cooler
02-26-2006, 04:46 PM
Badminton in Coma As Robbers Kill President
Vanguard (Lagos)
NEWS
February 25, 2006
Posted to the web February 25, 2006
By Sam John
The soul of the sport of badminton in the country is dead. The president of the national federation, Alhaji Shuaibu Sabon-Birni was murdered last Tuesday (February 14) by the men of the underworld in his home state of Sokoto while on national assignment.
The first vice-president of the federation, Dr. Soji Adegbomire, heralded the sad news. "Can I be on to Sam John," his voice came anxiously over the phone. "There is sad news. Our president was killed this morning. He was shot dead by armed robbers in Sokoto."
Confusion took over as he hung the phone. Later in the day, the confirmation came from Alhaji Kabir Badamasuiy, a close confidant of the slain president. "Why is it that good people don't last?" Kabir asked with a pain in his voice. "People who are known for bad things live up to 60, 80 years, yet the good ones are just cut down like that."
Born 54 years ago in Sabon-Birni, Sokoto State, Alhaji Shuaibu proved himself during the national sports federation elections in March 2005. The man who would be the president of the badminton federation is Alhaji Shuaibu Sabon-Birni, predicted Ebewele, the Director of Sports in Edo State, as the national board of the sport was being planned. "He has worked hard enough for it. And besides, he loves the game with a passion. He is the man you will support in the election."
Sabon-Birni's passion for the game was palpable. His lifestyle was simple. Born on the 22nd of June, 1952, the man's daily chore was, "work at his DNCR office, pray five times a day as a devout Moslem and play badminton at the Sani Abacha Military Cantonment, Abuja in the evening. He enjoyed the game and the game gave him health and youth. At 54, he looked 43. He was so fit that he took on national team players like Orobosa at competitive levels.
"On the court, you won't know that he is the president of the federation. You would think that he is one of the players," remarked Emmanuel Zira, the team manager of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria.
In the short time that he piloted the affairs of the badminton federation, Alhaji Shuaibu distinguished himself as an affectionate, loving and peaceful gentleman. Such was the love that Shuaibu radiated that he was easily attracted to everybody. And now he is dead to be mourned by everybody who knew him. "Is it true that Sabon-Birni is dead?" the voice of Brown Ebewele was next on the line. "Then Nigeria is in trouble. That is very sad for the country."
Sabon-Birni's death is indeed sad, not just for the National ID Card project for which he travelled to Sokoto, but for the badminton family which he laboured so hard to bring together in the country and in the African continent. His love for the sport was very strong. He single- handedly relocated the federation's secretariat to Abuja. He provided the office space and furnished it before members could complain of the empty purse inherited from the previous board.
During the election that brought the present board into place, Alhaji Shuaibu put aside personal differences to reach out to the various interests angling for power. He succeeded. Dr. Adegbomire was the first to drop his guard, and then followed by Alhaji Sadiq Aminu and lastly, Cephas Lar.
At the federation's inaugural meeting, Alhaji Sabon-Birni had outlined the direction of the new board he wanted to lead. He outlined the tasks before the board as grassroots development, national tournaments, international politics and development of infrastructure and equipment.
Arguably, the badminton federation ended the year as the most active association in the country. Barely a week after the inauguration, the federation, backed by the financial support of Alhaji Shuaibu, secured sponsorship for five players, one coach and two officials, to represent Nigeria at the South Africa International Tournament. On the heel of that tournament was the All-Africa Junior Championship, which Nigeria easily won for the first time. These feats were besides the local events that took place in Ilorin, Kwara State and Abuja.
On continental politics, Sabon-Birni was a shinning star. His aura was so overwhelming that once he made known his intention to contest the position of the president of the African Badminton Federation, ABF, he was easily given the mantle of leadership. That was at the junior championship in Ethiopia which was barely three months before assuming the presidency of the national body.
In his acceptance speech, Shuaibu easily offered a whiff of his qualities. "Let me assure you all that the confidence reposed in me shall be duly justified through a purposeful leadership and a passionate desire to make significant impact on the development of badminton during my tenure as president," he pledged before an appreciative crowd that included the deputy president of the International Badminton Federation, IBF, Mr. Datuk Punch Gunalan.
The ABF was confident that with the new board's "resolve to work" and the fact that the international federation had become willing to assist the African continent, "the sport in years to come, will be a success story."
In spite of such excellent display of political clout, Sabon-Birni was not even a politician in the local (Nigerian) sense of it. "I can't play politics. Politicians are liars," he once told me. "I am a man of integrity."
That turned out to be true. The closest the man came to playing "local" politics was during the Nigeria Olympic Committee elections held last November in Abuja. An over-trusting Sabon-Birni had taken my quest for the public relations position as a personal battle he wanted to win.
"The president of the NOC was my classmate in school and he has given me his word that he would work with you. Don't entertain any fears, you will be the next PRO of the NOC," he had assured.
But the president of the NOC is a (Nigerian) politician, a double-speak man. On many occasions, Engineer Habu Gumel was met on the issue. On each occasion, he ended the meeting with, "Insha Allau, you shall be." Alhaji Shuaibu believed him even though Gumel's body language was good enough to leave some butterflies in any stomach.
The NOC president was the bride every contestant was looking for. He had three votes in his pocket. He was the president of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, (NVF), the treasurer of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa, (SCSA) and a member of the International Volleyball Federation, (FIVB).
These three votes were his to cast the way he wanted. These votes apart, Gumel, as an unopposed president, had an overriding influence over his NOC members.
Barely 24 hours to the elections, Alhaji Shuaibu moved into the Chida International Hotel, Abuja, venue of the NOC congress, from where he canvassed every delegate accredited for the election. From time to time, he assured me of the progress so far. At the pools, he sat by me, prayed and hoped for good outing with me as the events unfolded.
At the end of voting, the presiding officer read out a very shocking result. My only opponent, Mr. Tony Nezianya, the incumbent PRO, was declared the winner by three votes. A devastated Sabon-Birni was to conclude later, "I still feel betrayed by Gumel. The three votes with which you were beaten were actually his."
Too true, Gumel's votes were my albatross. The failure at the NOC election was obviously one of the disappointments that came the way of the badminton family last year. But perhaps, the bigger disappointment now is the death of Alhaji Shuaibu Sabon-Birni whose promise to make the sport of badminton a "success story" is completely dashed.
Vanguard (Lagos)
NEWS
February 25, 2006
Posted to the web February 25, 2006
By Sam John
The soul of the sport of badminton in the country is dead. The president of the national federation, Alhaji Shuaibu Sabon-Birni was murdered last Tuesday (February 14) by the men of the underworld in his home state of Sokoto while on national assignment.
The first vice-president of the federation, Dr. Soji Adegbomire, heralded the sad news. "Can I be on to Sam John," his voice came anxiously over the phone. "There is sad news. Our president was killed this morning. He was shot dead by armed robbers in Sokoto."
Confusion took over as he hung the phone. Later in the day, the confirmation came from Alhaji Kabir Badamasuiy, a close confidant of the slain president. "Why is it that good people don't last?" Kabir asked with a pain in his voice. "People who are known for bad things live up to 60, 80 years, yet the good ones are just cut down like that."
Born 54 years ago in Sabon-Birni, Sokoto State, Alhaji Shuaibu proved himself during the national sports federation elections in March 2005. The man who would be the president of the badminton federation is Alhaji Shuaibu Sabon-Birni, predicted Ebewele, the Director of Sports in Edo State, as the national board of the sport was being planned. "He has worked hard enough for it. And besides, he loves the game with a passion. He is the man you will support in the election."
Sabon-Birni's passion for the game was palpable. His lifestyle was simple. Born on the 22nd of June, 1952, the man's daily chore was, "work at his DNCR office, pray five times a day as a devout Moslem and play badminton at the Sani Abacha Military Cantonment, Abuja in the evening. He enjoyed the game and the game gave him health and youth. At 54, he looked 43. He was so fit that he took on national team players like Orobosa at competitive levels.
"On the court, you won't know that he is the president of the federation. You would think that he is one of the players," remarked Emmanuel Zira, the team manager of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria.
In the short time that he piloted the affairs of the badminton federation, Alhaji Shuaibu distinguished himself as an affectionate, loving and peaceful gentleman. Such was the love that Shuaibu radiated that he was easily attracted to everybody. And now he is dead to be mourned by everybody who knew him. "Is it true that Sabon-Birni is dead?" the voice of Brown Ebewele was next on the line. "Then Nigeria is in trouble. That is very sad for the country."
Sabon-Birni's death is indeed sad, not just for the National ID Card project for which he travelled to Sokoto, but for the badminton family which he laboured so hard to bring together in the country and in the African continent. His love for the sport was very strong. He single- handedly relocated the federation's secretariat to Abuja. He provided the office space and furnished it before members could complain of the empty purse inherited from the previous board.
During the election that brought the present board into place, Alhaji Shuaibu put aside personal differences to reach out to the various interests angling for power. He succeeded. Dr. Adegbomire was the first to drop his guard, and then followed by Alhaji Sadiq Aminu and lastly, Cephas Lar.
At the federation's inaugural meeting, Alhaji Sabon-Birni had outlined the direction of the new board he wanted to lead. He outlined the tasks before the board as grassroots development, national tournaments, international politics and development of infrastructure and equipment.
Arguably, the badminton federation ended the year as the most active association in the country. Barely a week after the inauguration, the federation, backed by the financial support of Alhaji Shuaibu, secured sponsorship for five players, one coach and two officials, to represent Nigeria at the South Africa International Tournament. On the heel of that tournament was the All-Africa Junior Championship, which Nigeria easily won for the first time. These feats were besides the local events that took place in Ilorin, Kwara State and Abuja.
On continental politics, Sabon-Birni was a shinning star. His aura was so overwhelming that once he made known his intention to contest the position of the president of the African Badminton Federation, ABF, he was easily given the mantle of leadership. That was at the junior championship in Ethiopia which was barely three months before assuming the presidency of the national body.
In his acceptance speech, Shuaibu easily offered a whiff of his qualities. "Let me assure you all that the confidence reposed in me shall be duly justified through a purposeful leadership and a passionate desire to make significant impact on the development of badminton during my tenure as president," he pledged before an appreciative crowd that included the deputy president of the International Badminton Federation, IBF, Mr. Datuk Punch Gunalan.
The ABF was confident that with the new board's "resolve to work" and the fact that the international federation had become willing to assist the African continent, "the sport in years to come, will be a success story."
In spite of such excellent display of political clout, Sabon-Birni was not even a politician in the local (Nigerian) sense of it. "I can't play politics. Politicians are liars," he once told me. "I am a man of integrity."
That turned out to be true. The closest the man came to playing "local" politics was during the Nigeria Olympic Committee elections held last November in Abuja. An over-trusting Sabon-Birni had taken my quest for the public relations position as a personal battle he wanted to win.
"The president of the NOC was my classmate in school and he has given me his word that he would work with you. Don't entertain any fears, you will be the next PRO of the NOC," he had assured.
But the president of the NOC is a (Nigerian) politician, a double-speak man. On many occasions, Engineer Habu Gumel was met on the issue. On each occasion, he ended the meeting with, "Insha Allau, you shall be." Alhaji Shuaibu believed him even though Gumel's body language was good enough to leave some butterflies in any stomach.
The NOC president was the bride every contestant was looking for. He had three votes in his pocket. He was the president of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, (NVF), the treasurer of the Supreme Council for Sports in Africa, (SCSA) and a member of the International Volleyball Federation, (FIVB).
These three votes were his to cast the way he wanted. These votes apart, Gumel, as an unopposed president, had an overriding influence over his NOC members.
Barely 24 hours to the elections, Alhaji Shuaibu moved into the Chida International Hotel, Abuja, venue of the NOC congress, from where he canvassed every delegate accredited for the election. From time to time, he assured me of the progress so far. At the pools, he sat by me, prayed and hoped for good outing with me as the events unfolded.
At the end of voting, the presiding officer read out a very shocking result. My only opponent, Mr. Tony Nezianya, the incumbent PRO, was declared the winner by three votes. A devastated Sabon-Birni was to conclude later, "I still feel betrayed by Gumel. The three votes with which you were beaten were actually his."
Too true, Gumel's votes were my albatross. The failure at the NOC election was obviously one of the disappointments that came the way of the badminton family last year. But perhaps, the bigger disappointment now is the death of Alhaji Shuaibu Sabon-Birni whose promise to make the sport of badminton a "success story" is completely dashed.