Marvel Dick unfolds agenda for Delta Teqball

Posted : 10 July 2023

Marvel Dick, Chairman of Delta State Teqball Association has revealed his plans to produce and develop Teqball players from the South South state to become number one in the country who can compete favourably against their counterparts from across the globe.

Dick spoke on the sidelines of the concluded 2022/2023 NNL Super playoffs at Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba.

“As chairman of Delta State Teqball Association, my immediate priority is to ensure that I’m able to develop Teqball athletes from Delta State to become number one in the country.

Dick, on his immediate plans towards achieving a dream team for the sport which featured as a demonstration game on Friday prior to the final match of the Super 8 playoffs between Kano Pillars and Heartland, assured that the sport would grow.

“I’ve been trying different strategies, first, to give the sport (Teqball) proper recognition.

``I know that, to an extent, I’ve contributed immensely and made huge sacrifices, even at the national level, they are aware of this.

“I never played Teqball but when you see skillful people playing the game, at first, it would seem like it wasn’t a difficult game.

``So, I told myself, before you even market a product, you must first of all use that product.

“I think that was what motivated me and my friends to say, let’s try it, we know the rules of the game. And the minute we started doing it, you noticed that the guys that came yesterday, though impromptu, they saw it on my status and nine of them from Ughelli, called and said, 'Sir we’re coming to Asaba, we want to come and enjoy the Teqball with you’.

“It cost me nothing. The expenses were entirely on them. What I’m trying to do now is to introduce Teqball to the clubs.

``NNL is the height of it. All the grassroot clubs we’ve here in the state, all their desires is to get into the setting where they can get into the NNL and from there graduate into the Premier League where there players could be seen and scouted.

“So, I want to use this Teqball as a medium to make these club owners understand that Teqball as a game can improve your skill and focus, I mean, the players focus in football and as well, their ball control.”

He hinted that he has plans to float a Delta State Teqball League in the future.

“Here in Delta State, we’ve already started what is called Delta State Teqball Tour”, informs the soft speaking young businessman.

“We did the first edition earlier this year. Later, we did the National Challenge.

``It was to be an all Delta athletes affairs but because we have just few athletes in terms of Teqball players in the state.

``We knew that since we wanted more numbers to give people the idea that a lot of states are already participating in the game, we had to push it further to bring in more states and we did the National Tournament.

``Going forward, we look forward to running our own State Teqball League.”

Dick disclosed that as a young man, he has that flair for sports.

“One thing I like and cherish so much about sports is that it keeps you healthy. It’s also a medium to unite people and it also gives you that platform to express yourself at anytime.

“I came into contact with Teqball through a friend and later began to make my own research about the sport. I saw that it was fast growing.

“Although it has a Federation not properly recognised by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Development at a time but with the way they were carrying out their organisational structure, to me, was quite impressive.

“They gave me the opportunity to kick-start Teqball event here in Delta State. They saw the passion I put into it. They felt that someone like this (me) can also help the sport.

“One good thing I admire about the sport is that it’s a game for the retirees, which means that in Teqball, there’s no age limit.

“It’s a game for the young, old, the advanced and everyone and I feel it’s one of the solutions for most of the problems in football.

``People play football during their prime but when they retire, they find it difficult to get a brand that can sign (endorse) them and it feels like they never existed.

“So, I told myself that if this can be the solution to that problem, then it's worth investing into. That is the motivation.”

Marvel Dick unfolds agenda for Delta Teqball

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