Precisely on this day two years ago, Nigeria lost one of her illustrious sons that brought her honour and fame in sports in general and football in particular.
The death on March 30, 2017 of ex- Nigerian international player later national teams coach and Head, Technical Department, Pual Ebiye Hamilton alias “Wonder Boy” was not only a tragedy to his immediate family, it was a great loss to Nigeria especially the football fraternity.
Hamilton died of heart and kidney related sickness after battling diabetes which led to the amputation of the “deadly right leg” he used to score many goals for clubs and country in the 19960s.
The Bayelsa- born football star in every sense of it gave his all to his country in his chosen career football. From the 1960s when he broke into the national senior football team then called Green Eagles to 1990s when he coached the same team now known as Super Eagles, Hamilton aka Wonder Boy, served his fatherland creditably.
He was later to handle the Flying Eagles of 1985 FIFA World Cup bronze winning team and was also the foundation Coach of Super Falcons from 1991 to 1995 and subsequently took the team to two FIFA Women’s World Cup final China’ 91and Sweden’ 95 before he joined the NFA administrative cadre.
He was the first Lagos Liaison Officer before he was moved to Abuja to become the Head of Technical Department. Such was the contributions of Hamilton who lived and worked for the Good of Football.
From his humble beginning in Onitsha where he grew up, he went to school and started playing football in Lagos where he blossomed and made his second home, Hamilton lived the life of entertainment.
A perfect gentleman, sincere and God- fearing, he was a good family man who trained his five children to university level before he retired from public service.
Unfortunately, death first took his beloved last boy and national Tennis star, Priye Hamilton in USA and later his first son and certified engineer, Timi Hamilton some years ago to leave him in bad state.
But Hamilton carried on with his life by supervising his Hamilton U- 14 Boys team called Lagos Weekend Academy where he was training young talents until he fell to the cold hands of death two years ago.
Sadly, today, as I remember this national football icon whose exploits on the pitch and in the board room brought fame and respect to Nigeria died with pains in his heart. Did his country he served with all his might look after him? I leave it to us all to determine.
Adieu Wonder B, my oga on Women’s Football since 1990. My ex- landlord in Kastard, Helsingborg, Vastrous, Gideonsborg, Solna and Gothenburg all in Sweden during the 1995 FIFA Women’s World Cup final. I was Super Falcons Media Officer Emeritus. What a wicked world. RIP, Wonder B.
