FOOTBALLERS, eh? Best case, they’re wearing expensive watches and surrounded by an entourage; worst case, they’re in court accused of assaults on women.
Not all of them, of course.
Alex Iwobi had the obligatory chunky timepiece when he came to Belfast on Sunday, and a few people with him, but they were family and friends of the Nigeria and Everton midfielder, the people who run his charitable foundation.
Tellingly, the affable, smiling 26-year-old didn’t even name that after himself, but calls it Project 17, from his favoured shirt number.
Even more impressively, Iwobi made time during the Premier League season to visit the headquarters of EMSONI, the Ethnic Minority Sports Organisation Northern Ireland, which operates out of a west Belfast enterprise centre.
Project 17 works to end destitution among migrant children, working with families experiencing exceptional poverty to improve their access to local authority support, and has now linked up with EMSONI.
Born in Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos, the footballer came to London when he was only eight months old. His has been a success story, going from east London to Arsenal, then on to Everton, and representing both England and Nigeria on the international stage, featuring for the Super Eagles at the 2018 World Cup and the African Cup of Nations.
As a nephew of the legendary Jay-Jay Okocha, with his own dad – also Alex – having been a footballer in Nigeria, Iwobi had a good support network in the sport, he acknowledges:
“Of course, growing up as a kid, I had support from Arsenal and my family. I want to give support myself to people that aren't as fortunate as I was… I'm grateful for what I have, but things like EMSONI wasn't around in my area. So things like that will definitely help them in the future.”
Having said that, growing up around Canning Town and Plaistow in east London was much more multi-cultural than Northern Ireland is even now, Iwobi recalled:
“Going to school around there, there were a lot of different backgrounds, different cultures, from what I remember. Even though there was a lot of cultures, we all see each other as one, everyone speaking English. We all used to treat each other the same, have banter and laughter, learn the same things in school…
“I'm sure EMSONI will be able to bring everyone together and give everyone equal opportunity, that's the main thing.”
Project 17 has partnered with EMSONI, whose stated aim is one of “diversifying the face of sports. Our approach is to use the medium of sports to integrate migrants within the ethnic minority community and with the local communities in Northern Ireland.
“As the voice of ethnic minority sports in Northern Ireland, we echo migrants’ views on sports and wellbeing with the focus to strengthen the system with a renewed sense of optimism – moving our society from what it is towards what it could be.”
It helps that EMSONI founder Adekanmi Abayomi is Lagos-born like Iwobi, but the Everton man insisted he was going to visit no matter what:
“We've been talking to make sure that I'll be able to come even if I don't have a day off, but I was lucky to get a day off and time to come and visit Belfast.
“What EMSONI is doing is something I've wanted to be involved in, giving youngsters an opportunity to enjoy and express their life through football and soccer like I did as a kid.
“So when this opportunity came around, there's no doubt that me and my team wanted to tap into it…
“Project 17 is basically my brothers, my family, my dad's been involved in it as well, with football we use it to express and change people's lives.
“Football's changed my life and my family's life. Me and my friends want to give back to the communities that will deal with EMSONI.
“I'm a footballer, but I'm also like everyone else, I'm a human being. So I just wanted to show that I'm the same as everyone else, really.”
Kanmi was delighted to welcome Iwobi and his Project 17 crew to EMSONI HQ: “We're so pleased to have Alex in Belfast because we've been trying to get this done for few months now.
“We're so happy that we're able to get Alex Iwobi down to Belfast to support what we are doing here in terms of helping young people to achieve their full potential in life; and it's not really about football, it’s about their life generally.
“That's why what Project 17 is doing, what Alex will be doing, resonates with our own vision and mission. A lot of work has gone behind the scenes to make sure that Alex will be here, at one point we even give up.
“The Premier League has started already, he played a match yesterday [Saturday], but he’s here in Belfast, then back training, on his way back tonight. It’s unreal to me, but it is becoming a reality now.”
EMSONI has been doing great work for several years now and this Saturday, August 20, will be an all-day celebration, the Grand Finale of EMSONI’s 2022 Confederation Cup, with a festival of football and fun. The venue is Rosario/ Ulidia Playing Fields at 282 Ormeau Road in south Belfast, from 10am to 9pm.
The main event is the Confederation Cup Final between holders East Timor NI and Ghana NI, with the latter having crushed rivals Nigeria NI 6-2 in the second semi-final on Sunday evening, despite the presence of the Iwobis to urge ‘Naija’ on.
Yet as well as the on-pitch action there will be live music, a barbecue, bouncy castles, rock climbing, a mini chess competition, table tennis, and much more including the intriguingly entitled ‘cultural extravaganza.
As well as the three aforementioned teams, the tournament has had sides representing the following communities: Arab NI, Carryduff, East Africa, Eritrea, Guinea Bissau, Homeless, International, LGBTQ+, Limestone Road, Nepal, Poland, Romania, Somalia, South Belfast Asia, Sudan, Syria, and Zimbabwe.
Alex Iwobi will be back at Goodison Park on Saturday, facing Nottingham Forest, but the support he and Project 17 are providing will help EMSONI continue to help people from all over the world put down roots in Belfast and Northern Ireland.
