Uniting The Anioma Nation Through Soccer Promotion Is My Focus…….Odiatu

The game of soccer can be repackaged to both enhance and provide career/entrepreneurial opportunities for our Anioma youths, Soccer has a unifying capacity no other human Endeavour has, so to a very great extent, Soccer is one tool the Anioma Nation must exploit for the advancement of our Nation and quest for unity. Our Media crew spoke with an Anioma Soccer Promotion expert, whose believe and passion for Soccer development is just too strong to be diverted, read on….

        Q- Can we meet you, Sir ?

Ans- I am Bora Nnamdi Oditatu, the Coordinator of Bora Soccer Promotions.

Q- What is your dreamed work plan for the development of Soccer In Anioma Region?

Ans- with respect to Soccer and youth development in the Anioma Nation, I started my Soccer Development career as a coach, since 1992, I had sought various opportunities and collaboration with the public and private sectors with a view to mainstream Soccer amongst children and youth population, as a unifying factor for the Anioma Nation, about this same period, I graduated from the secondary school and registered a football club called, African Stars.

Q- do you anticipate any youth-led Soccer tournament soon for Anioma Youth?

Ans- oh yes, as am talking with you, plans are almost at an advance stage for the kick off of an Anioma youth soccer tournament, that will witness the active participation of football clubs from various Local Government Areas in the Anioma Nation.

Q- what is the schedule of this tournament?

Ans- by this week’s Saturday, the official opening ceremony is expected to commence at Asaba, with the planned focus to extend through mid August this year.

Q- what is the central theme around this Anioma youth tournament?

Ans- the soccer tournament is all about recalling a glorious sacrificial memory of some youth who paid a huge sacrifice for their love for the game of soccer, the tournament is tagged, A-PRO MEMORIAL CUP 2012, A-PRO was a football club established some fifteen years ago by the former director of sports, in the Delta State Ministry of youth and Sports development, Hon. Emma Okocha,  this team, some fifteen years ago travelled to Rivers State for a friendly match with the Sharks of Port Harcourt, unfortunately, the match was postponed and on their way back home to Asaba, the team was involved in an accident at nearby Ozubulu town, which claimed the lives of Seven players and the driver, still very remarkable though unfortunately, nothing has being done to the memory of these youth after the burial of these youth who lost their lives advancing the game of Soccer and promoting the image of the Anioma Nation.

Q- what then do you want to do to fill in the identified gap?

Ans- I thought it wise when I took notice of this gap to recall to the public’s mind the huge sacrifice these youths made with their lives for a game they love so much and use the opportunity to inquire into the status of the game of Soccer in the Anioma region.

Q- what opportunities do you foresee this tournament will avail Anioma Youth?

Ans- this tournament will create an ample opportunity for us to remember their contribution to the game of soccer and pray for the eternal rest of the souls of these Soccer heroes, especially, this year that their memorial enters its 15^th year, with the opening ceremony kicking off on 7^th of July, 2012 at Asaba. 

 

Q- what is the drive behind floating this tournament?

Ans- like I said earlier, I had being actively involved in Soccer since the past twenty years and I can authoritatively tell you that nothing is happening in the Anioma Nation with respect to sports promotion and especially the game of soccer, hence, the birth of this tournament.

Q-what over the years has being the challenges of football in the Anioma region?

Ans- thank you very much for this question, just as I said earlier that nothing is happening in Anioma with respect to the game of football, so goes with the individual footballers, what do we experience, it starts with the discovery of a football talented Anioma Youth, we watch him showcase skills, passion and determination for excellence, we most times believe they will excel to great Soccer career heights, all of a sudden due to zero support structure, they all too soon crash to nothingness and that becomes the end of their Soccer Career, I don’t know what is happening to our Anioma Youth Soccer development, on a second thought I came to the conclusion that the time is ripe to do something for the game I love so much, even Soccer, hence, this tournament.

Q-what is your overall assessment of Football Clubs in the Anioma Nation?

Ans- there are over 30 registered football clubs in the region, all most of them do is conduct training and routine exercises for the players, engage in one or two inter club friendly matches and participate in some minor Soccer events, no real big time soccer stuff has ever come their way, so with this tournament on board, there will be opportunities for soccer scouts from outside Anioma Nations to be involved in identifying, selecting the best talented soccer talents, enter into agreement with these youthful talented players, groom them and shape them into International Soccer Stars, such opportunities will empower our youths to rediscover boundless career and entrepreneurial opportunities in the game of Soccer avails as well as the community development opportunities that comes with Soccer Development.

Q- what is your message to the current government on Soccer development?

Ans- my message and suggestion to the government is this, though, I know that the public sector is over stretched with too many responsibilities and commitment, not withstanding, one of my concern is that we do not have functional sporting facilities in Anioma region, most school soccer pitches have been occupied with needless buildings, why can’t the pitches be left for the sports development of our youths, as well as for the recreation and enjoyment of our youth population, which will in turn boost their academic performance, effectively shape a positive personality skills, and improve leadership potentials latent in these youths. The government should create more recreation centers with sufficient sporting facilities, which will make youth empowerment policies of the government a more sustainable and pro-grassroot engagement.

Q-what ways do you think individuals and organized private sector can be involved?

Ans- for these class of actors in our society, I have a piece of suggestion for them, which is that, they should look out for active organizations and sports loving enthusiasts who they can partner with for the effective development and promotion of sports in the Anioma Nation.

Q-what cash and material benefit is tied to this tournament?

Ans- thank you very much for this question, there is a cash prize attached to this tournament for the first, second and third placed football team winners, N50,000; N30,000 and N20,000 will be handed to the first, second and third place winners respectively. Apart from cash reward, the organizers have planned to select from quarter final stages budding talented football stars, who will be registered for national and international sporting festivals and events, which will give them opportunity to meet with other soccer giants and soccer development opportunities. Apart from these, there are medals, trophies, golden booths awards and other recognition for well behaved players and teams. The overall essence of all these Soccer engagement is to encourage Soccer players and promote as both a life-line for career and entrepreneurial development opportunities for our Anioma Youth Population. 

        Q-what level of support do you so far anticipate from the public?

Ans- so far so good, though,  not all the supports sought for is forth coming, to some groups our tournament is new to, they are still investigating us, to those who believe in our capacities, we have being assured of their material and moral support, some Non-Government Organizations and Asaba based Age Grades have committed to contribute their quota, at last count, a sports loving NGO, Tobechukwu Okonkwo Foundation (TOF) has promised to register and kit a football club for the tournament, as well as, provide a cash donation for the First, Second and Third place winners of the tournament.