Sports
Sports Dev: SWAN Thumbs Up RSG’s Commitment
A Rangers player (left) in contest with an opponent in a league match
The National Full Coun
cil meeting of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) has commended the Rivers State Governor, Barrister Nyesom Wike and his administration for the commitment and support demonstrated within a short period towards national sports development and the welfare of Rivers athletes and players.
SWAN made the commendation in a communiqué released at the end of its 2015, National Full Council meeting tagged Rivers 2015 held at the Ernest Ikoli (NUJ) Press Centre, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt last week.
The four days event was the second time the state would host the meeting in recent history.
SWAN in the communiqué also thanked Chief Wike, his government and the good people of the state for their magnanimity and hospitality shown in hosting the meeting.
The Full Council meeting raised concern over the non-payment of salaries and entitlements due sports men and women engaged by various governmental and corporate organizations as well as individual sports club owners and called on their employers to pay up these arrears to reduce the hardship on Nigeria’s sports men and women.
The meeting also noted that the tendency for conflict between the office of the Minister of Sports/Chairman, National Sports Commission, and the office of the Director General of the National Sports Commission, and called on the government to come clear on what structure it wants to use in administrating sports between the ministry system and the commission system with a view to eliminate conflicts and ensuing order in the administration of sports.
It also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that persons who may be appointed to administer Nigeria Sports are distinguished technocrats with the passion, professionalism, experience and competence in sports management.
It called on the National Assembly to expedite action in the consideration and passage of various bills on sports as this will help in solving some of the problems militating against the administration and development of sports in the country.
The meeting wished all athletes to the Brazzaville 2015 All Africa games a successful outing at the continental event and called on Nigerians to pray for them.
It called on Nigerian athletes and administrators to begin now to prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games.
SWAN called on the Cross Rivers State Government and the National Sports Commission to re-engage themselves with view to restoring the programe of the National Sports Festival and by extension of the national sports calendar which appears to have come to Jeopardy after the last festival in Lagos.
Nigeria Football Federation, NFF and the League management company LMC were commended for the improvements they have brought to bear on Nigeria domestic football, especially, the premier League, and urged our sports administrators not to relent in their efforts.
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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