Sports
RSG Seeks Shell’s Partnership In Sports Dev
Rivers State Government, has solicited the support of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and other corporate bodies in fast-tracking sports development in the state.
The state Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who made the appeal last Saturday while teeing-off the 2011 edition of the Shell Golf Tournament at the Golf Club, Shell Residential Area, Port Harcourt, commended the company for contributing to the development of sports personalities and infrastructure, and called on potential investors to take advantage of the conducive business climate and guaranteed security by investing in the state.
Represented by the Sports Commissioner, Hon Fred Igwe, the state governor said only a strategic partnership between the government and corporate organisations can deliver the desired quality infrastructure and excellence in sports competitions by the state contingents.
Amaechi lauded Shell for sponsoring the golf tournament over the years, and stressed that the platform provided by the event has helped to boost friendship peace and mutual understanding amongst residents of the state expecially those working in the oil and gas industry.
He restated that through such partnerships sustainable development would be achieved as healthy citizenry would be available, while employment opportunities would also be created for both indigenes and non-indigenes alike.
The governor noted that because of the guaranteed security situation, the state has recorded successes in different areas of sports specially hosting of the 17th National Sports Festival and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) sports competition, among others.
The state chief executive said that it was in a bid to boost sports infrastructure as a veritable instrument of fostering peace, development, progress, and a healthy citizenry that the government embarked on the construction of the Adokiye Amasiemaka Sports Complex, and other world –class sports facilities in the state.
Speaking, Managing Director, SPDC, Mutiu Summonu, said the annual Shell Golf tournament was one of the company’s modest contributions to the development aspirations of the state, and promised the readiness of the company to key into the government’s overall development agenda for the benefit of its citizenry.
Sunmonu, who was represented at the occasion by the Vice President, HSE and Corporate Affairs, Shell Sub-Saharan Africa. Tony Attah, said that the golf championship was but one of the numerous sports competitions sponsored by the company in the Niger Delta to build capacity, foster friendship across industry borders and promote peace and harmony.
More than 100 golfers across the country, including staff of the Major Oil and gas companies operating in the region as well as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), participated in the two-day tournament, which saw both amateur and professional male and female players compete for honours.
Nelson Chukwudi
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
