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 15th year, with
the opening ceremony kicking off on 7th 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.