Sports
RSG Ready To Partner Firms On Sports Dev
Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, Hon Boma Iyaye has said that the state would be ready to partner with companies, organisations and individuals in the promotion and develop-ment of sports in the state.
Iyaye stated this at the presentation of branded tracksuits to Rivers United by the chairman and proprietor of Ottasolo Football Club of Lagos, Mr Gabriel Davids at the conference room of the Ministry of Sports in Port Harcourt, witnessed by the Permanent Secretary, Sir Honour Sirawoo, and Rivers United officials.
He expressed delight over the gesture and reiterated that the Ministry of Sports was very much interested in partnerships, while pointing out that the donation from Ottasolo is a testimony of how Public and Private Partnership (PPP) can work.
The sports commissioner commended Mr Davids for his immense interest in sports development, especially in terms of branding and ownership of a football club, which he says would go a long way in keeping the youth out of social vices.
According to him, “Government cannot do it all alone, our youth will be able to achieve more if we all come together to give them the platform to perform. I can assure that this is a partnership of a lifetime and it will be very rewarding.
“His Excellency, Governor Wike has established a world-class Real Academy in Port Harcourt, the first of its kind in Africa and we are sure that the products of the academy will contribute positively to sports development in Nigeria.
“I want to commend you and your team for participating in the just concluded Gov Wike Pre-Season Football Tournament. I was impressed by the appearance of Ottasolo and I was elated that an individual could promote football this much and it is being professionally managed.
“I will encourage you with all the assistance I can and collaborate with you in terms of exchange of players and in any other areas you deem fit. The sky will be your limit, you are taking our youth to a different level, more grease to your elbow.”
Also speaking, the General Manager of Rivers United, Chief Okey Kpalukwu commended Mr Davids for his gesture, while stressing that he was proud of their performance during the Gov Wike football tournament.
The chairman and proprietor of Ottasolo FC, Mr. Gabriel Davids said he was moved to do the donation owing to the love and camaraderie showed by the sports commissioner upon his arrival in Port Harcourt.
He stressed that he has a passion for football, in addition to owning a company that supplies jerseys and other associated equipment for the growth and development of sports in Nigeria.
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