Africa

John Egbokhan


Organisers of the Hill- Post breakers hockey festival believe that the tourney would serve as a fertile preparatory ground for teams that would represent Nigeria at this month's African Cup for Club Champions in Abuja.

It is no longer news that Nigeria would be hosting this year's African Cup for Club Champions, hockey's equivalent of the African Champions League and it is the first time the nation would be doing that, all thanks to the new synthetic turf which was constructed at the Abuja National Stadium.


No fewer than eight nations with at least two teams each would converge on Abuja from April 24-May 2 for exciting hockey matches. Sketchy reports have it that top countries like Egypt and South Africa have intensified their preparations for this top tournament while not much can be said of the readiness of Nigerian teams, who however are being served with an inviting opportunity to get into top gear for Abuja 2004.

"The Hill-Post breakers hockey festival (Okpanam 2004) would be a dress rehearsal for the African Cup for Club Champions because it would provide the four teams that would represent Nigeria much needed opportunity to get into top shape for what promises to be a very competitive championship in Abuja", said Patrick Ukah, sponsor of the tournament, which is in its fifth year.

Ukah, who represented Nigeria at various stages in the past before quitting the game that brought him much fame, told Sports Vanguard that after Okpanam 2004, no Nigerian team would have any recourse to complain of inadequate preparations.

"During my time, we did not have the opportunity to face match situations before participating in international or continental assignments. But we were determined to succeed and tried our best at whatever stage we found ourselves but things have changed today because our teams at Abuja 2004 are being presented with the opportunity to streamline their tactics before the games start.

"The standard may not be up to that of the African Cup for Club Champions but it would not doubt help to put things into perspective for our teams because their respective coaches would be able to see those salient factors that he would not have seen during training. "And that explains why most teams are inching to participate at Okpanam 2004 because they recognise that the tourney would help them to fine-tune their skills ahead of Abuja 2004", added Ukah. Okpanam 2004 starts this weekend at the grass turf of Okpalani commercial secondary school, near Asaba, Delta State.

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