Sports
Commissioner Lauds Obuah Over Support For Rivers United
Rivers Sports Commissioner, Boma Iyaye, has showered encomiums on the founder of Go-Round Football Club and sports philanthropist, Bro Felix Obuah, over his continued support to Rivers United.
According to him, Bro Obuah’s actions are testimonies of genuine love for sports development and particularly, for the State government-owned Rivers United.
Rivers United has benefitted from Obuah’s financial promises after he tasked the team to win matches in the ongoing CAF Confederation Cup and get rewarded.
Iyaye gave the commendation at Omoku, Rivers State, when he led a team that included the Permanent Secretary, Sir Honour Sirawoo; officials and players of Rivers United, supporters club, amongst others, on a thank you visit to Obuah.
The commissioner described Obuah’s gesture as unparalleled in the history of the state, stressing that outside the Rivers State Government, no other individual has done that much for the team.
He seized the opportunity to laud Governor Wike, whom he said recently donated a 54-seater luxurious bus to Rivers United in line with his undiluted support for the club; emphasising that with such a support-base, the team have no other choice but to make Rivers people proud.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Sir Honour Sirawoo, commended Bro Obuah for his exemplary commitment to the cause of Rivers people, pointing out that his efforts for the team would not be in vain.
Sir Sirawoo stressed that though, the Rivers State government was providing all necessary support for the club, encouragement from well-spirited Rivers people will serve as a further tonic.
The General Manager of Rivers United, Okey Kpalukwu, Technical Manager, Stanley Eguma, team Captain, Festus Austin, and chairman, Rivers United Supporters Club, Franklin Owhor, all praised the uncommon love for the team by Obuah.
Responding, Bro Obuah commended the Rivers State Governor and Power of Sports (POS) Africa, Barr Nyesom Wike, for giving the team all required support to excel so far in the continent and local league.
While downplaying his gesture to the team, he stressed that he was just doing it out of his love for good football, stressing that the team is a reflection of the unity that the State should continue to enjoy and therefore needed to be encouraged.
He tasked the team to do all within its powers to win the CAF Confederation Cup for the State and country, with the belief that the government will reward them, knowing the antecedents of Governor Wike.
He announced the sum of N2 million should the team defeat Enyimba in Aba, as well as N200,000 for each goal scored.
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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