Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State and other stakeholders in Sports received honors for achievements in the sports sub sector at the inaugural edition of the Dream Boys Football Academy award.
The ceremony which took place at the Odi Pavilion at Odi Town in Kolokuma-Opokuma Local Government Area was used to confer awards to top personalities and athletes who distinguished themselves and made valuable contributions to sports development in the State.
Bayelsa State governor Senator Douye Diri, Deputy governor Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, Commissioner for Youths and Sports Development, Daniel Igali, Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Surveyor Moses Teibowei,Perekiye Buruboyefe, Director of Sports, Bayelsa State Sports Council, Sir Braveman Wodi headlined the list of awardees.
Chairman, Bayelsa State Civil Service Commission, Dr. Peter Singabele, a former Speaker, Bayelsa House of Assembly, Dr. Tonye Isenah, Bayelsa State Football Association Chairman, Poubeni Ogun, the State FA Secretary Diseye Nwankwe, Ebiki Timtimi and ‘Youth Governor’ Doubra Okumokou amongst others also got recognition for various contributions to the growth of sports.
Chairman of the occasion and commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Surveyor Moses Teibowei said he was happy with the progress made by Dream Boys FA so far, particularly with a product of the academy, Victory Beniangba plying his trade outside the country.
He expressed the hope that future world stars would be produced by the academy due to the passion and drive the founder of the academy has displayed.
Surveyor Teibowei charged the players to be disciplined and listen to instructions from their coaches, stating that talent without discipline frustrates success.
Earlier in an address of welcome, founder of Dream Boys Academy, Dift Edike asserted that his dream had always been to own a sports university before settling for an academy, pointing out that finance has always been a major challenge.
Mr Edike explained that the journey of the Dream Boys Football Academy had been rough due inadequate funds to execute many activities.
He thanked all those who supported the academy in the past few years to the level where players groomed by academy now play international football.
In a lecture, National President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, SWAN Sir Honour Sirawo delivered through the Bayelsa SWAN chairman, Mr Alambo Datonye highlighted the importance of sports as a tool to foster friendship and peaceful coexistence in society.
He explained that sport was a veritable vehicle for unity and national cohesion for sustainable socio-economic development, saying that sports over the years had offered different countries to channel the energies of youths into productive ventures.
He urged Government to continue to invest heavily in sport and support football academies through grants to harness budding talents at the grassroots.
In separate goodwill messages, Director of Sports, Bayelsa State Sports Council, Sir Braveman Wodi and Chairman, Bayelsa United, Mr Ebiki Timitimi, charged footballers to combine sports and education in order for them to be useful in society after retirement from active sports.
They added that many players had retired without having something to fallback on despite the huge earnings in their playing days as footballers.
