Sports
Coach Canvases For Grassroots Football Dev
The Head Coach of Urime Football Club of Port Harcourt, Lucky Batubo has said that grassroots football in Rivers State was not given proper attention.
He stated that best way to promote and develop grassroots football is to organise different age grade competition.
Batubo made the assertion, in an exclusive interview with Tidesports, yesterday after a training session at number one field, Old Port Harcourt township.
“In term of grassroots football development in Nigeria, Rivers State is not part, but Lagos, Edo, Delta and other few states are actually doing well.
We are trying in Rivers State but we are not there yet” Batubo stated.
According to him, in 1980s there were a lots of tournaments of different age grades.
“In my days in school we used to play shell cup and you see every student very busy to partake in the competition. But today you hardly see Competition of that kind” he said.
He equally said that more attention should be given to grassroots football, by organising different age grade Competitions among the youth.
” If that happened they will not have time to involve themselves into negative activities” he stated.
Coach Batubo noted that, the only excited competition in the state is the FA Cup and the League Competition, saying that, how would the U 12-13 grow in the leather game when they lack tournament.
“Grassroots football is dying everyday because after training no competition for them to showcase their talent” he narrated.
By: Kiadum Edookor
Vice president of the Nigeria Olympics Committee (NOC), Chief Solomon Ogba, foremost Sports Marketer and founder of Okpekpe Road Race, Mike Itemuagbor and top Sports Journalist and Media Strategist, Mitchel Obi have lent their voices in support of the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF).
The personalities with backgrounds in sports administration, marketing and media spoke separately in commendation of the festival, an initiative of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) with Dunamis Icon as consultants.
“This is a positive addition to the evolving sports business ecosystem because it is not just a springboard for identifying talents, it also offers a platform to truly hone the skills of those already discovered”, remarked Obi, who served as Special Advisor to a former Sports Minister, late Anthony Ikhazabor.
He said the festival will be a flagship event in the region that would trigger interest in sports among the youths and people of the region.
Edo State-born Itemuagbor commended the NDDC for the decision to add sports in the list of their intervention projects in the region, adding that: “This speaks directly to the problem of youth restiveness which is of great concern to our people.”
Raphael Onyedika has now emerged as a major doubt for the Super Eagles’ must-win 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe later this month.
The midfielder was forced out early from last week’s league game against Standard Liege.
He has not recovered from the injury and so will miss today’s league match against Gent and may also miss a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 clash against Aston Villa yesterday.
The Super Eagles take on Rwanda in Kigali on March 21, before they face Zimbabwe in Uyo four days later in crucial World Cup qualifiers.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Al-Khalood defender, William Troost-Ekong, has shared his experience on the difficulties of winning the prestigious Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) while describing it a must win trophy.
The former Watford FC defender has competed in the tournament three times but has yet to lift the trophy.
“I’ve been there three times now, bronze medal, silver medal, but I haven’t had the chance to win it. That remains my ultimate goal,” he told Tidesports source.
“It means so much to me and all the kids growing up in Africa and Nigeria.”
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