Sports
Ike Uche In Charity Pledge
Nigerian footballer playing in the Spanish La Liga is spending his high salary not on fast cars and big houses, but on the less privileged children in the community where he grew up.
Ikechukwu Uche, who plays at Getafe, was born in Aba, Abia State, south-eastern Nigeria
Aba, arguably the commercial nerve of Nigeria has also produced international footballers like Obinna Nwaneri, Kalu Uche, Onyekachi Apam and Onyekachi Okonkwo, as well is home to double African Champions Enyimba.
Beset by several challenges like bad roads and lack of electricity, Aba remains the best city in the world for the soft-spoken Uche.
For him, deprivation appears in clear context after a tough childhood and each day he steps back into a little piece of his past and considers himself lucky to have made fame and fortune from football.
Recently, the 25-year-old continued a five-year trend by visiting the Ngwa Road Motherless Babies Home, in Aba.
The soft-spoken Uche presented food and cash donations there as the kids sprawled and swarmed around him.
This Motherless home is one of all ‘Nine Homes’ the Super Eagle regularly donates to in his hometown state of Abia, donations he often makes in an anonymous position.
“I consider myself to be very lucky in life and where else to spend my holiday than with people who are not as fortunate as myself,” says Ikechukwu Uche.
“The truth is these kids don’t have parents, so who cares? I guess we need to put ourselves in their shoes for a day. “The government has done what they can but each individual needs to make an impact and contribution as well, we must not always wait for the authorities.
“This place, like thousands across the country, need a fresh water supply that will prevent disease from spreading. They also need other things, and I will look into one or two of those while am still around.”
Uche admits he could feel a sense of de javu there and the pulse of these kids.
The year 2003 turned out to be a dark one in his life as he and his older brother Kalu Uche lost both parents in the space of three months, to the cold hands of death.
It’s been six years now but the ugly event continues to live in his head.
Now a famous footballer, the 25-year-old has never forgotten how fortunate he is to be where he is today without his parents.
“That dark moment lingers but life goes on and I will have to live with it.”
“Life out there and the one here (in the homes) is totally different so let us reach out to the less privileged ones. I know they also do similar things but I urge fellow professionals to always reach out to vulnerable children.”
Since he became a professional footballer in Europe, Ikechukwu Uche has often made anonymous contributions to ‘School of the Deaf, Ngwa Road Motherless Babies Home, the SDA Motherless Babies Home and the Nwamaka Motherless Babies Home, all in Aba
Heartland Technical Manager, Emmanuel Amuneke has praised his players for not losing focus at the crucial moment in Sunday’s 2-1 home win over Shooting Stars in a NPFL Matchday 24 fixture in Owerri.
The Naze Millionaires defeated the Oluyole Warriors through Chukwuma Agor and John Bassey goals in the 31st and 88th minutes with Mustapha Adam’s 80th minute spot kick a mere consolation for the visitors.
Amuneke while speaking to journalists shortly after the encounter, said his boys showed the zeal and determination to seal the three points and that despite the shenanigans of the centre referee, Kolawole Emmanuel, the boys were never troubled.l
“We were eager to get the three points and we were aware Shooting Stars are a good side and won’t allow us to have our way easily,” Amuneke told journalists in Owerri.
“We planned for them and almost throughout the entire game, they were never a threat to our team. We were able to control the game from the beginning. It was unfortunate how the game ended. We were just focussed on the three points and we are thrilled we got it. It was a very good game from both sides but we subjected them to constant pressure almost throughout the game.”
While he was asked if he believed his boys could finish the season impressively, Amuneke was evasive but noted that he and his players would continue to work harder.
“Everything in line is possible but we know that nothing happens without hard work. We will continue to work harder and continue to see how we can grow as a team. We have a lot of young players in the team. Some of them just got their topflight breakthrough.
“We didn’t lose focus at the time of the controversies. We continued to do the same thing we have been doing and taking the game to them.”
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, on Monday, turned the sod of the new Olympic-standard 25,000-capacity Bayelsa Stadium project at Igbogene, Yenagoa, as part of the activities marking the fifth anniversary of the Senator Douye Diri administration.
The former Nigerian leader performed the ground-breaking ceremony as Governor Diri restated his appeal to the federal government, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), oil firms operating in the state and the private sector to join hands with his administration to develop sporting talents.
The Federal Government through the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) equally thumped up Governor Diri for initiating the project.
Dr. Jonathan expressed delight over the project, saying as a Bayelsan, he was duty bound to celebrate with the state government for the progress so far achieved.
He lauded Diri’s developmental strides, urging him not to rest on his laurels and that the contractor and the state government should ensure the project met the highest standards.
Jonathan also called on the state and federal governments to set up a sports fund to cater for sportsmen after their active days and encourage younger ones to be involved in sports.
He said: “This is my state and I have to celebrate with the government for the progress so far made. This is an iconic project that will develop the state. Please do not rest on your laurels as we want this stadium to meet the best standards.
“I am happy with the presence of relevant federal government officials. I hope they will guide the state well and support where necessary.
“As a country, we must have a fund to care for sportsmen. The federal and state government can think about it so that the younger generation will be interested in sports.
“I am happy that you gave a target of 24 months and I hope that by that time I will escort President Tinubu to Bayelsa to inaugurate it.”
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has condoled the family of former Nigeria international midfielder, Ayo Ogunlana, who died in Kaduna on Friday after observing his early-morning walk.
NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, showered tributes on the departed midfield pearl, who was a star attraction during a number of important Nigeria FA Cup battles in the 1980s and held sway in the middle for the Super Eagles in the late 1980s, and at the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Algeria.
“We are very sad to learn of the sudden passing of Ayo Ogunlana, only a couple of weeks after the demise of another former Eagle, Moses Effiong (a member of the 1980 AFCON-winning Green Eagles squad, in far-away USA). Ogunlana was a great midfielder who made playing football look so easy with his majestic touches and turns, and his magnificent free-kicks.
“We pray that the Almighty will grant both of them eternal rest and grant the families they have left behind the fortitude to bear the losses.”
Ogunlana was magisterial in the midfield as Nigeria overhauled Guinea and Zimbabwe to qualify for the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations, and was imperial against Cameroon in a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Ibadan that the Super Eagles won with an emphatic 2-0. He also played in the 1990 ECOWAS Cup competition that Nigeria hosted in Kaduna.