Sports
Wike, Obuah Congratulate New SWAN President
Rivers State Governor,
Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has congratulated Honour Sirawoo on his election as the National President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN.
In a congratulatory message to the new SWAN National President, Governor Wike urged him to use his new office to promote professionalism in sports reporting in the country.
The governor described Mr Honour Sirawoo as a committed sports journalist and unionist who has worked hard over the years to develop SWAN.
He commended the membership of SWAN for voting unanimously for the indigene of Rivers State to lead the association to the next level.
Governor Wike urged Mr Sirawoo to live up to the expectations of the membership of SWAN by serving as a worthy ambassador of Rivers State.
In the same vein, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Bro. Felix Obuah has saluted the victory of Honour Sirawoo as National President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).
Bro. Obuah in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam described the victory of Sirawoo as historic, becoming the first person from the South-South geo political zone to be elected SWAN National President.
The PDP Chairman who is also the president, and Sole sponsor of Go-Round Football Club, the 2016 Rivers FA Champions expressed confidence that Sirawoo would do Rivers State proud given his wealth of experience in the sports writing fraternity, having served as Chairman of SWAN in Rivers State as well as National Vice President, South-South Zone.
“I have no doubt whatsoever that this experienced and hard working sports writer would do us proud and justify his choice for the enviable position. Sirawoo’s emergence is one of the best things to happen to Rivers State and I make bold to say he is a square peg in a square hole,” Bro Obuah said.
The PDP Chairman who is also the patron of SWAN said Sirawoo’s SWAN presidency would go a long way in complementing the efforts of Governor Nyesom Wike in promoting sports in the State, stressing that his victory is no doubt a remarkable dividend of Gov Wike’s effective governance and untiring efforts to see that all sectors of the State economy are given deserving attention.
Bro Obuah further expressed joy over Governor Wike’s overwhelming popularity and goodwill which has yielded fruits, adding that Sirawoo’s victory would serve as inspiration to the youths, especially journalists in the State.
He charged the SWAN President to use his wealth of experience to bear on his new responsibility, adding that to whom much is given, much is also expected.
The Rivers PDP Chairman promised maximum support to Mr. Sirawoo to ensure his success.
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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