Sports
Rivers FA Returns Green As Chairman …Pronounces Wike Grand Patron
The Rivers State Football Association, RSFA, yesterday at their elective congress returned Barrister Christopher Green as its chairman. Green, who has led the association for over three tenures, had no opposition for the position, yet he garnered a total of 21 votes out of 27 possible delegates to retain his office.
Also, the immediate past Vice Chairman, Chief Omineokuma-Kile retained his position. He got 20 votes.
Other Executive Members that were elected into the Board of the FA include Ibigoni Ben-Akobo, 20 votes and Kingsley Woke of Rivers East Senatorial District, Dr Solomon Igbanibo, 21votes of Rivers West Senatorial District, Engr. Ezekiel Oluka 18 votes and Martins Giadom, 21 votes of Rivers East Senatorial District.
Moments before the dissolution of the immediate past executive, Green had, according to the recommendations of the Executive Committee and motions moved on the floor of the congress pronounced the state Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike the Grand Patron of the association.
According to him, though the association had not been receiving sponsorship from the state government, governor Wike had created a conducive environment for football to thrive in the state. He said that the governor in the past four years had succeeded in taking the game to an enviable height within and beyond the shores of the state.
Similarly, the Amanyanabo of Grand Bonny, His Majesty, King Asimini William Dappa-Pepple, Perekule XI was named patron and life member of the association. Green explained that the recognition became inevitable because of the King’s commitment, love and developmental efforts in the game in the state.
It will be recalled that the FA election would have held in December last year but suffered postponement.
Speaking after the exercise yesterday, Green said that they observed all the provisions of their statute and that their parent body, Nigeria Football Federation, NFF was aware of the event. He promised that his re-election would usher in new lease of grassroots developmental activities, particularly, competition in the state.
Gabriel Nwanetanya
Sports
Bundesliga: Kane Scores Hat-Trick As Bayern End Winless Streak
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Sports
Dosu Survives Ghastly Accident, Again
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Sports
Sports Development Going Down In Nigeria – Ex-International
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor