9th June, 2011
Secretary General of Gbagada SPORTS Association, Kemac Emina, in this interview with SUNDAY AKINTOYE, speaks of how his mother stopped him from playing football.
Gbagada Grassroots Sports Association has not been organising football competition lately, what went wrong?
It’s true. We are planning to organise Unity Cup competition later this month. There is also in the pipeline, the Champions League where four clubs that have recently won laurels in Lagos will be invited to take part in the one day event.
Senator Olorunimbe Mamora is no more in the Senate, don’t you think Mamora Cup will suffer?
Nothing is going to happen to Mamora Cup. The sponsor, Senataor Mamora, has promised his support for the competition. We don’t have any problem about that. All we need is to make sure that this year’s edition surpasses the previous editions.
How do you get sponsors for all your football competitions?
Apart from Mamora Cup, we don’t have sponsors for other competitions. We do task ourselves and make sure that we spend the money we get from registration forms and gate fees judiciously.
Did you play the round leather game when you were young?
I played for many grassroots clubs before I quit active football. I played for the defunct Super Stars and Varamah FC before I went for a screening exercise at Bendel Insurance.
Did you make it at the screening?
I could not make it, but one of the coaches in charge who was impressed by my performance gave me a letter to Investment Corporation of Akure where I was selected but unfortunately my mother stopped me from playing football.
Was your mother not interested in football?
Of course. She wanted me to go to school and be educated. After a long battle with her, I had to accept what she wanted for me. I went to Ilaro Polythechnic where I studied Maketing. At Ilaro Poly, I played in our inter-departmental cup, Rector Cup and featured for my institution at the NIPOGA Games.
Do you have any regrets that your football career was cut short by your mother?
Honestly, I am happy today that I am educated and have what it takes to go far in my chosen career. My mother has tried for me. If not for her, who knows, I may not be in this position today.
You show interest in both politics and football administration; are you planning to contest for a political post someday?
A lot of people want me to come into politics but I told them that my time has not come. I have an ambition to serve my people in the nearest future.
