By GODWIN IKANI WOGAR
‘They gave their best to play with us. They are gone to play with the angels.’
Growing up, Godwin Damachi and Christopher Damachi impacted me more, in my short space of time with them, as sportsmen in Mary Knoll College, Okuku, than anyone else has done in my 78 years. The trophies we brought to Mary Knoll may be lying under dust somewhere, but my memories of the friendship, pains, struggle, and successes in our efforts to achieve victory in the sports field remain a fond and enduring honour to the glory of God and the legacy of joy to our Alma Mater.
The sprouting, in 1960, of the team of Godwin Damachi (Secondary Class 4), Christopher Damachi (Secondary Class 2), and Godwin Wogar (Secondary Class 1) was the result of an intuitive association of young sporting hearts with a promise of sporting glory for Mary Knoll College.
As Godwin Ukandi Damachi and Christopher Damachi look down from heaven onto the fields we ever set our feet upon, they must surely cherish the personal sense of fulfilment from the pride and smiles on the faces of the many sets of students, who are proud of Mary Knoll College.
The sporting Damachis were a source of inspiration to younger persons. They were great personalities, who demonstrated that you don’t win if you don’t try.
Prof. Ukandi Damachi was coach and teammate to his younger brother, Christopher, and I. He took on Athletics late in his penultimate year in Mary Knoll, with firm winning grasps on the long distance races of the Mile and Half Mile. He worked hard at the sports of his love, proving that persistence yields extraordinary achievements. Young Ukandi was self-confident and courageous; he taught Christopher and I that the fear of failure should never get in our way to success. He brought home laurels and glory to Mary Knoll College from all sporting conferences, which then, generally held at the Regional Capital of Enugu and at the Diocesian sub-headquarters of Abakaliki.
While our trophies may lie in dust, my memories of Christopher Damachi will live through my life time. Christopher was a human carbon copy of his elder brother, Ukandi Godwin Damachi, except for sharing more intense character traits than his elder brother. Christopher was courageous, confident, hardworking, and ever optimistic. While Ukandi Godwin spent two years in active sports, Christopher literally inherited the Mile and Half Mile races from his elder brother, and for five years won trophies at all sporting conferences for Mary Knoll College.
The sporting Damachis were a source of inspiration to younger persons. They were great personalities, who demonstrated that you don’t win if you don’t try. For these two champions, life dictates that you must keep playing until you get it right. For them, failure is the path to success. These are quality character traits, which defined the heights of successes, which they achieved in their life times. Their successes in life were a repeat of the ease with which the duo delivered success in their accomplishments of each of the Mile and Half Mile races of their college years.
READ ALSO: TRIBUTE: Adieu Prof Ukandi Godwin Damachi, the cheerful giver
My bountiful gains from our association as sports team-mates include a great post-college friendship, which we sustained until the transition of my two great friends to the life of endless bliss with the Almighty God.
May their souls rest in perfect peace.
Postscript:
Dr. Wogar wrote this piece in affectionate memory of his two great friends and sports mates who, like him, did very well as great scholars and astute businessmen before they departed this world at different times and in different circumstances.
Professor Ukandi Damachi, OFR, JP, NPOM (National Productivity Order of Merit) (1942 – 2021), former Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Lagos, rose to become a big game player in the politics and economy of Nigeria and an expert in labour matters, international politics and diplomacy. He was a sports lover whose hobbies included athletics, swimming and dancing.
Dr. Christopher Damachi, NPOM (1947 – 2001) was Ukandi’s younger brother both born in Obudu in the present Cross River State. Coincidentally both brothers died in the months of their birth: Ukandi, born November 17th, died November 29th; and Chris, born March 10th, died March 13th.
Unlike his elder brother, Chris, a brilliant intellectual was a scientist and a businessman.
Brought up in Obudu, he studied and practised Medicine in Italy until his death. He was popularly called the People’s Doctor and was described as “a man of integrity and nationalistic fervour.” His wide travels and long sojourn in the Western world did not alienate him from his native Obuduland where “his attachment to the rollicking hills and the roll-on-roll-off forests” was described as legendary. He won several laurels in sports during his days in secondary school in Nigeria and in the university outside the country.
The flair for sports by both brothers particularly in their youth appears to run in the family. But a greater show of this laudable trait resides in one of Chris’ son’s, Uzim Robert who has garnered several laurels particularly in athletics.
In middle school, he led his class team as the best player to the tournament: 1st place in all sports for which there was a school competition (basketball, volleyball, handball, five-a-side football). During high-school in Italy, he played in the junior national basketball tournament while also playing in a professional basketball team. Later he was also in kung-fu, ranking third in his category in a city tournament.
Also, in high-school in the US, “we ranked 2nd in state with the basketball team, while I also ranked 3rd in state for triple jump and 6th in state for long jump, while also qualifying for the state high jump competition,” Robert recalled with obvious pride.
“In more recent years, other than hiking I’ve also been active in lacrosse, surfing, yoga, cycling/spinning, various training classes, body attack, body pump, body combat, full core, etc. etc,” he disclosed. Also, Bekelikpong Ernest Eyo Damachi, a prodigious talent in both academics and athletics, has carved a niche for himself at the tender age of 24. Born on the 23rd of August, 1999, Bekelikpong embarked on a rigorous journey in the field of Medicine, currently pursuing his first year Master’s at the prestigious University of Geneva. His academic pursuits, however, have never overshadowed his remarkable sportsmanship. A dynamo on the basketball court, Bekelikpong’s athletic prowess shone brightly as he played for the esteemed Grand-Saconnex Basketball Club and the Geneva Lions, showcasing his skill, determination, and leadership. His exceptional performances earned him a coveted spot on the U18 Swiss National Team, a testament to his outstanding abilities and work ethic. Further solidifying his sports pedigree, Bekelikpong also made significant contributions to Meyrin Basket in League B, where his strategic play and athletic excellence continued to turn heads.
Dr. Christopher Damachi, NPOM (1947 – 2001) was Ukandi’s younger brother both born in Obudu in the present Cross River State. Coincidentally both brothers died in the months of their birth..
Like those named above, Francis Ikpe Ogar Damachi’s story is a compelling saga of athletic prowess, relentless dedication, and a deep-seated passion for competition that transcends the ordinary. His initial foray into the world of sports saw him grace the basketball courts of Switzerland’s prestigious LNB, where he not only played but excelled at a semi-professional level. This was not merely a fleeting engagement but a significant chapter in his life that highlighted his commitment to excellence and teamwork.
But Francis’s athletic journey was far from monolithic. With an insatiable appetite for sports, he delved into the dynamic worlds of ping pong and football, each discipline offering him new challenges and avenues to showcase his versatility and competitive spirit. These endeavours were not just pastimes but reflections of a man who seeks to conquer every field he steps onto, driven by an unyielding will to succeed. This sports trait runs in the Damachi family. Quite unique!
