From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s football competition known as the Governor’s Cup for the under 21 in the 17 Local Government Areas of Abia State kicks off on Monday, January 11.
Disclosing this at the Umuahia Township Stadium at the weekend, the chairman of the competition’s organising committee, Chief Paul Chikezie Mba, said the aim of the competition was to discover talented young footballers.
Mba said outside discovering of talents, the governor had in mind of using the competition to keep the youths in the state busy.
Mba informed that fixtures for the competition had been drawn and that it would run from Monday to the end of the month.
The committee chairman said while the state government had made funds available to host the competition and reward winners, the committee on its own was looking out for sponsors to make competition grand.
He disclosed that the committee has held meetings with chairmen of the seventeen local governments to ensure that none of the council areas was left out during the competition.
The state Commissioner of Sports and Youth Development, Chief Emeka Ikwuagwu, who is also a member of the committee, said two boys who excelled during four pre-trial matches and were picked by a foreign scout had been given scholarships to study in London and pursue their football career.
Ikwuagwu informed that local coaches and scouts were expected at the Umuahia Township Stadium venue of the competition to look out for talented players.
The competition is expected to be kicked off by Governor Ikpeazu.
