Sports
‘Self Motivation, Secret Of Rivers Baseball Success’
Recently, Rivers State Baseball team went to Burkina Faso unheralded and return as champions of West Africa with the feat came the ticket to represent the region in the forthcoming World Baseball and Softball competition.
Apparently, the story and journey to success of the Rivers Baseball team was not as rosy and celebrated as their triumphant return.
According to the coach of the team, Jacob Dede Albert, the tennis success story was attributable to the sacrifice self motivation and resilience of his players.
As if the players knew that glory was awaiting them at the end of the tunnel, they showed tremendous determination to soldier on against many odds.
Coach Albert said that when the team was about travelling to Calabar for the national championship, which provided the ticket for the West African Competition, there was no assistance from any quarters.
“The players had to put together their meager personal resources to ensure that the team participated in the national championship in Calabar, when nothing came from anywhere else,” said Albert.
However, the team beat all comers at the national championship to qualify to fly Nigeria’s flag in Burkina Faso during the West Africa Championship.
After qualification, the team made efforts to raise funds for their participation in the regional competition to no avail.
“A letter was written to state government through the Sports Ministry for assistance, but we were told to wait till after the 17th National Sports Festival, which the state was hosting at the time.”
The response was not good enough as the competition was scheduled to commence just a week after the festival, which would have left the team no time to prepare and travel to Burkina Faso.
For fear of missing the competition, the team resolved to embark on the journey at their own discomfort.
Players had to forego food, eating only twice a day in order to save money for the journey, while they trained with inadequate facilities.
Before leaving Port Harcourt for Lagos enroute Burkina Faso, another round of efforts to raise money yielded no result, except for the sum of N30,000 which the state weight-lifting coach, Ojadi Oduche used to assist the team.
“In fact, we were literally abandoned, left to our fate. At a stage, I almost gave up on the trip out of frustration, but the players insisted on continuing, stating that no matter the odds they would attend the competition,” said coach Albert, who has become the new Technical Director of West African Baseball and Softball Union (WABSU).
However, when the team got to Lagos, it was able to get some assistance that enabled it travel to Burkina Faso to fly Nigeria’s flag.
In the competition proper, the resilience, determination and skills of the team shone through as they overcame all opposition to emerge West African Champions.
The team emerged winners as they played Mali, Ivory Coast and Togo to top their group, in a round rubby format and got through semi-final and beat the host Bukina Faso in the final.
Now, the team is preparing to fly the regions flag very high in Japan come November this year.
Coach Albert was happy that the team’s feat has made people to take notice and become aware of the sport.
He appealed to the sports authorities, especially in Rivers State to pay more attention to other sports, especially the ‘lesser sports’ other than football, adding that football was not the sport with the capacity to develop youths and bring glory to the state.
He also challenged coaches not to only depend on government’s sponsorship to attend a competition but to always seek for alternatives.
While expressing gratitude to Ojadi Oduche, Albert said, “my fellow coaches should emulate me and my team, we struggled to be in Burkina Faso but returned with glory. Most times if you wait for government’s sponsorship, you may not attend your competitions.”
Tonye Orabere
Port Harcourt the capital city of Rivers State will be at the centre stage in Nigeria as Port Harcourt Arsenal Community will hold her maiden edition of Football Fans Fiesta (FFF).
The Fiesta scheduled to hold on the 13th December, 2025, at Eddiz wine bar GRA, promises to be all football fans carnival in the State , as there will be a lot of fanfares.
The Coordinator of Port Harcourt Arsenal Community (PHAC), Ugochukwu Oputa has said that the forthcoming Football Fans Fiesta was basically to promote peace, unity and love among football fans in irrespective of the cub.
He stated that sports is a catalyst to bring peace, love and Unity in any given society, hence the occasion was initiated.
Oputa said this in an interview with sports journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, saying that arrangements are on top gear for a successful programme.
” This event is for all football fans irrespective of your club. It is basically to promote peace, love and Unity among fans.
“It is like stating the obvious that football is the catalyst of peace and unity in the world. So the Port Harcourt Arsenal Community want to use this avenue to bring people together and foster friendship.
“There is no gate fee, but it is expected to put on jersey of your club as to make the event look unique” Oputa said.
The Coordinator used the forum to advice football fans in the world to love one another, and equally urged fans that will attend the occasion to be of good conduct and behaviour.
Tonye Orabere
Consistent with its project execution routine, Dunamis-Icon Limited, Project Consultants of the Niger Delta Games, has concluded the first phase of physical inspection and evaluation of facilities for the event, 24 hours after the presentation of the hosting right to Edo State was performed.
The project management team was guided round select facilty locations in Benin City by Desmond Amadin Enabulele, Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, and the team leader, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo expressed satisfaction with the sports infrastructure assets of the host.
“Edo is a ready-made choice based on all the factors that are necessary to host this kind of big event. We are expecting over 3000 athletes coaches, alongside journalists and technical officials, with an approximate number of people outside spectators in the range of 5000. So, we need facilities that work for the games itself”, Ikpokpo explained.
He commended the Edo State Government for the good state of facilities at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, and promised that the state will be assisted with the renovation of some of the facilities as may be necessary to ensure good competition experience for the athletes.
“I have been to the iconic Ogbe Stadium and must commend the Edo State Government for maintaining the facilities there. We are also considering taking some events to the University of Benin, so that people in that part of the city can also feel and enjoy the fun. Where need be, we will also see how to assist the state and the University of Benin to add value to some of the sporting facilities”.
Dunamis Icon Limited is the franchise rights owner to the games conceived and designed to provide a platform for unity and integration, and identifying and grooming talented youths from the region into national and international stars.
The NDDC as the flagship interventionist agency for the nine states that make up the region, is the prime sponsor of the games as part of their strategic focus on youth engagement and human capital development.
The inspection tour began at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, after a brief meeting with Enabulele and the Sports Commission team at his office.
Areas inspected include the stadium’s main bowl, the tartan track, the state box, the VIP lounges and other key areas like the ceremonial room, the media studio and other indoor facilities.
Other facility locations assessed are the Wire Road Sports Centre being listed to host basketball and volleyball games, the University of Benin Sports Complex, and the Etete Sports Centre.
In the entourage of Dunamis-Icon were the Project Director, Mr Fred Edoreh; Director of Facilities and Equipment, Dr Emmanuel Ochuko Igbigbisie; the head of Communications, Harry Iwuala; Head of Transport and Logistics, Israel Umueri Afoke. Others are Theresa Ineke, Head of Secretariat, Godwin Enakhena, the Head of Scouting, Mr. Edi Lawani, the Head of Culture Affairs and Entertainment and Elder Siegha Porbeni of the Technical Department.
The Edo Sports Commission Chairman was also supported by Hon. Frank Ilaboya and Mrs Sabina Chikere, Executive Directors, with Mr Baldwin Bazuaye (MON) also in the company.
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