…As YELI kicks off Football Tournament

▪️By Japheth Onyilofo

Vice President of Doctors Health Initiative and Medical Director/CEO of Novo Health Africa Ltd., Dorothy Jeff-Nnamani yesterday charged Nigeria youth to adequately gear up to assume leadership positions by taking active part in sporting activities.

Dr Jeff-Nnamani who made the call in an address at Community Secondary School field Umueze Awkunanaw, Nkanu West Local Government Area, Enugu State, at the kickoff of football tournament organized for the youth by her pet project, Youth Entrepreneurship and Leadership Initiative, YELI, expressed delight over the take off of the competition.

Dr Jeff-Nnamani

The competition christened YELI Soccer Tournament is one of the avenues through which YELI, Dr. DorothyJeff-Nnamani’s initiative wants to give back to the society. “YELI is my pet-project that seeks to give back to society through youth entrepreneurship and leadership development”. She said.

Furthermore, she expressed confidence that the tournament would be a veritable instrument in training the youth to acquire leadership skills, “key characteristics, qualities, skills and attributes of a leader are inevitably found in sports. Effective sports men or women must have to display a higher degree of integrity and honesty”.

The philanthropist who developed interest in sports as a child hinted that it was her late father who ignited the fire in her. “As a child I watched my late father HRH Igwe, Chukwuma Nwankwo, Igwe Naezoruoha 1 of Obinagu Uwani Akpugo, who owned a football team called Olympic Football Club Enugu displaying the spirit of Sportmanship whenever his team won or lost a match”.

Her address reads in part, “I am greatly delighted to do the kick-off of YELI SOCCER TOURNAMENT, a flagship of Youth Entrepreneurship and Leadership Initiative (YELI). YELI is my pet-project that seeks to give back to society through youth entrepreneurship and leadership development…”

Continuing, she said “Looking back, As a child I watched my late father HRH Igwe Chukwuma Nwankwo Igwe Naezoruoha I of Obinagu Uwani Akpugo, who owned a sport (football) team called Olympic Football Club Enugu displaying the spirit of sportmanship when his team won or lost a match. I can still remember him telling the coaches and players about team building. He always put in his best business acumen and community leadership ability in scouting, discovering and training of football talents in the then Anambra State. One of the outstanding product of Olympic Football team is Christian Chukwu popularly known as Chairman Chukwu, whose exceptional leadership skills as the captain of our National Team earned Nigeria her first African Nations Cup trophy in 1980. Another significant person is Senator Ken Nnamani who was the senate president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the 4th Republic. Agree or disagree, as popular opinions have it, Sen. Ken Nnamani’s leadership ability was the death sentence to the 3rd term ambition of the then Obasanjo regime in the year 2005.

“In the light of the above and in view of the myriad of leadership challenges facing the nation, YELI Soccer with the theme “Leadership through Sports” is an instrument we are using to train the youths on leadership skills. From available data, there is a strong correlation between leadership and sports.

“Let me reiterate, like the African celebrated writer Chinua Achebe, “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely is a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else. The Nigerian problem is the unwillingness or inability of her leaders to rise to their responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of leadership”.

The key characteristics, qualities, skills and attributes of a leader are inevitably found in sports. Effective sport men or women must have to display a higher degree of integrity and honesty. They are invariably good communicators, confident in their own ability and exude a positive attitude. Unfortunately these qualities seem to be in short supply in our country.

“On this note, I want to urge the coaches and players in this tournament to look at the skills and qualities that helped you to build a team of your best players on merit, and apply them to the way you lead in your family, community, church, business and offices. That is the magic formula our country needs; you may be surprised at the result”, she concluded.

In the opening match of the tournament, Agbani Football Club walloped Akpawfu Football Club by un replied two goals.

According to GMTNews reporter at the event, fixtures for other matches of the tournament as released by the Coordinator, Mr. Onyema Okoani, on September 20, 2022, Ihuokpara will lock horns with Ugbawka by 2:00 PM, while Obuoffia will take on Obe by 3:50 PM. Both matches take place at Central School Nara.

September 21, 2022,
Amaechi Idodo will slug it out with Amankanu at 2:00 PM. Amodu and Amagunze will trade tackles by 3:50 PM, the matches will be played at St. John’s Field Agbani.

Others will be played as follows: 22nd Sept.2022, Nomeh Vs Nkerefi by 2:00 PM;
Amurri Vs Mburubu by 3:50 PM both at Community Primary School, Isienu Amagunze.

On 23rd Sept. 2022, Ubahu squares up with Ozalla, as Nara battles Akegbe-Ugwu. Venue is Akpugo Boys’ Secondary School, Akpugo.

September 24, 2022, Oruku will play Umueze by 2:00pm, while it will be Owoh Vs Akpugo by 3:50pm @St. John’s Field Agbani. GMTNews