Sports
Nigerian Art Works On Display In Johannesburg
Nigerian artifacts and other rich cultural arts estimated at about N7million are on display at the Nigerian Stand in the Welcome Village set up by the City of Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg for World Cup visitors.
According to our source in South Africa, thousands of visitors have been streaming into the Welcome Village to admire cultural works of the six participating African countries at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Organisers of the event said between 15,000 and 25,000 visitors pass through the facility daily to learn more of Africa’s rich cultural heritage.
Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Retired Brig-Gen. Buba Marwa was among visitors at the village on Tuesday, where he gave kudos to officials of the Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation for doing the nation proud.
Marwa said that the stand, with display of rich cultural values of Nigeria, would help visitors from across the globe have a first hand view of what the country had to offer.
He said the country’s tourism potentials would also be boosted by displays at the stand.
The Deputy-Director, External Relations in the Ministry, Mrs Dayo Keshi, who coordinated activities at the stand, told newsmen that various artifacts and works of art to the tune of N7 million had been brought in from Nigeria for display.
She said the exhibition would further boost bi-lateral relations between Nigeria and South Africa as well as project the country more globally.
“Our stand showcases a wide range of creative ingenuity of our past heroes through an assemblage of our masterpieces that portray spiritual linkages between artistes, their community and their country,’’ she said.
The Deputy-Director said some visitors had requested to purchase many of the art works on display.
She said after the world cup, everything on display at the Nigeria stand would be moved to the High Commission to give more people the chance to see them.
“The excitement has been high with people saying they did not know Nigerians can be such warm people,” she said.
Mr Rufus Matipe, Director, International Relations in the Department of Arts and Culture, South Africa, told newsmen that the village was one of the busiest in the country with a heavy flow of international visitors.
“The idea is that football is just 90 minutes on the field but people coming will like to see more than just soccer,” he said.
Matipe said the village would boost cultural relations among African countries exhibiting at the Village.
The Ekurhuleni Welcome Village gulped R23m (about N460m) in its construction and among other things, aims to enhance the spirit of togetherness in the continent.
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.