Pace Sports and Entertainment Marketing Company has concluded plans to stage a very special edition of the Higher Institution Football League (HiFL), which enters its third edition in the fourth year.
The 2020 edition did not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the year witnessed the introduction of e-invitational as university students, alumni and fans took part in the virtual football competition.
Interestingly, the e-invitational is still part of the package for the 2021 edition expected to kick off in April.
The Director, Pace Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Sola Fijabi, said on Tuesday in Lagos that the 2021 edition will be staged with due COVID-19 protocols in a special way.
“We are proud of how far we have gone and we are also inspired by the enthusiasm shown by the students and officials of higher institutions which are enough as huge encouragement for us to do more.
“It is so interesting that this project started only four years ago and we have made so much progress. Some of the products of the competition are already abroad while some others play in the elite class of the domestic league, the Nigeria Football Professional League.”
Already, Stambic IBTC is a major sponsor of HiFL while Nivea Men has also joined as a new sponsor.
“We are really happy that Stambic IBTC and Nivea Men are urging us to go on. We cannot wait for the kick off to happen,” Fijabi added.
The organisers’ Head Content, Ikechukwu Nwaguru, assured that the 2021 season would be hitch-free following the efforts put in so far in planning.
A total of 52 universities are expected to be part of this year’s event with 50 games to be played across 20 cities in 18 weeks.