Sports
Entertainment Mogul Promises Support To Sports Dev
An entertainment mogul, Donatus Okonkwo, has promised to support the sports industry by creating platforms to aid mentoring of local sportsmen by renowned international sports heroes.
Okonkwo, who spoke to newsmen yesterday in Lagos, said that capital investment in sports would trigger socio-economic activities that would generate resources for economic transformation.
“I have decided to create platforms that will not only mentor talented sportsmen who have passion for a particular sport but showcase them to the world for better opportunities,” he said.
According to him, government and private investors needed to redirect focus to the development of entertainment and sports to create more opportunities for youths to curb other vices.
“We have all it takes to deal with the persistent rise of unemployment and underemployment.
“But over time, we invest in sectors that do not yield resources well enough to either carter for youth or government needs.
“Our streets are littered with jobless but talented sportsmen who will make world records if given the opportunity they truly need to express their gifts.
“Why won’t government invest into sporting facilities that will give opportunity for these sport talents to showcase their skills and attract the rest of the world,” he said.
Okonkwo, also, Chairman, Tettrazzini Group of Companies, added that the role of sports in curbing violence in youths and unifying people from all works of life cannot be over emphasised.
“It is not news saying our government spends heavily purchasing security equipments to keep our streets safe from criminal activities rather than investing in sports development that will deal with restiveness and unemployment.
“If we build sports facilities, it will deal with thuggery, criminality and other forms of restiveness because these guys will be actively engaged in one sport or the other rather than sit idle,’’ he said.
He urged relevant authorities and stakeholders to create enabling environment for foreign and private investors to thrive in reinstating sports to its heights.
Tidespsorts gathered that Zzini Media will be hosting famous world boxing champion and boss of The Money Team (TMT), Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr in Nigeria and Ghana for his hospitality and mentoring tour.
The Africa tour which is billed to kick off from June 12 to June 14, will include FCT, Lagos, Anambra States after which the next point of call will be Accra, Ghana.
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.
-
Featured5 days agoWASSCE: RSG Distributes Science Materials To Secondary Schools
-
News5 days ago
Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Lives More Important Than Foreign Investment – Oshiomhole
-
Rivers5 days ago
MBA Forex Trial Adjourn To June 3, Amid Bereavement … As Court Declines Cost Application
-
News5 days ago
ActionAid Demands Probe Of Govs Using Public Funds For Campaign
-
Aviation5 days ago
Passengers Stranded As Delta Airline From Atlanta Route Back Eight Hours After
-
Business5 days ago
Customs Impound N2.35bn Cocaine, 15 Trailers of Rice
-
Politics5 days ago
2027: Bayelsa Senator Gets Critical Endorsement For Second Term
-
Politics5 days agoINEC Sets Rivers South-East Senatorial By-Election For June 20