Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has given N50 million to the players and coaches of the Real Madrid Football Academy, Port Harcourt, for their performance on a recent football tour of the United Kingdom.
He announced the reward on Friday while receiving the academy’s management and students at Government House, Port Harcourt, according to a statement by his media aide, Onwuka Nzeshi. The governor praised the team’s discipline and exemplary conduct, saying he was pleased that, despite challenges on the trip, the team returned victorious with no incident of misconduct that could embarrass the state.
Fubara said the academy, set up by his predecessor Nyesom Wike, was designed to nurture young talents who could build lucrative football careers, adding that the football economy is bigger than many conventional corporate organisations. He said the UK tour was sponsored to expose the students to international football, and he was pleased that some of them had reportedly drawn interest from foreign clubs offering greater opportunities abroad.
Stressing that intelligence without character amounts to nothing, he said his administration aims not only to develop the students’ football skills but also to shape them into responsible citizens and worthy ambassadors of the state.
He assured them that the government would address complaints about inadequate facilities, insufficient accommodation, and other challenges at the academy. He also thanked the local and foreign consultants who led the tour and urged the students to take their studies seriously alongside football. For many students who had never travelled beyond Port Harcourt, he said, the trip offered life-changing exposure.
“You have made us very proud… not just because of the trophy that you won but your conduct throughout the tour,” he told them.
Secretary to the State Government Dr Dagogo Wokoma praised the governor for sponsoring the tour, calling it historic and a pacesetter nationally.
The academy’s Principal, Dr Prudence Isaac-Harry, thanked the governor, describing his support as “unparalleled magnanimity.” She said 61 student-athletes and 12 officials took part in the tour, the students’ first international football experience, and that they impressed in their matches and left a positive impression in Southampton and London.
The team was given a silver trophy, she said, and the trip has opened the way to further international tournaments, with several top-tier clubs already extending invitations to the academy.
