Sports
AFCON 2013: Envoy Assures On Nigeria’s Image
The Consul-General of Nigeria’s Mission to South Africa, Mr Okey Emuchay, has vowed that Nigeria will not lose hope in its effort at improving its image that has been dented abroad.
Emuchay said this in Johannesburg while receiving members of the Nigeria Football and Other Sports Supporters Club, led by its President-General, Dr Rafiu Oladipo.
No fewer than 500 members of the club have converged in South Africa to cheer the Super Eagles to victory at the ongoing 29th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Consul-General noted that Nigeria had been facing image problems in South Africa and indeed other countries in southern Africa because of changes in the political leaderships in the countries in the region.
“The older generations of politicians in Southern Africa, who knew Nigeria’s contributions toward their struggle for emancipation from colonialism are leaving the stage for the younger ones.
“The likes of Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki who struggled for freedom are leaving the stage for the younger ones, who do not know much about the role of Nigeria during their struggles,’’ he said.
He, however, pointed out that it was ironical that it was mainly the black South Africans that had been painting Nigeria black, stressing that the white South Africans had been busy establishing businesses both home and abroad.
“The majority of South Africans on business missions to Nigeria were mainly white South Africans. The white South Africans are making more money in Nigeria through establishing of businesses,’’ he said.
According to him, the issue of image laundering is a collective effort, stressing that it behoves every Nigerian to continue to project the image of the country positively to the outside world.
Emuchay said that Nigeria’s image problem had nothing to do with its population, but strictly a leadership problem.
He commended the club in its efforts at rebuilding the good image of the country, saying Nigerians were aware of the positive roles being played by the club.
The Consul-General urged Oladipo not to be intimidated by the negative image being projected of the country at present, saying that the club should continue to create a positive image for the country at home and abroad.
Earlier, Oladipo said that the country was facing infrastructure problems at home, saying that something concrete needed to be done to improve the situation.
Oladipo said that Nigerians were known to be hardworking and patriotic but that only a collective effort of leaders as well as followers would help to re-build the nation.
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.
-
Business2 days ago
Minister Asures On Blue Economy Policy
-
Rivers2 days agoImmunization: Rivers Records Decrease In Women, Infant Mortality … As OPTS Donates Cold Chain Refrigerators To PHCMB
-
Business2 days ago
AWAEMP Seeks Transformative Policies To Boost Nigeria’s Exports
-
Business2 days ago
Monarch Tasks PHCCIMA On Strong Business Ties
-
Sports2 days ago
Delta Ethnic Cup Goes Beyond fostering unity, Peace
-
Business2 days ago
Ogoni Rejects NNPC-Sahara OML11 Deal … Wants FG’s Intervention
-
Rivers2 days ago
RSG Gives Illegal Dump Sight Operators Quit Notice
-
Sports2 days ago
Bayelsa tasks athletes to surpass NSF records