Sports

Royal Father Tasks Govt On Sports Dev

Published

9 years ago

October 12, 2016

A Sports Philanthropist
and royal father in Rivers State, Eze Sylvanus Adima Ogbueri, has charged the three tiers of government and all stakeholders in the sector to harness the full potentials which abound in Nigeria sports.
Ogbueri who is the Onwa of Omuma and founder of Onwa Essence Football Club, said the world has so much space for Nigerian youth in all spheres of sports events but regretted that the potential young energies were being allowed to spill over to anti-social activities.
The royal father who spoke to The Tidesports in an interview yesterday stressed the need for the 23 local government areas in Rivers State to give sports especially, soccer a priority.
According to him, apart from agriculture, sports remain a lucrative sector to engage the youth.
He said: “it will give the talented youngmen and women opportunity to excel, earn fabulous income as well as foreign exchange for the country”.
While commending the Rivers State Governor, Barr. Nyesom Wike for initiating the amnesty programme, Eze Ogbueri urged the governor to develop a blue print for sports development in the state.
According to him, some of the youth who surrendered arms because of the programme would be immediately engaged in meaningful activities as sports to avoid relapse which is dangerous for their future.
“Each of the 23 local government areas must have soccer clubs to compete in the state and from the tournament, the state would be producing talents to take over so much space in the globe because soccer rules the modern world, he stated.
Ogbueri who presented three trophies at the “All Primary and Secondary Schools Sports competition in Omuma”, held recently, said he would continue to appreciate and support sports development.
“Sports means unity, sports means employment, sports means wealth creation and it also engenders peacefull development in any society, hence I will never stop investing in sports”, he said.
Eze Ogbueri charged youth to take advantage of agriculture and sports to make their marks in life and to shun anti-social activities as cultism, violence, kidnapping, armed robbery.
While lauding Governor Wike for the amnesty initiative, Ogbueri urged the Governor to help find ways of engaging those who surrendered their arms.

Chris Oluoh/Obusele Mirian

Sports

Iwobi Optimistic On S’Eagles Qualification

Published

24 hours ago

November 3, 2025

The Tide

Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi says the Super Eagles will qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, declaring that Nigeria have the players and abilities to compete against any country in the world.

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.

Sports

ATLANTICBELL CEO ADVICE SPORTS WRITERS ON SPECIALIZATION

Published

24 hours ago

November 3, 2025

The Tide

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.

He stated that in spite the fact that sports journalists are doing greatly in the country but hardly find any sports journalist that specializes on a particular sport reporting and become an authority, as it obtainable in advance countries.

Mr. Ogolo , who was the former Chairman of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Rivers State Chapter, said this after he received the Veteran Sports Journalist Award, during the SWAN @60 Diamond jubilee award night, in Abuja on Friday.

According to him, sports journalists have done tremendously well in sports development through effective and efficient reportage.

“SWAN has done greatly to develop sports in Nigeria, so they should be given its rightful place.

“Members should continue to do what they are doing, Nigerians are sports loving people when you give them facts and accurate reporting they will be happy, besides, sports writers have a big role to play in advancement of sports in Nigeria”, Mr. Ogolo said.

The former General Manager of Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, publishers of The TIDE Newspapers, used the opportunity to express his profound gratitude to the National Executive Council (NEC) of SWAN for the award.

He explained that the award is one of the most important and special awards he has received, hence it came from his primary constituency as a journalist.

” I am not just happy but overwhelmed. This award will spur me to contribute more in development of sports and I we equally support SWAN Rivers State Chapter in my little way” he stated.

By: Tonye Orabere

Sports

DEPUTY PRESIDENT EXPRESSES COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT SPORTS DEV, SWAN

Published

24 hours ago

November 3, 2025

The Tide

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.

He stated that the sports writing fraternity is where he cannot forget as a sports journalist that starts from the grassroots.

Mr. Nyong said this while presiding over South South SWAN zonal meeting of Chairmen and Secretaries, including some elders in the zone, on Friday, in Abuja.

He explained what led to his suspension and sue unity and peace amongst members, saying that what happened should be a thing of the past, as he was actually misled and deceived.

The Deputy National President reiterated his commitment to work with Cyril Dum Wite led administration in Rivers State Chapter of SWAN, saying that SWAN is one and there should be no division of any such.

He reels out ideas that can make SWAN viable and enviable in the zone.

“I want peace and unity amongst members of the association in the zone, we are one family, let us work as family. Thank God I am back fully, members of the zone will enjoy the association”, Mr. Nyong said.

Also speaking the Vice President of SWAN south south zone, Azuka Chiemeka, thanked members that attended the meeting and also advised members to work in peace, unity and love with others members to achieve positive result.

It will be recalled Bonny Nyong was suspended in Full council meeting held in Kano following what can be described as misconduct, but was forgiven and his suspension was lifted after he apologised to Full council members in a meeting, held in Abuja, during SWAN@60 celebrations.

By: Tonye Orabere