A renowned Nigerian ball juggler, Moses Amata (aka Olu of Warri) has dedicated the Ajegunle Sports Golden Legend Award he received last weekend to his late mother.
Amata, who shot into the limelight in 1996, when the former chairman of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Emeka Omeruah spotted him at the maiden Traders Cup final in Lagos, enthused that his latest award will boost his desire to keep making sports lovers happy at the grassroots.
It comes hot on the heels of his recent acquisition of a marketing and endorsement deal with Haggai International, which has led to a spree of sports kit donations to several youth clubs across Lagos State and environs.
The Haggai deal also marks a continuum of the long chain of branding, support packages and ventures Amata has received since Omeruah spotted him at Onikan Stadium, Lagos.
He ended up getting full sponsorship from German sports kit manufacturers, Adidas to thrill fans at France ’98 World Cup.
Amata, who played active football for Polavis FC, Invisible Leopards, NEPA and NPA of Warri as well as Obedafe of Ughelli, disclosed that getting to show his skills off at Parc Trocadero in Paris remains his biggest spotlight in ball juggling.
He has since gone on to grace ball juggling and freestyling events in Mali, Togo, Benin Republic, Cameroon, Tanzania, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Kenya, Ghana, Mozambique, South Africa and Japan.
However, Amata recalled that he would have been a professional footballer had he not been dropped at the last minute from the Golden Eaglets’ camp in 1993 and Flying Eagles in 1995.
He confessed that the frustration of missing out on the final squad lists of both teams pushed him into giving more attention to ball juggling, especially after he was dropped from the Eaglets’ roster at the airport.
In hindsight, the alumnus of Ajeromi Ifelodun High School (Sinclair), Olodi-Apapa, Lagos admitted that giving more attention to ball juggling has paid off for him quite handsomely.
It is based on the contributions he has given Ajegunle that the dark-skinned Amata was named among the legends that went home with awards.
It adds to a haul of similar honours he has received at home and abroad, which Amata reckoned will encourage him to continue putting joy back into the community that produced him.
While revealing that he dedicated the award to the memory of his late mother, who encouraged him to keep going when he faced tough times at the onset of the then unpopular genre, Amata promised that he will never relent in his grassroots outreach.
Amata said: “This award is dedicated to my late mother, Her Royal Highness Mrs Felicia Amata Okumowei, for her support and encouragement.
“I took on football juggling because my football career was affected after I was dropped from the Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles.
“I soon became the first African ball juggler to become Adidas brand ambassador, after I took part in the Coca Cola World Cup trophy tour in 1998.
“My breakthrough came when Omeruah invited me to Abuja, after watching me juggle the ball during the Traders Cup final.
“I appreciate what he did for me and how God has helped me go very far with ball juggling; as I have visited many countries in Africa and the world.
“That has not made me forget my roots and where I came from. I am happy that I have been able to make an impact, but I want to do more.
“That’s why I want to go to the nooks and crannies of every community; to give back to the youths of this country.
“I want to give them my own initiative and help many hidden talents become even greater than me.
“I thank the companies that are helping me, I thank the people that gave me this award and I want government to help me renew my visa; so that I can travel abroad again next year.”
