Sports
‘Self Motivation, Secret Of Rivers Baseball Success’
Recently, Rivers State Baseball team went to Burkina Faso unheralded and return as champions of West Africa with the feat came the ticket to represent the region in the forthcoming World Baseball and Softball competition.
Apparently, the story and journey to success of the Rivers Baseball team was not as rosy and celebrated as their triumphant return.
According to the coach of the team, Jacob Dede Albert, the tennis success story was attributable to the sacrifice self motivation and resilience of his players.
As if the players knew that glory was awaiting them at the end of the tunnel, they showed tremendous determination to soldier on against many odds.
Coach Albert said that when the team was about travelling to Calabar for the national championship, which provided the ticket for the West African Competition, there was no assistance from any quarters.
“The players had to put together their meager personal resources to ensure that the team participated in the national championship in Calabar, when nothing came from anywhere else,” said Albert.
However, the team beat all comers at the national championship to qualify to fly Nigeria’s flag in Burkina Faso during the West Africa Championship.
After qualification, the team made efforts to raise funds for their participation in the regional competition to no avail.
“A letter was written to state government through the Sports Ministry for assistance, but we were told to wait till after the 17th National Sports Festival, which the state was hosting at the time.”
The response was not good enough as the competition was scheduled to commence just a week after the festival, which would have left the team no time to prepare and travel to Burkina Faso.
For fear of missing the competition, the team resolved to embark on the journey at their own discomfort.
Players had to forego food, eating only twice a day in order to save money for the journey, while they trained with inadequate facilities.
Before leaving Port Harcourt for Lagos enroute Burkina Faso, another round of efforts to raise money yielded no result, except for the sum of N30,000 which the state weight-lifting coach, Ojadi Oduche used to assist the team.
“In fact, we were literally abandoned, left to our fate. At a stage, I almost gave up on the trip out of frustration, but the players insisted on continuing, stating that no matter the odds they would attend the competition,” said coach Albert, who has become the new Technical Director of West African Baseball and Softball Union (WABSU).
However, when the team got to Lagos, it was able to get some assistance that enabled it travel to Burkina Faso to fly Nigeria’s flag.
In the competition proper, the resilience, determination and skills of the team shone through as they overcame all opposition to emerge West African Champions.
The team emerged winners as they played Mali, Ivory Coast and Togo to top their group, in a round rubby format and got through semi-final and beat the host Bukina Faso in the final.
Now, the team is preparing to fly the regions flag very high in Japan come November this year.
Coach Albert was happy that the team’s feat has made people to take notice and become aware of the sport.
He appealed to the sports authorities, especially in Rivers State to pay more attention to other sports, especially the ‘lesser sports’ other than football, adding that football was not the sport with the capacity to develop youths and bring glory to the state.
He also challenged coaches not to only depend on government’s sponsorship to attend a competition but to always seek for alternatives.
While expressing gratitude to Ojadi Oduche, Albert said, “my fellow coaches should emulate me and my team, we struggled to be in Burkina Faso but returned with glory. Most times if you wait for government’s sponsorship, you may not attend your competitions.”
Tonye Orabere
The Nigeria Football Federation has defended the recent quarter-finals draw for the 2025 President Federation Cup, saying it was conducted in line with best global practices.
A member of the NFF Executive Committee Board, George Aluo, stated that criticism over venues for the quarterfinals was unfortunate.
Going by the fixtures released on Saturday by the football body, Abakaliki FC will take on Nasarawa United in Benin, Wikki Tourists will clash with Ikorodu City in Bwari, Abuja, Akwa United and Kwara United will fight it out in Enugu, just as Area 3, Abuja, will host the encounter between Rangers International and Plateau United. All matches are scheduled for May 3rd for the emergence of semifinalists in a leg affair.
However, there have been criticisms over the Ikorodu United vs Wikki Tourist tie billed for Abuja, with a section of the press saying the venue is skewed in favour of the Bauchi team.
Aluo, also the Chairman of the Nigeria National League (NNL), said: “Some of our media men need better education, and newsmen should not be like the fans out there on the streets. In the English FA Cup, it is always a one-legged pairing that can see a club like Arsenal host Manchester United at home”.
A new contract that will see Act Sports Di Oyibo Limited managing the career of Nigerian teqball specialist, Victor Oyemade, has been signed in Lagos.
The deal gives exclusive rights to Act Sports to manage, and exercise power of attorney over issues relating to the player’s welfare as it concerns his transactions, engagement for professional, promotional, sponsorships, endorsements, and exhibition purposes.
In signing the document, both parties also agreed that proper safeguards would be put in place to protect and promote the player’s interest at all times.
Director of Act Sports, Di Oyibo Limited, Pastor Samuel Robinson Oyibo, excited about the deal, said it would benefit both parties in the area of spreading the message of the sport, as well as laying a firm foundation for his new client’s future.
“Teqball is one of the world’s fastest-growing ball sports, and Victor Oyemade is the face of the sport here in Nigeria and Africa. That is why we are excited about this partnership that gives Act Sports official authorisation to manage his career, just as it will lay the foundation for its rapid growth in our country,” Pastor Oyibo said.
Oyemade was no less excited about the deal, saying it would help his growth in the sport.
Coaches of Nigeria’s U-18 and U-20 women’s handball teams have released their final lists of 14 players ahead of the IHF Women’s Trophy Zonal Phase, which will be held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, that commenced yesterday to end 24th of this month.
The two teams have been training at the Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba, Lagos, for close to two weeks and departed for the competition on Thursday.
Coach John Uzor of the national U-18 team has included Omole Joy of Defender Babes and her sister Omole Shola alongside Ojie Princess of Funad Academy alongside right back Faisat Balogun in the mix while Success Duru, Chetachi Ngaodurubie of COAS Babes and Sharon Okonkwo make the cut, amongst other players.
In the U-20 team, Coach Shittu Agboola has largely stuck with the players he has been grooming since their U-18 days. The team is led by Captain Chidera Ogbusimba alongside, her Rima Queens teammates the Samuel Sisters, Amina Mohammed and Joy Peters.
Israel-based Rahima Bello, Kehinde Babatunde of ASPAC HBC of Benin Republic and Esther Mathew, who is also based in Benin Republic, keep their places.
Coach Shittu believes his team will make Nigeria proud just as they did previously at the U-18 level.
“I am really upset that Taiwo Babatunde will not be part of the team for this competition as her school, Yaba College of Technology, insisted that they will not release her for national service because of examinations.
“We did everything humanly possible to secure her release and they didn’t care that it is a national service for the interest of Nigeria and the growth of sports. We have other players who are also students and they got a release from their schools but for no tangible reason, Yabatech refused to release Taiwo despite the fact that we did everything possible to secure her release. It’s sad and I hope the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Sports Commission will work in tandem so that schools will support our goal in making Nigeria proud in sporting events”.
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