The Basketball court sitting at the right hand corner immediately you enter the premises of the Hope Wadell Training Institution (HWTI) has taken a refurbished look as some oldstudents took it as a cause to selflessly accomplish NEGROIDHAVEN has confirmed.
On Saturday, the 1990 set of the alumni association of the Hope Waddell Training Institution donated a refurbished Basketball court to the staff and students of the educational institution in a brief event that was filled with nostalgia and a reliving of previous experiences.
While addressing the audience of former students and students alike, the global president of the class set of 1990 of Hope Wadell Training Institution Old Students Association (HOWASA), Akak Eyo Akak, said that the decision to refurbish the sporting facility in the school premises was arrived at in 2020 when the set celebrated her 25th (graduation) anniversary in 2020. He appreciated the school management for cooperating with the HOWASA set of 1990 to make the dream a reality while beckoning on other alumni sets especially sets before 1990 to support their initiative.
His words, ‘Great Howadians. I want to specially say I am thankful to God that we’ve seen this day of commissioning this basketball court. 
‘Twenty-five years of leaving Hope Waddell Training Institution, that was last year when we did our 25th reunion, when we came to the school, we looked around, and met our proactive principal and he gave us moral support. We had to look at the sports angle, the basketball court was not in a very good state so, we now said ‘‘okay, we can do some touches, as a class set of ’90.’’ That was our pledge during our reunion.
‘So far so good, the support we’ve been having from the principal is very enormous. He gave us the moral assistance. The first, that was last year, when we came for our reunion, we did some marking and got a ball, and rim and all that, that was the first phase, and the second phase will be to use a barricade around the basketball court, to keep it secured and safe, and just to say a little, this is the second phase; the third phase will always come because the basketball court can serve like a recreational spot in Hope Waddell Training Institution, which we also believe by the special grace of God in due time, we are going to flood the place with a solar light. So that will be the third phase of renovation of our basketball courts.
‘I thank our proactive senior here, Sir O’Neil. He has encouraged us and told us that, ‘well, if you are giving back to the school… it is a good thing for us to come back to our place of incubation and do this’. So, I want to use this opportunity to let the body of Hope Wadell Worldwide, know that by the grace of God, the class set of ’90 is going to do more on sports. And since we’ve started with the basketball, we have a court, near the basketball court, we will make that place a recreational place for sports in out Alma Mater.’
On his part, Sir Emmanuel O’Neil of Hope Waddell Training Institution class set of 1973 said that the emphasis in the oldstudents association has been giving back to the Alma Mater. O’Neil said ‘‘These are the kinds of things that we’re now encouraging, giving back to Hope Wadell Training Institution: right from 2015 when we celebrated the 120 anniversary of this college, the theme had to do with giving back, giving back, giving back, and 10 years, 11 years, there’s been a surge to give back to her Alma Mater. And we should not relent, in giving back, because Hope Wadell Training Institution is not just a brand, it is a distinct character on Earth.
“Anywhere you go, this t-shirt I’m wearing for almost four years… I fly abroad, I fly with this t-shirt on, always, apart from my blazer which I wear, people will look at me and say, ‘where’s that crest from where? where? where? I would say Calabar, Nigeria’. So, let us all know and respect this Institution. All hands, they say, are not equal, or fingers are also not equal. If you cannot give, participate. Because in participating. You will also receive.’’
In his words, the school principal, Mr appreciated the oldstudents for the kind gesture, and expressed satisfaction at the refurbishing of the sporting facility. He promised to maintain the facility as well as increase his committment in his management of the school.
Hope Wadell Class Set of 1990 the Centenarians, Mr Oqua Edim global coordinator ’76/77 also used the same medium to say his class set will refurbish the lawn tennis court near the basketball court and also praised the proactive measures of the ’90s.
The HOWASA Calabar branch president, Mr Bassey Etim, was so elated and was proud this refurbishing is all happening in his reign as a president he pledge to support the 3rd phase of the project financially. The Current Basketball Coach in Cross River, Mr Oduah, promised to coach the students to a competition next year to also bring out the best in basketball from Hope Waddell to the added advantage of the State.
