Sports
Rivers Sports Council Mourns Former Speaker
The Rivers State Sports Council is in morning over the recent death of former Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tonye Harry, who was also the Chairman Rivers State Tennis Association and Deputy President, Nigeria tennis Federation.
The Board, Management, Chairman of Sports Associations and Staff of the Sports Council on Friday visited the family house of the late lawmaker in Port Harcourt to commiserate with his family members over their untimely loss.
Condoling with the widow and family, members of late Harry, leader of the delegation and Chairman of the Councils Board, Hon. Charles Paul noted that the death of Tonye Harry was a big blow not only to his family but to the Sports council and Sports world.
According to Hon. Paul, late Harry was key to the success story of Rivers State and the Sports Council, especially, in tennis. He single handedly ran the Tonye Harry Foundation and sponsors young tennis players to realize their potentials.
“He has been nice to us and sponsors tennis, which association he chaired and personally sponsored our athletes to represent the state at various levels”, he said.
The Chairman further said that his commitment to youth and Sports development was second to none and prayed that his legacies, especially, the Foundation be sustained.
He prayed for peace and God’s protection for his family.
“It is our prayer that God will continue to be with the family, gibe them and us the fortitude to bear the loss”.
He further urged the family to ensure peace in the home and see that the widow and children were not persecuted.
He promised to see that the council and the family liaise with the Foundation to immortalize late Harry with the annual tennis competition he used to organize.
Speaking on behalf of the family late Harry’s brother, Tamunotein E.W. Harry said that the late Lawmaker organiswed himself and family very well and assured that peace would continue to reign in the family.
Also speaking moments later, the Director of sports in the State, Sir Daobu Harry described the State Tennis Association Chairman as everything to the Sports Council. He recalled that in the past three National Sports festivals, the late Harry sponsored the tennis association single-handedly and nurtured players to win medals for the state.
“He has contributed a lot to the State’s overall achievement at the National Sports festival and beyond. We’re really lost a sportsman, philanthropist, sponsor and an administrator”, said the Director of Sports.
The Chairman of Handball association, Kwashi Thompson on behalf of Sports association Chairman described late Harry as a sports reform and a strong pillar who came through the ranks.
“He truly embedded in the promotion of sports, especially, tennis, without Tonye, there was no tennis in Rivers State, it is going to be a herculean task trying to fill the vacuum his death has created, you can understand what that means”, said Thompson.
He urged people, especially, those that are well-to-do to emulate his sports philanthropy and commitment.
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