Olympiakos of Greece striker, Aide Brown Ideye has disclosed that his main motive for agreeing to sponsor a youth football competition in Port Harcourt, Rivers State is to encourage hidden talents that might not get the opportunities of showcasing their abilities.
Speaking against the backdrop of the competition’s kick-off last Wednesday, May 4, the former Ocean Boys of Brass and Bayelsa United of Yenagoa striker told SportsDay exclusively that it also a huge opportunity for him to put something back into the community that produced him.
Although Ideye grew up in Ajegunle, Lagos, he is an indigene of Rivers State and now spends his holidays at his house in Port Harcourt, which he says has now become his real home.
That has informed his zeal for the maiden Brown Ideye Challenge, which will run through to the first week of June and the striker, who has also played for Neuchâtel Xamax of Switzerland, Sochaux of France, Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine and West Bromwich Albion on England, says he plans to be live at the final.
He, however, noted that he will join his Super Eagles mates for the double header International friendly games against Mali and Luxembourg before returning to Nigeria to be part of the competition.
Ideye also admitted he thought about staging the competition in Lagos, where he has backed other similar events in the past, but says it has always been his desire to encourage young footballers growing up in Port Harcourt.
“If I had my way, we would have done this in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Bayelsa and Delta, which are all places where I have played football in Nigeria, and these places also made impacts in my life.
“But I know that for logistics reasons that will not be possible now so I am focusing on Port Harcourt. I have also done Ideye and Friends before in Lagos and plan to support the Ajegunle Nations Cup later this year.
“What I am doing in Port Harcourt is just like a small drop in the ocean but I also believe that if everyone, or many of us put in our little drops, we could all get the ocean we desire.
“The youth need to focus and be busy around this period and I feel I can be a part of their progress knowing a lot of us who play football professionally started on the streets and many did not get the kind of lucky break that we got.
“I believe in the Main Organising Committee led by China Acheru. I have known him for some time and I believe the team he has put together will be capable of making this football tournament a complete success.
“I am so sure that by the time the final of the tournament is played we will see that our aim was achieved but for now, I am thinking of helping my team win the Cup here in Greece,” Ideye concluded.
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