Amgbare Ekaunkumo, Yenagoa
Football is one of the key sports that can be used in changing the lives of talented youths and turn their attention away from social vices and give them a better hope for the future. Also given that football has become a money spinner judging by the huge sums of money footballers earn while playing for clubs, there is the need to ensure that the youths achieve their ambitions of becoming footballers.
The game of football is unarguably the most popular sports in the world and not only because of its popularity but the value and followership when compared to other sports. Finding revealed that Niger Delta region is blessed with unprecedented talent that need proper guidance and tutelage.
Worried by the heightened incidences of vices such as oil bunkery, cultism, kidnapping and drug abuse amongst Niger Delta youths and the need to meaningfully transform their lives as well as harnessed the abundant sporting talents,,Niger Delta Sporting Club, a platform to scout, groom and develop young and talentd footballers in the rural communities is set to take off soon in Yiba-ama community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The Niger Delta Sporting Club which is a brainchild of Louis Komla Awudzie, an International Football Scout Manager when it fully takes off will also engage youths in other areas of sporting activities such boxing, wrestling, basketball, tennis, volleyball etc.
According to the founder,, Louis Awudzie the club will have an Academy team, an NNL team and a female team, adding that the academy team will comprise of under 12-14 category, under 15- 17 category while the NNL team will comprise of footballers from age bracket of 19-24.
This was disclosed during the formal unveiling of Club’s logo and presentation of proposal to the paramount ruler of Yiba-ama community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Awudzie said the essence of forming the club was to change the lives of the youths through football by developing the abundant talents in order to create jobs and give them a future.
He asserted that for the youths to attain stardom in their football careers the Niger Delta Sporting Club is determined to leverage on its core qualities of integrity, football knowledge and experience of the industry, as well as adopting a reputation for putting our player’s interest first.
He emphasized that ” As the name implies Niger Delta Sporting Club is a football club we have the first team, the second team and the female. We are going to build them on a system that is being implemented in football by FIFA they can still be going to school and after their lessons they will come to training ground and train. Coaches and technical staff will be on ground waiting for them.
” And they will have to understand that they will ready to devote their time for the game, the academy side is the team B which would start from the age of 15- 17 then we have from 20- 24 which is the Senior side, those are going to play NNL2 and the team B will also be playing tournaments both local and international then we have a category for say under 12- 14 which is the Junior side because the future belongs to them.
” So it is something I have been doing for years now, and I Want to bring it to Bayelsa because I know Bayelsa is a sporting state. Cultism and other vices have taken over the youths but we will use love and wisdom to talk to them and I know we will certainly win their hearts.
” I have been scouting football for 26 years now. I was an agent, I graduated from agent to international football scout manager for 26 years. I started football when I was in school am a player myself but injury end my career. So I know what it takes for someone to say I want to play football but I don’t have helper. I normally meet youths on the street who play football but they always complain I don’t have manager or anybody to buy me football boot so I understand their plight.
” I also have some good connection and collaboration with some foreign partners basically I normally take talented footballers from individual football clubs to expose them to international teams which is not helping me but so I intend to do my own thing by having a private owned football club and the door is open to more collaboration.
The Paramount Ruler of Yiba-ama community, HRH Pere Wapaebiama Amakiri (TUGH 11), thanked the founders of the Niger Delta Sporting Club for choosing Yiba-ama as host of the club.
Amakiri promised to give the necessary support and create the enabling environment for the project to succeed, saying that if the project finally comes to fruition, the founder of the club would have written his name in gold in the international sports arena.
the noted that from the proposal the project is a huge one with its attendant challenges but however stated that with driving force it can be realized.
