Sports
C’ River Reaps From Super Eagles, Sports
The people of Cross Rivers State, especially, residents of the capital, Calabar are counting their gains from hosting the country’s national team, Super Eagles in their qualifiers for the 2013 Nations Cup and 2014 World Cup.
Last weekend, shortly after the Super Eagles defeated Rwanda 2-0 to qualify for the next round of the nations cup qualifiers, most residents of Calabar were seen celebrating the victory for other reasons more than football.
In an interview, some of them disclosed that the coming of the Super Eagles and indeed other sporting events to the city have become a blessing for them.
A businessman, who runs a drinking joint close to the U.J Esuene Stadium Etim Eyo, said that sporting events, especially, Super Eagles matches have impacted positively on their economy.
According to him, he has been making more than thrice his normal sales on match days and a day before.
He said that apart from business, he has also been able to make friends with people from other parts of the country.
Another resident, who was at the stadium to watch the match live, Willie Etukudo, said that sporting activities had brought some warm aura and attraction to the city.
“We now look forward to weekends for one sporting activity or the other, especially, the Super Eagles matches. The hotels are in business and our state and city are becoming more open to the world. We are happy that our tourism value is appreciating”, he said.
Sports journalist, Michael Egbala told Tidesports that with Calabar hosting the Super Eagles, a window has been opened for the state and indeed the South-South region to show case themselves and improve their organizational savvy
The residents were unanimous in lauding the state governor, Senator Linel Imoke for attracting and sustaining national and international sporting events in the state.
They however, appealed that subsequent Eagles’ matches should be made affordable by reducing the gate fees, especially, for the popular stand.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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