By: Chinedum Ohanusi
The annual Sportsville Awards Ceremony, which rewards excellence in the management, administration, and other non on field, courts, tracks or ring performances has come and gone; leaving its ripple effects in two personalities, honoured for their exemplary works, in promoting football in the country.
The Chief Executive Officer and General manager of Rangers Int’l FC, the reigning Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) champions, Barrister Amobi Ezeaku scooped the award for the best football administrator in the land; whilst Prince Ifeanyi Ngadiuba was bestowed with the corresponding award for contributing immensely to grassroots football development, in the country.
Since then, the two award recipients have continued to receive congratulatory messages from stakeholders within football and sports in general; both men have extolled the organizers for finding them worthy of such an honour, and have also spoken of their plans to do more.
Reacting to a congratulatory letter, signed by Chief Solsuema Osaro, current Chairman of the SDP in Rivers State, in which he was praised for his exploits in developmental football, from the University Campus, club sides, to owning a thriving football academy; Prince Ngadiuba spoke at length on his desire to work towards inspiring more talented youngsters, to become the megastars of tomorrow.
“To bring about such a legacy, we will be guided by a comprehensive roadmap, that shows clearly the remodeling projects, we have for grassroots Sports Development and school’s football”, he asserted.
He also appreciated the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in rebirthing the National Sports Commission, and tripling the budgetary allocation for the Sports sector; which previous Nigerian government have never done.
The Abia-born Ngadiuba also noted that Sports had always been relegated to the background, but all that have changed, and have in-turn elicited the hosting of more local and regional championships.
