BY SUNDAY AKINTOYE
A total of 16 football academies would fight for the sum of N1.5 million naira in the forthcoming third edition of U-15 Seamoriow League Championship scheduled to kick off on 27, August at the Seamoriow Sports Complex, Ikotun, Abaranje Road, Alimosho, Lagos.
Speaking at the press/draw conference held on Thursday morning in Lagos, the cup donor, Oluwaseyi Amos announced that the prize money for the winners in this year’s edition has gone up and urged the participants to always abide by the rules governing the championship.
According to him, the champions would go home with a giant trophy and the sum of N800,000, while second and third positions would pocket N500,000 and N200,000 respectively.
Amos who is also football administrator said outstanding players will be rewarded financially for the job well done and admonished the coaches and supporters not to see the tourney as a do die affairs.
Amos said the prize money would help the participating teams to give their best and promised that this year’s edition would be better in terms of organisation and officiating.
“Let me use this gathering to appreciate our invited guests who honoured our invitations despite their tight schedules to witness our draw conference on Thursday particularly members of Lagos State Football Association led by vice chairman, Adedotun Coker.
“I am sponsoring this tournament to keep our children busy especially when they are still on holiday and secondly we are sponsoring this tournament to contribute my own quota to the growth and development of grassroots football in Alimosho and Lagos at large.
“We try as much as possible to accommodate teams from various part of the state and i am expecting better performance from all the teams.I also want to urge the players and coaches to shun any social vices that can affect the championship during and after their games,”he said.
In his own remark, Coker commended cup donor for his commitment and dedication to the football grassroots in the state reinstated that the state football ruling body is still committed to football development in the state.
While charging the players to embrace education with their football career, Coker said the the coaches should also train and retrain themselves noted that any coach who does not have NIS certificate of LSFA coaching license would not be operated as coach in the state soonest.
In his own comment, Dele Gbajumo, who was recently appointed as CEO of Lagos State Youth Football League, expressed state commitment to the grassroots football and assured the cup donor its LSFA support.
Gbajumo who spoke on behalf of LSFA boss, Liammed Olawale Gafar thanked cup donor for the laudable project and urged the young footballers to marry both football and education together while pursuing their football career.
While Leader of Eti-Osa Football Coaches Council , Victor Akinmoyo applauded the organisers and sponsor for their contributions to the football development in the state and promised the sum of N100,000 each for best player and highest goal scorer of the championship.
In his own submission, Leader of Alimosho Football Coaches Council, Samuel Unchenna Eke thanked the sponsor for his financial commitment to the championship and tasked the coaches to be of a good ambassador of their clubs and shun any form of indiscipline throughout the championship.
