Well, we are in the dying days of the World Cup spectacle in South Africa. Immediately Nigeria were sent out of the championship my spirit waned.  The moment Ghana that took up the gauntlet from where Nigeria left off were knocked out, the spirit of the World Cup ‘died’ in me. Since last Tuesday, I have been trying to rekindle my interest more because I have a responsibility to carry out my assignment with Coca-cola than because there was anything of major interest to me left in the championship.  I am trying all I can to sustain my interest particularly since I have a responsibility to Coca-cola to see the World Cup to the very end through my eyes.

I am brooding over anything that can rekindle my spirit. I open my mail box and find it! It has been waiting for a few days. It is a personal letter from Mr. Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister and Chairman of the Beyond Sports Ambassadors. Do you recall that my pet project, The International (Sports) Academy, Wasimi Orile, was nominated for an international award last year as one of 5 other such projects in the world in the Social Inclusion category? Although the school did not finally win the award, its work did not go unnoticed. Since then, work has been rather slow in development both in the Wasimi Orile Community as well as in the school, I believe because of the economic crutch which has reduced Corporate Social Responsibility activities of many organisations.  I have showed no interest in the 2010 awards as a result, and even when there was the opportunity of accessing an international fund to develop two tennis courts in needy communities around the world I choose not to seek it but to request that the two courts we have built already in the school be fenced so that my students would not have to scurry after balls flying into the bushes around the courts. Playing tennis in Wasimi without fencing has become as cumbersome as running miles in the bush!  It may have been the sincerity in my humble request, or that they felt or sensed my frustration, I may never know, but then comes this God-sent letter. Let me reproduce a part of it that did to my ailing spirt in South Africa what all the football drama could not do.

As my late father used to advise me: ‘be consistent, one day the rewards will come’. Apparently one of those rewards is here, in the acknowledgement of my little effort in grassroots sports development, community development and education. Mr. Tony Blair has extended an invitation to me to be a part of the Beyond Sports Summit and Awards in Chicago in September! His letter reads in part:

‘I’m delighted to invite you to attend the second annual Beyond Sport Summit in Chicago between September 29-30.

As a specially selected invitee, and an individual with the influence to facilitate change, we hope you will participate in this unique gathering of leaders from across the world.

Your insight and experiences are crucial to the success of Beyond Sport. It is our hope that you will confirm your attendance to this exciting event and lend your voice to our ongoing goal of understanding, developing and celebrating sport’s power to change lives for the better.

Sincerely,

Rt. Hon. Tony Blair

Chairman of Ambassadors, Beyond Sport’

The letter more than warmed me up for the final match of the 2010 World Cup coming up tomorrow at the magnificent Sun City stadium, Johannesburg, where the two most enduring teams of the championship, two teams that will be setting a new record as two finalists that have never won the World Cup before!