Worldwide, the importance of grassroots football, particularly its role as an educational and social vehicle for the youths cannot be underestimated. Every top footballer was once a grassroots player, having progressed through the development stages of free play and organised sessions.
To organisers of the annual MRS U-12 football tournament, being involved in grassroots football is a very rewarding experience.
They have explained that grassroots sports and youth development would remain a top priority as it aim to help children realize their potentials in football at an early stage.
To them, improving young players technically is one challenge, but contributing to a youngster’s personal development is also a fundamental goal.
It was all fun for kids in Lagos State last week when children from different parts of the state gathered at the Campos Mini Stadium, Lagos Island, to celebrate this year’s Children’s Day.
The competition, which lasted for two months, involved 64 male and 32 female teams from all the local councils in Lagos State. A total of 93 matches were played with 1,920 kids participated in the tournament and over 190 goals recorded.
“We decided to sponsor the tournament as a way of ‘giving back’ to the society,” the Managing Director of MRS Oil Nigeria Limited, Andrew Gbodume, said at the end of the final match between Young Boys Academy of Ajah and K&B Ace, Dopemu. It ended 4-0 in favour of Young Boys Academy.
Since its inception, the number of participants in the competition has increased from 600 to about 1,920 kids. There have been monetary reward, trophies and medals to the teams and individuals who distinguished themselves in the tournament, with both male and female receiving a sum of N250,000, while the second and third are rewarded with N150,000 and N100,000 respectively.
Gbodume explained that the aim and objective of the competition is to bring out the best in the youth saying: “If the youth were properly engaged, they would be useful to the society. We will continue to sponsor the competition as a way of aiding football development at the grassroots level.
“The competition will help children realise their potential in football at early stage. And this is also a way for MRS Oil Nigeria Limited to give back to the society,” he stated.
According to Gbodume, as a fast growing company, MRS Oil Nigeria Limited has great passion and commitment to Nigeria, Africa and its people.
“The general focus is to put the company on the global listing of world class companies impacting positively in the society in which it operates,” he stressed. “Our Trademark is ‘Excellence through partnership.”
Gbodume described sports as a unifying factor: “The youths need to be occupied in order not to become touts in the society. I can see future stars among the players that featured in this tournament. If they are properly engaged, they will be useful to the society.”
The objective of MRS U-12 football championship is to compliment government effort and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in their hunt for young talents from the grassroots. We hope to discover young players who will take over from the likes of John Mikel Obi, Victor Moses, Ahmed Musa and Sunday Mba amongst others from this competition,” he stated.
On the 2016 edition of the competition, he said: “The best teams won. It is a fantastic event and we are proud to have continuously organized and sponsor this competition. I want to assure that the 5th anniversary of this remarkable initiative will be bigger and better,” Gbodume stated.
The exceptional display of innocence, skill and overwhelming bravery by the captain of Young Boys Football Academy, eight-year-old Afolabi Yusuf, caught the attention of all spectators present at the venue, as he rolled the ball past his much bigger opponents.
Yusuf was full of smile as he lifted the trophy after his team, Young Boys Academy of Ajah, thrashed K&B Ace, Dopemu 4-0 in the final match. Goals from Opadotun Emmanuel, Kosoko Dolapo who scored double and Aleilo Fuad ensured that the Young Boys Academy went home with the prize money of N250, 000, while K&B Ace were rewarded with the sum of N150, 000 for the runners up prize.
In the third place, Tao United, Oke-Afa defeated YS Academy, Apapa to pick the loser’s price money of N100, 000. It ended 2-2, but Tao United won 2-1 on penalties.
