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NIGTEQ Donates Teqball Tables To State Associations, others

Published

4 years ago

March 17, 2021

….Seeks Nigerians support to grow the game

Joel Ajayi

The Nigeria Teqball Federation NIGTEQ in collaboration with Hungary Embassy in Nigeria on Tuesday, donated Teqball tables to 29 states including FCT, Schools in geo-political zones and others, the equipment, they believe, would help in the development of the game in the country and beyond.

Presenting the equipment to state chairmen in Abuja, the President of Nigeria Olympic Committee NOC and President of the NIGTEQ Federation, Engr. Habu Gumel, in the company of board executive of the federation and Hungarian Ambassador to Nigeria, revealed that the donation will help the state to develop the game across the country.

According to him, we want to make the game to move faster and be recognized in Africa, we want to ensure that in Africa, Nigeria is the best in terms of Teqball development.

“To me, so far so good, we have 29 states, we have the clubs, and we want to ensure that in every nook and crannies of the country, Teqball will be known.

“In the next two years, I believe Teqball will be acceptable in all states and there will be a lot of drive, we are going to work with the ministry, very soon, we’ll start attending international competition.” he said.

Engr. Gumel however, charged all the states to use the equipment for the growth of the game, “I called on the state chairmen not to keep the tables in the store but to make use of it effectively in such a way that will bring growth to the country.”

In his remarks, the Hungarian Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Sandor Beer, said the embassy is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure development of sports in Nigeria saying that, the relationship with Nigeria government has grown even stronger.

“The purpose of this collaboration therefore, is to strengthen the bilateral relations between our countries and offer a wonderful opportunity to hatch young athletes.

“Our commitment is to foster growth between the two countries, and one of the most important possible tools is sports, we have a common goal beside, we see the youth in Nigeria and Hungary as the most important. There is no doubt, Nigeria, as a nation, has abundant of talents, not only in football but in other sports.”

Speaking also, the General Secretary of the federation, Mr. Ndudi Edede, who has been working day and night for the growth of the game in Nigeria said, Teqball was introduced to Nigeria by the embassy of Hungary in 2018 and since then, the game is growing gradually in the country.

While giving explanation about the sport, he explained that Teqball is a sport in nature of table tennis and football that is played with all parts of the body except hands , it has less injury, it’s a sport that is enjoyable and 100% sure of flourishing in Nigeria.

According to him, Teqball is already in 211 countries in the world.

“We have 29 member states including FCT and we are working hard to have all the 36 states of the federation very soon.”

Talking on the importance of the donation of the Teqball tables to the state federations, he said; “I think it’s going to help a lot, because since the inception, we had just 3 Teqball tables in the country and this has slowed the growth of the game in Nigeria. Now, total number of 56 tables was donated by Hungary embassy, this means there is going to be a lot of improvement soon.

“In our plan to spread the game, we used certain criteria in the distribution of the tables, we are giving the last year’s best two NPFL clubs Enyimba FC and Plateau United tables, we are giving the 4 best NWFL River Angels, Bayelsa Queen, Kogi Confluence and Nassarawa Amazon one each, we will also give two school in each geopolitical zones and also recreation centers. We are still expecting more.”

When asked about funding of the game, he replied, the NIGTEQ right now is being funded by the member of the executive committee, but I can assure you that the federation will not relent in its determination to create more awareness in the country, in order to attract the sponsors.

He however, said that federations have lined-up a lot of tourneys in the country as well as training for Coaches and Referees.

Mr. Emmanuel, therefore, commended the Eaglenet logistic service limited for the service rendered in convening the Teqball tables, while using the occasion to seek support of corporate bodies as well as well-meaning Nigerians.

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Dikko And The New Vision Accountability and Development in Sports

Published

3 days ago

December 16, 2024

The Gleamer

Felly Mammah N.

Since the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Shehu Dikko assumed office on the 30th of October, 2024, he has systematically and deliberately been putting in place structures that would result to proper development of sports in Nigeria. Shortly after he was first appointed by President Bola Tinubu as a leading strength of sports, the Director General (DG), Hon. Bukola Olapade was appointed to compliment his efforts.

Many sports analysts believe that the duo of Dikko and Olapade who have been very visible in sports administration will be one of the best combination to take the sports sector to the next level. The DG no doubt, is the head of administration in the Commission, but it should be noted that the financial enablement to manage the affairs of staff and the political might that shops for the finance needed in the running of the sector rest on the Chairman who has the task of liaising with the President directly.

It is also, worthy to note that there is a huge difference between the administration of in the Civil Service as it is controlled by a Permanent Secretary and Directors while the administration of a Commission involves Board Members and experts whose voices and actions are also, game-changing; more so as Commissioners are likely going to take charge of the different zones to proffer solutions for a way forward. The defunct Ministry of Youths and Sports Development which later in 2023 metamorphosed into the Ministry of Sports Development on the assumption of President Bola Tinubu, produced a minister who was not versed in sports administration and as a result, faced mass criticism especially from men of the media.

These men of the pen profession are the torchlight of global sporting activity; they equally keep the history of both sports participation globally as well as the records of athletes’ performances. Their torchlight on past Minister’s and particularly the recent past, have revealed that most of the people who presided over sports administration do not really have any knowledge of the sector before their appointment.

The exit of the immediate past Minister, Sen. John Owan Enoh, refreshingly paved the way for change and this has brought in sports personnels that are expected to place sporting activities in the digital world. Suffice it to also, say that the new management of Sports Commission in parts of her changes is expected to sanitize athletes’ attitude and character for better reflection of children who have seen and communicated with their peers in the Western world.

However, the clarion call for President Tinubu to remove politics in sports may have changed the leadership of sports going by what many sports fans saw in the last outing of both Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, where a country like Nigeria did not measure up to her potentials.

Despite the poor performance of atheletes during the World Olympics Games, the past immediate past Minister deserves to be commended that during his tenure, the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Games was reawakened as the participation of our Super Eagles brought back hope and jubilation to sports fans including the President and higher authorities. Yes whopping sum of N12 Billion was released two weeks to the Olympics Games and at a time the country was not financially stable. Despite the presidential financial support, the medals presented to the country were crisis and ignorant of both the atheletes, Nigeria Olympic Committee and the Atheletic Federaton to do the needful.

Therefore, it is heart-warming that the President harkened to the appeal of his fellow sports lovers to handpick a known figure in the sports arena to share his wealth of experience that gave him both a name in Sports and positions as the former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Chairman League Management Company (LMC), FIFA match Commissioner of significance, 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and presently, CAF Committee Member, in addition to his new portfolio as Chairman NSC.

My reference point here is that Alh. Dikko has been given the authority to effect positive change in sports sector, co-ordinate over 40 Sports Federations in the sector, welcome ideas of both sports stakeholders, individuals and veterans of sports that will enable him x-ray the reasons for poor performances in the sector and to chat a way forward for success story. There can never be a new testament without an old testament, thus the reason Alh. Dikko’s doors have remained opened to receive courtesy calls that included the visits by past administrators and foreigners who want to facilitate with whom the cap fits.

Still, in the mood of celebration to formally welcome Alh. Dikko to office was the peculiar power of sports which gathered momentum and the crowd for happy moments as seen in the recent novelty match organized by his friends, associates and sports veterans at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja recently. That gathering clearly announced not just a man who has made a name for himself at a height in global political decision making in sports circle, but a man who has also, given voice to our country’s leagues and international activities.

Sports is a significant sector that comprises emotion, tension, happiness, sadness even death and hope irrespective of the fact that it has the potential to feed many mouths. The sector cannot be compared to other Ministries with delayed bureaucracies and frustration of abilities. While in the civil service the head will rather submerge a growing talent for fear of power thrown, a coach who discovers a talent takes the credit for showcasing a star athelete discovered. Sports has been proven to generate revenue as well as attract public partnership which are all aimed at enhancing podium performance by the athletes.

Shehu Dikko’s business vision and wide participation in football contributed in making him the right candidate to place the sector in its expected level, increase the GDP of the country’s economy and equally be accountable with administrative roadmap for success.

The novelty match organised for him by his sports fans and League managers had the likes of Samson Siasia, Victor Ikpeba, Mutiu Adepoju, Dominic Iorfa, Ahmed Musa in attendance to share their joy with him as they displayed their talent with their foot.
Others that graced the occasion were Super Sports General Manager, Felix Nwogu, former and present Chairmen of House Committee on Sports, NFF President, NOC members and persons from across the globe. That singular act indicated a clear fact that Dikko can actually gather momentum with persons that can support his ideology to deliver as charged by the presidency.

However, the Chairman’s meekness to open his doors to all does not mean weakness neither does it mean that he has not commenced work officially. His work is more of brain tasking because ideas actually rule the world. I will boldly say that he has resumed work with like minds that will not only be on the same page with him but will as well be on success Guinness Book with him.

Felly Mammah N.
Press Officer (NSC).

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