Sports
Rivers Governor’s Cup Kicks Off, Thursday
The 2010 edition of the Rivers State Governors Football Cup competition which has suffered three postponements is set to Commence on the 20th of this month through 17th February.
Enyadike Amadike, the project manager, Deportivo Vandyke Internatioknal Limited, consultants of the tournament disclosed this while fielding questions from sports journalists, shortly after he held a meeting with local government (LGA) representatives and other stake holders in the state at the boardroom of the Alfred Diete-Spiff Sports Complex, Port Harcourt.
According to him, the tournament would not suffer more and the date given is certain for the commencement.
“I must say that the competition will kick-start on that date Thursday this week. The competition, has shifted three times was not a deliberate act but as a result of administrative laxity during the period.
But, we are very certain of this current date you will agree with me that sometimes your programme could be affected by unforeseen circumstance,” Amadike said.
The project manager continued that the 2011 edition would hold at the last quarter of this year because the competition is an annual event, saying that they cannot afford to miss any year.
“This current competition is for 2010 edition, towards the third quarter of this we are sure to hold for 2011.”
Amadike further revealed that the most valuable player (MVP) in the tournament would be awarded scholarship to study abroad and the opportunity to go for football trials outside the shores of Nigeria. He added that Vandyke International Limited have plans to establish football academy in Port Harcourt to promite grassroots football development.
Benjanin Akobo, Secretary, Rivers State Football Association (RSFA) apologised to LGA representatives over the delays, the tournament experienced.
According to him, such has not happened before and pleaded that the LGA should try their best to regroup their players.
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.