From Tony John, Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has held a preparatory meeting with officials of Interact Sports and Real Madrid Campus Experience in Madrid, Spain, as part of the process to set up a Football Academy that would be affiliated to the club.

The meeting  was a prelude to today’s tour of Real Madrid’s training facilities by Wike and his  team, which includes Commissioner of Sports, Boma Iyaye, former Nigerian international, Adokiye Amiesimaka, Majority Whip of Rivers State House of Assembly, Mr. Evans Bipi, and member of Rivers State Senior Secondary School Board, Chief Hanny Woko. The governor said setting up the football academy is in the interest of the state as it hopes to groom the next generation of stars. 

“What we are doing is in the interest of Rivers state. This football academy, which will be the first of its kind, will groom stars, empower youths and create wealth for the state.

“Sports is big business and my administration intends to empower the next generation through sports. That is why we are investing in different aspects of sports. By next February, we will host the African Wrestling Championship.”

Vice President of Interact Sports, Mr. Kazma, said that the group was happy to be working with the Rivers state Government to actualise the goal of setting up the academy and assured football stakeholders that the academy would be run in line with international best practices, to groom footballers who would  graduate to become international stars.