By Harry Awurumibe
Except financial help gets to him immediately, Nigeria may yet again lose one of her finest ex- national football team players.
Paul Ebiye Hamilton, former Green Eagles attacker and later Chief Coach, who has been bedridden for some time now is now fighting for his dear.
Worst still, the prolific goalscorer nicknamed Wonder Boy because of his exploits in the field was diagnosed with heart and kidney related problems. He was later amputated on the right leg early this year.
Hamilton also had the rare task of handling the first national women’s football team, Super Falcons.
He took the team to two FIFA Women’s World cup final in China and Sweden in 1991 and 1995 respectively.
The Ijaw- born, Bayelsa state indigene who was raised in Onitsha, Anambra state where he went to school and also horned his football skills was to become an administrator after retiring from active coaching.
The former Flying Eagles was later made the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Head of Technical Department, a position he held until he finally retired from the public service.
However, he has struggled to get his pension paid to him to take care of his health which took a nosedive after he lost two of his beloved sons in quick succession with the youngest, Preye who was a national Tennis star before travelling to the United States to pursue education and Tennis died in US.
Later, Hamilton’s first son, Timi, a certified engineer died, one death which hit the amiable man like a hurricane.
His daughter, Christie Ebiye Hamilton told Prompt News that his father wants all men of goodwill to put him in their thoughts while he pleaded to his former employers to pay his pension to safe his life.
