Sports
Tournament Sponsor Moves To Achieve Unity
Sponsor of the ongoing football tournament tagged Mater Football competition, Engineer Innocent Akuvue, has said that his aim of sponsoring the competition is to unite people.
Akuvue made the statement at the weekend during the opening ceremony of the tournament held at the Mater Misericordiae football pitch, Rumuomasi in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State.
According to him, his interest and inclination to sponsor the tournament was based on the fact that football was veritable tool for unity.
“ In fact, the Catholic Men Organisation (CMO) and other groups at Mater Misericordia’s of Catholic Church have been bonding for several decades through football,” Innocent Akuvue said.
He maintained that football was a unifying factor, adding that it is all about people buying into what they consider worthwhile.
“It is all about people buying into what they consider worthwhile. You just have to remind those who have the spirit and passion to give and encourage others to maintain the moment,” he added.
He expressed optimism that sooner or later corporate sponsor would identify with some of the participating teams in the competition and stressed on the need for branding.
The sponsor who is an ex- footballer and currently a member of Python International Golf Club Port Harcourt (1987) promised to sponsor more sporting events.
“In recent past, l have sponsored other sporting events in this country. However, l will continue to inspire and motivate footballers and athletes both on and off the pitch,” Akuvue pledged.
Also speaking, Chairman, CMO of Mater Misericordiae, Sir, Nnamdi Azike, said that the competition was not a win at all costs, rather an avenue to promote unity and brotherhood.
“Our football competition is not a win at all costs. It is an opportunity to bring our people together. This competition is not a do or die affair,” Azike stated.
He promised that the next edition of the tournament would be bigger and higher saying that something will be done urgently to improve the playing turf of the venue of the matches.
He commended the sponsor of the competition for his inspiration and philanthropic gesture.
“On behalf of the CMO, l want to use this opportunity to thank Engineer Innocent Akuvue and others for their contributions and efforts towards the progress of this competition,” Nnamdi Azike added.
By: Nancy Briggs
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.
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