Adoye Iyalla, Port Harcourt
In a bid to encourage the young generation to take coaching as a profession, a call has been that retired ‘Coaches of the Rivers State Sports Council should be paid their pension and gratuity in the State.The former Head of Department [HOD] Coaching in the state Sports Council, Wari Senibo Kalada Amiekuma said this in an exclusive interview during the send fourth of retired coaches at the Multi-Purpose Hall, Civic Centre in Port Harcourt
Coach Kalada Amiekuma said there was a ‘Pension Scheme Law set up by the former Governor, Dr. Peter Odili administration to take care of retired coaches in Rivers State.
He therefore appealed to the Rivers State Government to pay the approved gratuity and pension to the workers.
Earlier, the retired boxing coach; Mr. Jonathan Ededi has called on the State Government to appoint ‘Stadium Assistant’ in the Boxing Association in the Sports Council.
Mr. Ededi, retired but not tired coach up till today said in those old good days “they box for the interest of boxing, but today everybody (is there to) box for money’’ The 2009 retired coach added that previously there were stadium assistants who monitored athletes to know when they came for training and sometimes penalized when absent.
On the 18th National Sports Festival in Lagos, he stated that hopefully Rivers State will triumph over their opponents come November-December 2012.
In his address, the interim Chairman of Rivers State Coaches Association, Mr. Elsie Peterside said these coaches have performed by winning medals for the state as athletes and coaches and they also assisted the various associations. Those honoured are Jonathan Ededi, Boxing; Eyee Godfrey, Wrestling; Josephine Jaja, Basketball; Banuna Godwin, Athletic; Babatunde Olakunle, Boxing, Humphrey Briggs, Tennis; and Adeleye Philip, Boxing amongst others.
