By Chimezie Anaso
Patrick-Estate Onyedum, Chairman of Anambra Sports Development Commission, has described the late Edson Arantes do Nascimento, aka Pele, as legend and moral standard for sportsmen and celebrities.
According to him, the three times world cup winner remains the greatest footballer of all time and will be sorely missed by the world and lovers of football in particular.
Onyedum spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday while reacting to the passing on of Brazilian Pele, 82, who passed away at the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo following a battle with cancer.
He said it was amazing that in spite his rise to stardom which started at an early age of 15 years, Pele kept his head high and did not allow his fame to corrupt his image until he died at 82.
“Pele was a great icon, a legendary football and world super star, but the interesting thing is that there was no known scandal around him.
“Sports stars and other celebrities usual fall into the crisis associated with fame like drugs, rape or even disobedience to laws of state but Pele had no such dent, he was both a legend and moral standard,” he said.
Onyedum said Pele’s death had created a huge vacuum in the football world but advised that his life was a worthy case study for anybody who wished to rise to the top of his or her career.
Also speaking, Victor Nwangu, a veteran footballer and sports administrator, described Pele as one whose name brought glory and respect to football.
Nwangwu said Pele was a metaphor for simplicity, humility, excellence and pride of black race to human civilisation
He said there was so much that up and coming athletes and footballers, especially of Nigerian descent, could learn from the way Pele carried himself all through his lifetime.
“His name brought glory and respect to football because the way he carried himself, he was pride of negros.
“He is a worthy ambassador of football, a metaphor for black contribution to human civilisation, he was on top of the world but yet humble and widely loved.
“There is a lot of lesson to learn, the only thing he had on himself was the Crucifix always on his neck
“Never changed his skin or hair color, he did not change dressing or wear dreadlocks, he never forgot his background.
“Nigerian footballers should learn from him; they should do more in the way they play than the way the want to be seen,” he said.(NAN)
