The yuletide season is a period of festivities, of fan-fares as well as of exploring and discovering budding talents in sports, it is then not out of place that this yuletide season has soccer unity cup competitions spread across in almost all communities in the country.
Football has become the main stay or basis of bringing people together at any occasion that involve celebration, this has dwarfed other sporting events. The 2012 football yuletide period is yet another season that will see lots of football competitions across Rivers state, as almost all the communities are on it again, as football competitions have started in earnest in Akpor Kingdom sponsored by Nigerian highly rated comedian Julius Agwu. For Gokana, the Solomon Lah managed Gokana Division 2 clubside has played 0-0 with state sponsored clubside, Dolphins of Port Harcourt, in opening the Gokana Unity football cup competition to end year 2012.
In Okrika Local Government, the Okrika Unity Football cup is in progress. Amadi-Ama is also on their unity football competition; Degema has also taken theirs as a way of discovering soccer talents. It is on records that Degema Local Government is the best Football Local Government Area in Rivers State, courtesy of their performance a the last Rivers sport festival, Abua/Odual Local Government football competition at the time of filing this report, Obua/Odual football competition is on.
While other sports like wrestling, swimming, canoe race and boxing, just to mention few, suffer at the expense of football. The game of football is further encouraged by the entire members of the public. Even those who had made name in the sports like boxing, wrestling stay back to see the sports that made them in the yester years.
Chief Diamond Tobin West was a wrestling giant in his active days. He went on to represent Rivers State after conquering his local government area. Same could be said of ‘SB’ Rev. (Dr.) Sokari Soberekon who is five combat sports exponent, namely, wrestling, boxing weightlifting, karate and judo. The retired but not tend sports icon has not been supported by the present administration to enable him produce his likes in the shores of Rivers State.
Rev. (Dr.) Sokari Soberekon is now a preacher working to win souls for his maker after making his great exploit with sports. He represented Nigeria at the continental level with glorious records.
While such persons are willing to help out in producing their kinds in the sports, the government is not looking in their end.
This too, has further affected the growth of other sports. The councillors too are also not doing the right thing, though thy say they are discovering talents or empowering sports talents.
Does Rivers State or the wards they represent have only football talents? This will be our puzzle to solve if we really mean well.
The Newswriter Sport Desk is watching the unfolding events. ###
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