Sports
‘Make Sports Compulsory In Rivers Schools’
The Rivers State Ministry of Education has been urged to come up with a legislation or policy aimed at making sports activities compulsory in both private and public schools in the state.
A former supervisor for Youth Development and Sports in the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Eric Ejigini who made the call in an interview with The Tide said the step would enhance proper development of abundant talents in the state.
Ejigini who regetted that so much sports potentials were being wasted in the country called on the local government councils to build mini sports stadium in their council Headquarters to encourage grassroot sports participation in the state.
He lauded the initiative of Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Rotimi Amaechi in developing Igbo Ukwu field in D-line as well as number five and six field in the old Port Harcourt Township.
He said that private schools that do not have sports facilities like field could take advantage of the field nearest to them to host their sports events like training, competitions, like inter house and Inter school sports competition.
“Private schools within the town axis can make use of the fields for training and competitions while those in D-line and Diobu axis can make use of the one in D-line while Schools in Rumukalagbo and Aba road can make use of St John among other.
He challenged the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to draw up programmes on sports development in the region for the interest of Niger Delta youths.
He frowned at what he described as ‘I don’t care’ attitude of the commission in the area of sports saying it was not in the good interest of the region which he said is not only rich in oil and gas but also in sports.
One had expected that by now, the NDDC would be organising competitions in the region or sponsoring its own athletes or even having its own team but the commission appears not to be alive to its responsibility in sports.
Chris Oluoh
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.