Sports
Para-Soccer At 30: Lagos To Host Polio Day Championship
The Para-soccer Federation of Nigeria will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Nigeria-invented game at the 6th Para-soccer World Polio Day Championship in Lagos from October 18 to October 25, says the federation’s President, Musbau Didi.
Didi made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen Abuja.
Tidesports source reports that October 24 has been declared by United Nations (UN) as World Polio Day to remind the world of the danger in Poliomyelitis which affects children from 0-5 years and how to kick it out of the human world.
Tidesports source also reports that Nigeria is almost out of the polio endemic countries through sustained advocacy and vaccination by the government and donor organisations, especially, Rotary International.
According to Didi, the choice of Lagos for the 2018 edition is to celebrate three decades of para-soccer and to sustain the sensitisation of the public across the six geo-political zones on the need to fully kick out polio.
“Survivors of poliomyelitis are spread across the country and we are using the championship to achieve our goals at a time.
“We use the annual competition to sensitise the public on the consequences of polio attack on their children. Also, to show the world that survivors can still engage in any healthy sport peculiar to them.
“Coincidentally, para-soccer was invented by myself and few other polio survivors in Lagos 30 years ago, and it has been gaining popularity till date and hopefully, it will soon become an continental sport.
“It is already being embraced in Ghana and others are still coming, which shows that polio survivors around the world are willing to be united through sports like their able-bodied counterparts,” he said.
On how the game has developed over the last three decades, the federation’s president said it had been continuously evolving.
“In the last 30 years, para-soccer has become a national sport in Nigeria where paraplegic persons in all the states now compete with each other.
“Through our commitment to development of the game, we now have a national league like any other sport in the world.
“Also, we now have zonal leagues which makes it possible to engage our athletes as professional players, many of them are being employed by state governments because they are good players.
“Para-soccer is just being included in the National Sports Festival (NSF) for the fourth time which is one of the requirements for it’s inclusion as a continental sport.
“I thank Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung for considering our inclusion, and I also thank the Permanent Secretary of the ministry,” he said.
Port Harcourt the capital city of Rivers State will be at the centre stage in Nigeria as Port Harcourt Arsenal Community will hold her maiden edition of Football Fans Fiesta (FFF).
The Fiesta scheduled to hold on the 13th December, 2025, at Eddiz wine bar GRA, promises to be all football fans carnival in the State , as there will be a lot of fanfares.
The Coordinator of Port Harcourt Arsenal Community (PHAC), Ugochukwu Oputa has said that the forthcoming Football Fans Fiesta was basically to promote peace, unity and love among football fans in irrespective of the cub.
He stated that sports is a catalyst to bring peace, love and Unity in any given society, hence the occasion was initiated.
Oputa said this in an interview with sports journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, saying that arrangements are on top gear for a successful programme.
” This event is for all football fans irrespective of your club. It is basically to promote peace, love and Unity among fans.
“It is like stating the obvious that football is the catalyst of peace and unity in the world. So the Port Harcourt Arsenal Community want to use this avenue to bring people together and foster friendship.
“There is no gate fee, but it is expected to put on jersey of your club as to make the event look unique” Oputa said.
The Coordinator used the forum to advice football fans in the world to love one another, and equally urged fans that will attend the occasion to be of good conduct and behaviour.
Tonye Orabere
Consistent with its project execution routine, Dunamis-Icon Limited, Project Consultants of the Niger Delta Games, has concluded the first phase of physical inspection and evaluation of facilities for the event, 24 hours after the presentation of the hosting right to Edo State was performed.
The project management team was guided round select facilty locations in Benin City by Desmond Amadin Enabulele, Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, and the team leader, Sir Itiako Ikpokpo expressed satisfaction with the sports infrastructure assets of the host.
“Edo is a ready-made choice based on all the factors that are necessary to host this kind of big event. We are expecting over 3000 athletes coaches, alongside journalists and technical officials, with an approximate number of people outside spectators in the range of 5000. So, we need facilities that work for the games itself”, Ikpokpo explained.
He commended the Edo State Government for the good state of facilities at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, and promised that the state will be assisted with the renovation of some of the facilities as may be necessary to ensure good competition experience for the athletes.
“I have been to the iconic Ogbe Stadium and must commend the Edo State Government for maintaining the facilities there. We are also considering taking some events to the University of Benin, so that people in that part of the city can also feel and enjoy the fun. Where need be, we will also see how to assist the state and the University of Benin to add value to some of the sporting facilities”.
Dunamis Icon Limited is the franchise rights owner to the games conceived and designed to provide a platform for unity and integration, and identifying and grooming talented youths from the region into national and international stars.
The NDDC as the flagship interventionist agency for the nine states that make up the region, is the prime sponsor of the games as part of their strategic focus on youth engagement and human capital development.
The inspection tour began at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, after a brief meeting with Enabulele and the Sports Commission team at his office.
Areas inspected include the stadium’s main bowl, the tartan track, the state box, the VIP lounges and other key areas like the ceremonial room, the media studio and other indoor facilities.
Other facility locations assessed are the Wire Road Sports Centre being listed to host basketball and volleyball games, the University of Benin Sports Complex, and the Etete Sports Centre.
In the entourage of Dunamis-Icon were the Project Director, Mr Fred Edoreh; Director of Facilities and Equipment, Dr Emmanuel Ochuko Igbigbisie; the head of Communications, Harry Iwuala; Head of Transport and Logistics, Israel Umueri Afoke. Others are Theresa Ineke, Head of Secretariat, Godwin Enakhena, the Head of Scouting, Mr. Edi Lawani, the Head of Culture Affairs and Entertainment and Elder Siegha Porbeni of the Technical Department.
The Edo Sports Commission Chairman was also supported by Hon. Frank Ilaboya and Mrs Sabina Chikere, Executive Directors, with Mr Baldwin Bazuaye (MON) also in the company.
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