Sports
YSFON Secretary Seeks Support For Youth Competition
The pioneer Secretary of Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON), Rivers State Chapter, Collins Kemka Wejinya has called on the state government and corporate bodies to come to the aid of the organisation to enable them achieve set objectives.
He also commended participants of this year’s youth football competition going on at the Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt.
Wejinya in an interview said that the programme covered all youth clubs in the 23 local government areas of Rivers State from under 12-Under 18 categories.
“This programme covers all youths football clubs of Under 12- Under 18 categories within the 23 local government areas in Rivers State,” Wejinya said.
He lauded the gesture of the donor, Chief Sampson Ovua, JP, for alleviating the constraints experienced in the past competitions, especially when we were in the old Rivers State.
“In the past we used to have some constraints but now those have been crushed. Chief Sampson Ovua JP, graciously donated six trophies and other gift items for the participants such as, cash award to respective winners in each category, medals, soccer diploma certificates and T-shirts.
“This is the first time an individual is sponsoring such a competition of this magnitude since our separation from our sister state (Bayelsa),” Collins told Tidesports.
On the side of assistance from the Rivers State Government, Wejinya said he was appreciative over the release of Sharks Stadium for the competition by the state government. He however, appealed to both thestate and local governments through the Commissioner for Sports, Hon Fred Igwe, for financial support in subsequent competitions in the state.
“The appeal is this, we have two clubs in the premier division (Sharks and Dolphins), 80 per cent of the players came under the tutelage of Youths Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON). For example, players like Imama Amapakabo, Odinga Odinga and others were all graduates of YSFON. Sooner or later some of these players of Rivers State origin will be ageing out, it is the state YSFON that will be the breeding ground for the replacement of any worn-out players of Sharks and Dolphins Football clubs,” Collins said.
He also re-affirmed that in order to keep the youths off the street, government in all levels should endeavour to assist the appropriate body that is charged with the responsibility of developing sports for the youths in the state.
Gold Monday
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor