It would have been just any other, ordinary Inter House Sports Competition for Eson Ne Erie Primary School, Ihama Road, GRA Benin. A regular primary school, lucky enough to be among the schools that benefitted from the schools renovation programme of Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Eson Ne Erie is a public primary school located along Ihama Road in the GRA of Benin City. Like other such government primary schools, children in this school are mainly from the average Nigerian middle class.
But one thing stands this school out, the quiver. A completely new invention, the quiver is a game that found its way into the lives of many sports lovers in 2010, the handiwork of Mr Duke Igbinedion, an inventor and sculptor whose adventurous mind would not let rest until he has tried his hands in something new every period of his life.
The quivers, which was played first at Emotan College, Benin,
was borne out of a desire to contribute something new and unique to the world of sports, according to Igbinedion. Hear him: “the game quivers were invented four years ago when a question arose in my heart. I asked myself, why is it that all the games are invented by the Western world, the advanced nations? We have not seen any game that originated from Africa. Even the Ayo game, it has been discovered might have been discovered by the Egyptian world. Then I said, what do we do? I put pen on paper and began to design a game, which is this game quivers".
Shortly after the invention of quivers, 59 year old but agile Igbinedion had begun a campaign of enlightenment of the game to different organized bodies in Nigeria, beginning with schools, where young people adventurous enough still could experiment into a brand new game.
So, the game has been tested at the University of Benin and, according to Igbinedion, certified okay in every standard. Other notable secondary schools where it has been introduced include Government College, Ughelli, in Delta State, Edo College, Western Boys High School, Itohan Grammar School, Adesuwa Grammar School, Eghosa Grammar School, Niger College, Emotan College and Idia College, all in the city of Benin, Edo State capital.
Today, the game is being introduced as major sports for the Inter House Sports Competition. Though the students had only practiced for four months, they have mastered the game enough to compete for a first position.
Yellow House had lost out the previous day to Red for the third place, and Green House and Blue were to slug it out for the Gold cup.
The march then started. Quivers is a nine man, versus nine man game, played with an instrument called rhombo. It is played for a forty minutes period, after which there is a rest time of ten minutes, before the game resumes, with the teams swapping positions for another forty minutes play. Each half is called an ovation, and the players throw the rhombo to their team mates just as is done in passing football. That way, the team advances to the goal post called iris, in order to score while the opposing team tries to catch the rhombo in the air. It must never be grabbed from the opponent as this amounts to a foul.
The pitch is called a canvas, while the 18 yard area is known as the port.
Indiscipline and aggressive behaviour during play is not allowed and these are fouls. There are very strict rules, and one may be warned or out rightly dismissed from the canvas for committing serious fouls.
Though Blue House scored first, they were eventually defeated by the Green House boys, who were cheered on and on to glory.
Some of the excited players spoke with Daily Newswatch: "
I feel very excited playing this game. When we played yesterday, we lost and I never knew we were going to win today. I feel very happy because I never believed that we are going to win this game. I want the game to continue and grow in our school. When it was initially introduced, we didn’t know anything in the game, and when eventually we learnt it, it proved to be a very exciting one", so said the captain of the Green House, which won.
Etinosa Samuel, of Blue House spoke for his club: "I feel very excited playing this game. Its very exciting, and although we did not win, I feel fulfilled playing. I started playing the game four months ago, and I think I prefer it to football".
The inventor also spoke with Daily Newswatch: "The game is moving. It has reached both private and public schools. It's a herculean task, but we have been working, and some well-meaning Nigerians have been supporting. We call on others to come out and support, not only the game quivers, but to help us develop other games, so that in the future, we can have all-invented and developed in Nigeria games, which we will sell to the outside world for us to have a total transformation of this country, supporting every move by the Federal and State governments to transform Nigeria".
"It is a nine man, versus nine man game, it is played with an instrument called rhombo, the most dynamic game instrument in the world. History will prove that. If we must play games in Africa, we must invent, develop and manufacture the games equipment. We must train personnel, and then export it to the western world. This is the time when we must seek ways of transforming Nigeria. Every Nigerian must seek ways, one way or another to transform Nigeria, and we are now transforming Nigeria through sports. In the next six months, if we are going to be given support, we can introduce over 100 standard Olympic games invented by Nigerians".
He continued: "I developed interest in sport and other technologies for the enhancement of Nigeria's economic life. Through this invention, I want to prove that if we focus our mind on something, we come out tops in anything. Imagine this sport, these kids have not trained for more than two months and they are doing this good. So imagine what they will do if they focus on this game to make it an international ".
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