup, saying it was conducted in line with best global practices.
A member of the NFF Executive Committee Board, George Aluo, stated that criticism over venues for the quarterfinals was unfortunate.
Going by the fixtures released on Saturday by the football body, Abakaliki FC will take on Nasarawa United in Benin, Wikki Tourists will clash with Ikorodu City in Bwari, Abuja, Akwa United and Kwara United will fight it out in Enugu, just as Area 3, Abuja, will host the encounter between Rangers International and Plateau United. All matches are scheduled for May 3rd for the emergence of semifinalists in a leg affair.
However, there have been criticisms over the Ikorodu United vs Wikki Tourist tie billed for Abuja, with a section of the press saying the venue is skewed in favour of the Bauchi team.
Aluo, also the Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), said: “Some of our media men need better education, and newsmen should not be like the fans out there on the streets. In the English FA Cup, it is always a one-legged pairing that can see a club like Arsenal host Manchester United at home”.
A new contract that will see Act Sports Di Oyibo Limited managing the career of Nigerian teqball specialist, Victor Oyemade, has been signed in Lagos.
The deal gives exclusive rights to Act Sports to manage, and exercise power of attorney over issues relating to the player’s welfare as it concerns his transactions, engagement for professional, promotional, sponsorships, endorsements, and exhibition purposes.
In signing the document, both parties also agreed that proper safeguards would be put in place to protect and promote the player’s interest at all times.
Director of Act Sports, Di Oyibo Limited, Pastor Samuel Robinson Oyibo, excited about the deal, said it would benefit both parties in the area of spreading the message of the sport, as well as laying a firm foundation for his new client’s future.
“Teqball is one of the world’s fastest-growing ball sports, and Victor Oyemade is the face of the sport here in Nigeria and Africa. That is why we are excited about this partnership that gives Act Sports official authorisation to manage his career, just as it will lay the foundation for its rapid growth in our country,” Pastor Oyibo said.
Oyemade was no less excited about the deal, saying it would help his growth in the sport.
Coaches of Nigeria’s U-18 and U-20 women’s handball teams have released their final lists of 14 players ahead of the IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Phase, which will be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, that commenced yesterday to end 24th of this month.
The two teams have been training at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, Lagos, for close to two weeks and departed for the competition on Thursday.
Coach John Uzor of the national U-18 team has included Omole Joy of Defender Babes and her sister Omole Shola alongside Ojie Princess of Funad Academy alongside right back Faisat Balogun in the mix while Success Duru, Chetachi Ngaodurubie of COAS Babes and Sharon Okonkwo make the cut, amongst other players.
In the U-20 team, Coach Shittu Agboola has largely stuck with the players he has been grooming since their U-18 days. The team is led by Captain Chidera Ogbusimba alongside, her Rima Queens teammates the Samuel Sisters, Amina Mohammed and Joy Peters.
Israel-based Rahima Bello, Kehinde Babatunde of ASPAC HBC of Benin Republic and Esther Mathew, who is also based in Benin Republic, keep their places.
Coach Shittu believes his team will make Nigeria proud just as they did previously at the U-18 level.
“I am really upset that Taiwo Babatunde will not be part of the team for this competition as her school, Yaba College of Technology, insisted that they will not release her for national service because of examinations.
“We did everything humanly possible to secure her release and they didn’t care that it is a national service for the interest of Nigeria and the growth of sports. We have other players who are also students and they got a release from their schools but for no tangible reason, Yabatech refused to release Taiwo despite the fact that we did everything possible to secure her release. It’s sad and I hope the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Sports Commission will work in tandem so that schools will support our goal in making Nigeria proud in sporting events”.