Sports
Tobi, Others Win Sunmonu Golf Tourney
The second edition of the
Mutiu
Sunmonu Golf Tournament has ended in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital,
with Bunyak Lunyong, emerging overall winner.
Lunyong grabbed the coveted trophy and other prizes, after
playing handicap 11 and scoring gross 67 and nett 56.
Other winners in the various categories are the former
deputy governor of the state, Sir Gabriel Toby, who took home a trophy as the
first in the VIP Category, with Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Gas, Toyin
Adenuga following in the second position.
Patrick Ojoniyi was honoured as the best in the Invited
Guests Category along with other two players, just as Shina Luwoye and Chuka
Akukwe led the pack as runner up and second runner up in the Sponsors
Category.
The tournament, which held last Saturday at the Rumuokurusi
Golf Course, Shell Residential Area, in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area,
attracted professional and amateur golfers from across the Niger Delta region.
Speaking at the presentation of prizes to winners of the
tournament, Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi commended Mutiu
Sunmonu, who is also the managing director, Shell Petroleum Development Company
(SPDC), his wife, Funke, and their friends for sponsoring the golf event in
Port Harcourt, especially for agreeing to institutionalise the tournament as an
annual one-stop-shop for professionals and amateurs to take some time out to
exhibit their talents, relax and share experiences.
Amaechi said that
successful hosting of the event, just like others held at the Rumuokurusi Golf
Course in the recent time, has shown the significant progress made in restoring
law and order and security in the state, and hoped that the tournament would
soon become a permanent feature in national golf calendar.
Speaking, Managing Director, SPDC, Mutiu Sunmonu, thanked
his friends for standing by him and working round the clock to make the tournament
possible in spite of the difficulties occasioned by the heavy rains and
flooding in some parts of the state.
Sunmonu said that without their support, the tournament
would not have been possible, and promised to continue to do his best to ensure
the sustainability of the event in Shell Golf Club calendar.
Also speaking, the club Captain, Mr Shina Luwoye, lauded the
managing director for his untainted leadership, saying that the golf statement
was just a way of honouring his friendship, humility, exemplary character and
the legacy he has left in the lives of many.
Luwoye thanked golfers from across the Niger Delta, who
turned up to honour the Shell Nigeria chair, and promised that determination of
the team to boost the quality and clout of the tournament as a means of
attracting more sponsors and participants.
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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