Super Eagles keeper, Ikechukwu Ezenwa was simply on cloud nine when his club, Heartland stormed Ikene, Ogun state where they played out a goalless draw against Remo Stars in a pre season friendly on Wednesday. Ezenwa was thrilled beyond words by the hybrid geotech turf at the Ikene home of Remo Stars constructed by Nigeria’s leading stadium construction outfit, Monimichelle. Ezenwa after the game said the pitch is simply world class, even as he urged NPFL clubs and the various state governments to partner Monimichelle as a way of getting the state of the art pitch at all league venues across the country. “If we have this kind of pitch at all the league venues, fans would see the best of football. What we have here in Ikene is the same with what the same company constructed in Aba. I played for Enyimba and I know the Enyimba stadium in Aba boasts of one best pitch in the country. I want to see this kind of pitch in Owerri and I would plead that other states should partner with Monimichelle. He is doing a damn good job.” Ezenwa stressed that those who want the nation’s domestic league to grow must think first of the playing surface. “When you play on a good pitch, you are able to express yourself better. This is why I am drumming my support for Monimichelle. Since this is an indigenous company with the right expertise there is need to get him construct this lush green turfs all over the country…that is the way to go,” Ezenwa said, adding, “I know what I m talking about because this turf here in Ikene is not the same with the conventional artificial turfs which we (the players) would ordinarily not want to play on.”
World Featherweight Fight: LOC Boss Okays Ilaji Resort Ibadan
To ensure the success of the World Featherweight boxing bout between a Nigerian, Ridwan Oyekola, aka Scorpion and an Argentine, Lucas Matias Montesino, the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the event led by Sir Olawale Okunniyi has undertaken an inspection tour of the fight venue. The LOC after the tour okayed the venue, the Ilaje Hotel and Sports Resort, Ibadan. The bout which is billed for December 27 is one which Nigerian boxing fans are eagerly awaiting. The LOC boss in his remarks after the inspection thumped up the high standard of the sports facilities in place at the venue of the bout coupled with the perfect security arrangement already mapped out to secure the foreign visitors expected to storm Ibadan for the fight. Speaking in the same vein, the President of NBBofC, Dr. Rafiu Ladipo also promised that things will be done in line with Covid19 protocols as laid down by the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) which would not allow a full capacity of the sports arena. He however thanked Engr Sanusi for his huge support to the bout saying “the whole world will be focusing on Ilaji Resort, Ibadan, and Oyo State during and after the fight, there is going to be a lot of financial benefits to the state, because people will come from far and near across the world for the bout”. Other members of the local organizing committee that were on the facility tour include Remi Aboderin, the secretary general of NBBofC, Hon. Gnenga Opaleye, the Oyo State Chairman of NBBofC, Sola Ayodele, the promoter of the fight and CEO of Core Afrique Boxing promotions, Ademolu Okuneye, Chairman of Media sub-committee, Olanrewaju Agiri, a media personnel and Seyi George, a Boxing Judge.
USA based Nigerian Soccer coach, Ikem Udeh builds library in Enugu
United States of America based Nigerian soccer coach, Ikem Udeh has vowed to leave no stone unturned in his vision to see Nigerian footballers combine education with sports. To realize this objective, Udeh has embarked on the building of a modern library complex in Enugu. The Enugu state born former Julius Berger of Lagos and Vasco Dagama of Enugu striker disclosed yesterday from his USA base that his pet project in Enugu is 90 percent ready and would start functioning fully by early next year. Udeh while basking in the euphoria of the project almost being realized said he decided to embark on the project as a way of giving back to the society and to ensure that Nigeria breeds a new set of soccer stars that would not be academically deficient. In his words: “when I was growing up in Enugu, I didn’t have the opportunity of combining playing football with education. It was when I got to America that I got scholarship that saw me studying at Alabama A&M University. I don’t want the kids back home to face the challenge that I faced. This is why I m building a modern library where kids can go and read. The library that I m building will be more of a community resource center than just a collection of books, and the plan is “big.”” Udeh, before going into coaching played for Kansas City Wizards, a professional club side in America. He has in the past three years been coaching boys and girls youth teams in the Hoover-Vestavia Soccer Club.
