Sports
Rivers Delivered Excellent Games’
The Federal Public Service Games scheduled to end today in Port Harcourt has been described as an excellent event in all ramifications by participants, especially, athletes, officials and fans.
According to some athletes and officials, Rivers State has been an impeccable host in providing top notch facilities, exciting and friendly ambience and commendable organisation in the 43rd edition of the Games.
Speaking after the volleyball final(men), the captain of Team Education, who beat their Rivers counterparts to the top spot, Adarolex Mgbede said that Port Harcourt had been exciting and interesting in the course of the Games and that he would go home with several experiences and lessons.
“Rivers has done a wonderful job hosting this Games, the facilities are top notch, it’s the best so far. This is my first time here and I must say kudos to Rivers”, he said.
For the Welfare Officer of Team Education, Muibi Charles, Simplified Rivers 2024 is the best he has experienced in FEPSGA in his 15 years of being part of the Games. According to him, “This edition, particularly, the opening ceremony was well organised and the aesthetics gave it an international colouration. Besides, the level of dignitaries that attended the ceremony was a plus, the government of Rivers State has really tried for the public servants in Nigeria by hosting this game”, he stated.
He also declared his willingness to come to the state again if the government wishes to host again. “If the government is ready to host us again, I am sure that over 98 percent of those who were here will like to come again.
The coach of FIRS men’s volleyball team, Yammai Bege Bayern on his part observed that the 43rd edition of the Games showed a remarkable improvement in every aspect and that the standard of the package put on show by Rivers State as hosts played a major role.
“Rivers took the Games to next level by their organisation, especially, the facilities. They tried as hosts, put every facility in place, it has been wonderful. In fact, we least expected what we saw, even at the hospital, particularly, the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, injured athletes were given commendable attention and they did not pay a dime. I will give Rivers, the government and people up to a hundred percent score. If I have the opportunity, I’ll come here 100 times over and over again”.
Gabriel Nwanetanya
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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