Sports
RSG Restates Commitment To Sports Dev
The Permanent Secretary
of Rivers State Ministry of Sports, Dr Emmanuel Alex-Hart has reconfirmed the State Government commitment to sports development at all levels in the state.
The Permanent Secretary said, the ministry will not relent on its role in sports and educationals as tools for the development of youth of the state since education is a bed rock for national development.
He stated this while receiving a first stroke outboard engine for use to ease transportation needs of students and management of the Rivers State Sports Institute Isaka from Steag Encotec West Africa Ltd yesterday in his office.
He applauded SEWA for coming forward to provide the engine for use on the waterway where the sports institute is situated. “This engine will go a long way by easing the logistics needs of students and staff of the institute who frequents the waterway that separate the institution from the state capital.
The Director of SEWA, Mr Stanley Obia, said the provision of the boat engine was part of its contribution because the company recognizes the immense role sports play in society.
“We appreciate the important role sports play in society. As a way to boost this role, we were motivated to ease the difficulty students and management encounter in attending school at the sports institute.
The Director of the Institute, Mr J J Kio, expressed gratitude for the kind gesture of SEWA . “This is answer to prayers. Many staff and student face challenges of coming to the school because of transportation across the rivers. This engine will go a long way to ease transportation,” he said and promised to use the engine properly.
Members of the institution will be among first Nigerians to use the newly introduced first stroke outboard engine on the nations waterway.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.