The maiden yearly grassroots football competition for U-17 boys, tagged ‘YEAGGO Cup,’ is slated to begin today at the Ojo-Oniyun Recreational Centre, Ebute-Metta (West), Lagos and end February 13, the organisers have said.
Organised by the group, Youth Earnestly Asking For Good Governance (YEAGGO) and supported by the Young Professional Initiative for Economic Growth and Development, the winner of the championship will go home with sporting equipment and kits worth N250, 000, the first runner up will go home with N150,000 worth, while the second runner up gets N100,000 worth of equipment.
Speaking at the unveiling of the competition, YEAGGO Founder, Prince Abdul-Akeem O. Animashaun, said the championship was borne out of a desire to keep youths out of the streets and away from social vices through football.
“This competition was conceived as a result of the urgent need to address the challenges that the country is facing in respect of youth unemployment and exuberance.
“The country is facing a lot of challenges right now and there is a need to create a positive alternative that will be useful in engaging our youths. Over the years, Nigeria has built a reputation for being endowed with talented footballers from generation to generation. And there is a need for us to continue to annex that potential, human resources God has given us.
“This is one of the major reasons we have decided to put this competition together. I am passionate about this competition because of the challenges grassroots football and sports is facing generally,” he said.
He added: “Despite the abundance of talents and natural resources we have in all sphere of sports in Nigeria, it is unfortunate that we have not been able to optimise that potential.
And the abundance of these resources is at the grassroots level, which is why we have decided to concentrate our effort.
“In my community for instance, where the competition will hold, in the last couple of years, we are faced with a lot of challenges arising from clashes by youths traced to gangsterism and cultism and all of that.
“This is why we have decided to encourage the youth to find alternatives away from social vices. We feel this is the right step to take in order to take away out of the streets,” he stated.
