Sports
Mixed reactions Trail RSG’s Reward To Festival Athletes
The recent award ceremony organised by Rivers State Government at the Alfred Diete Spiff athletes and coaches who won medals at the 16th National Sports Festival held in Kaduna tagged “KADA 2009” has started to receive mixed reactions. In his reactions, John Senibo, popularly known as Big John who featured in boxing event said that the value of the reward from the government would only discourage athletes in the state. According to him, it is far below the expectations of the athletes. “As far as I am concerned, this award or reward, anything they chose to call it, is discouraging because it is far below the expectations of the athletes, after all, most states who gave much more to their athletes are not as rich as our state”, he said. Big John added the most painful part was that government deliberately neglected and refused to reward those that did not win medals after all the sufferings most athletes went through in Kaduna . “It is very painful and annoying that the state ignored those who participated in the festival. It is not fair at all, at least they would have given them something, no matter how small in order to encourage them. You and I know that some persons lost their lives while competing in some of the events.” he stated. He continued that the state which is preparing to host the 17th edition of the NSF next year would have used the opportunity to encourage and motivate the athletes. Big John, who is also the state Amateur Boxing Champion used the forum to call on Sports council to provide boxing gym and kits to enable boxers train well in preparation for the NSF next year. The Chief coach of Karate Association, Kingsley Okwelle, popularly known as Grand Master, in reaction thanaked the government for fulfilling its promises. According to him, the gesture would spur the athletes to do more in subsequent competitions, especially the forthcoming sports festival. “I thanked God today and feel very happy, because government has finally rewarded the athletes that made the state proud, I know that this gesture would encourage them to do more.” He said. In his reaction, the chairman of Amatuer Atheltic Assocation (AAA) Chief Nemi Adoki, said he observed that the athletes were not happy, perhaps they felt the award ceremony was overdue and the reward too small for such a national competition. He expressed hope that the reward would encourage them to put in more effort in next year’s national sports festival to be hosted by the state. The Secretary to the State government Hon. Magnus Abe, who represented the governor at the award ceremony, advised athletes to see the reward as an appreciation for what they have done. Hon. Abe, advised them to take their sports seriously to enable them become the best in their various events. He said that what government did was to encourage them to do more. He further said that “there is no sports today that would not make you rich, so long as you are the best in that particularly event. “What government has given to you today will not make you a rich man or woman. What you need is to put in your best to make you be the best. “Those sportsmen you hear that are millionaries did not start one day they have start long ago”. he said. The athletes who were initially promised a scholarship blank cheque to any level at any part of the world especially, for gold medalists were rewarded with the cash prize of N300,000, N200,000 and N150,000 for gold, silver and bronze medal runners, respectively.
Tonye Orabere
Hon Dike who spoke with sports journalists shortly after the flag off the 2024 edition of Chairman’s Football Unity Tournament at Botem Tai in Tai LGA, said the tournament is an annual event to promote peace and unity in Tai as well identify budding talents in the area for global competition.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was more like a carnival was witnessed by huge crowd including prominent indigenes of Ogoni Kingdom, sports lovers and people from all works of life.
The LGA boss revealed that special sports committee will be setup in the area to work out modalities to strengthen sports development in Tai.
He advised the participants in the tournament from various wards in the LGA to play the game by the rules and conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and use the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Hon Dike further disclosed that his administration will also give priority attention to skills development among the youth to enhance their human capacity and promote enterprise development in the area.
Earlier in his address the Chairman of Tai LGA Football Council, Elder Wisdom Gorgor said the annual football competition has been a unifying factor in Tai LGA that need to be sustained to forge more unity and development in the area.
He urged the participants to see the competition as an opportunity to embrace football as a full career and earn sustainable livelihood.
Elder Gorgor who commended the Chairman of Tai LGA, Hon Dike for his visionary leadership and tremendous development achievements recorded in the LGA under his administration, appealled to the Chairman to build a Mini Sports Stadium in the area to promote sporting activities.
The training was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court in Kano last Saturday.
According to the Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, the event was part of the league’s commitment to growing broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country.
“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game,” Abudu said.
“Nigeria has a rich basketball history and abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game. We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people around the country,” she added.
The 2024 basketball initiative clinics of NBA Nigeria also included the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA elite camp for 150 boys and age-16 girls held at the American International School in Lagos in July.
Others include the NBA’s building of 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade, Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City held last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, held in November.
Central to this vision is the federation’s investment in capacity building, evident in the just-concluded one-week Level 1 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Coaching Course, which marked a significant milestone for Nigerian badminton.
Held in Abuja, the course brought together 13 young coaches from across Nigeria. The last time such a course was held in the country was in 2017, making this a historic and transformative step.
The training was facilitated by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and conducted by Dr. Ahmed Radah, the BCA Development Manager.
Radah, impressed by the talent he witnessed, praised Nigeria’s potential.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense talent and a strong badminton tradition. I believe this country has what it takes to dominate on the global stage,” he remarked.