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By Ebenezer Bajela.
Dr Walter Imoedemhe, the newly appointed Chairman, Edo State Hockey Association, has promised to help revive hockey in the state through school programmes, The PUNCH reports.
Last Friday, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, in Benin City inaugurated the state’s hockey association board, headed by Imoedemhe, alongside 30 other sports associations.
The brief but colourful inauguration ceremony, which took place at the Government House, also had the state’s Deputy, Governor Philip Shaibu; Edo State Sports Commission boss, Yusuf Ali and Permanent Secretary, ESSC, Sabina Chikere in attendance.
Obaseki charged the board members to give their best, adding that the associations would constitute the bedrock of sports development in the state.
In response to the task, Imoedemhe said his board would revive hockey in the state.
He said, “The plan of the new Edo State Hockey Association board is to drive our mission to bring hockey back home. We have a functional-based board anchored on our strongholds — our partners and sponsors: the GFDCO Groups in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Benin City. With their pledges to the board to do the needful, we are confident that we will definitely succeed.
“As a board, we are focused on developing four hockey play schools in the state, buying 100 hockey sticks and 50 hockey balls for immediate distribution to the schools, organise quarterly tournaments to access progress made and we intend to attend all relevant national hockey tournaments in Nigeria. By December we will appraise the first year’s efforts and we thank sponsors for agreeing to support the association in meeting all legitimate expectations placed on the board by the State Governor Godwin Obaseki.”
According to the state hockey association boss, the four schools picked as hockey development centres in the state are St Maria Gorretti College, Benin City; Niger College, Benin City; ldia College, Benin City and Our Lady of Fatima, Auchi.
Meanwhile, plans are in top gear for the first Edo/Delta Masters hockey championship slated for Saturday, May 20 at St Maria Gorretti.
“It is a full day activities, with over 50 players 40 years and above, outside junior players from both states, are expected,” Imoedemhe said.
