By Patrick Ndubuisi
One of the Patrons of the Grassroot Sports Federation, South-South Zone, Ebi Egbe, has given thumbs up to the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, over its nod to hold its first-ever U-17 Niger Delta Peace Cup Football Competition.
Ebi Egbe who is the Chief Executive Officer, Monimichelle Sports Construction Facility Nigeria Limited, poured encomiums on the interventionist agency, in a statement, signed and released to pen pushers, in Yenagoa on Thursday.
The Sports facility constructor supremo popularly know as Moni Love, expressed gratitude to the NDDC, for what he described as ‘a good project’ that will be of huge benefit to the youths across the entire Niger Delta region.
According to him, youths all over the world have come to love sports and football in particular, and as such, are looking for any given opportunity to showcase their skills, with the hope of beginning a professional career.
“You see football in other climes is big business, is not just for fun or entertainment, that’s why you can see the huge amount of money flying around it. It’s big business. And so we must begin to think and do the necessary things so that we are not left behind”.
“So as the Patron of the Grassroot Sports Federation, South-South Zone, I thank the Niger Delta Development Commission, for this well thoughtful idea of sponsoring a football competition across the nine Niger Delta states, in fact, it’s even belated that this is the first time it will be happening, however, it’s better late than never”.
“Let the NDDC look beyond road construction and other projects, and key into sports development, then they will see the number of families and how the society will be lifted through it”.
Moni Love stressed that talents abound in the Niger Delta region, but unfortunately, the lack of sporting facilities and talent hunt programs, has been the bane for not discovering these raw talents over the years.
“Take a look at the football legends we still celebrate today, most are from the Niger Delta, the Jay Jay Okochas, the Kanu Nwankwos, the Austin Eguavoens, the Etim Esins, the Peter Rufais, the Late Stephen Keshi, the Late Sam Okwarajis, you can name them. That’s to show that lots of talents were, and still in the Niger Delta”.
“But unfortunately we don’t have players to replace these legends, that is because we don’t have developmental programmes like this. So once again I commend the NDDC, but it shouldn’t be a one-off, it should be a yearly competition, and once they add developing sporting facilities in the region to this, there will be a huge transformation of youths in the area, through sports.”
The maiden U-17 Niger Delta Peace Cup football competition sponsored by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, in collaboration with the Grassroot Sports Federation, South-South zone, will take place across the nine states that make up the Niger Delta, between the 15th to 28th of next month.
