Two hundred and fifty four secondary schools in Cross River State are participating in the inaugural Governor Ben Ayade Under-15 Football Tournament which kicked off yesterday
in all the 18 local government areas of the state.
Chairman of the state’s Sports Commission, Mr. Orok Duke, disclosed at the weekend that the grand finale of the tournament would involve six schools at the U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar between March 28 and March 31 this year.
“The essence of the competition is to engage the youths and foster peace. Adequate arrangements have been made for participants. This are assuring parents of these young people participating in the football fiesta,” Duke said.
A commissioner in the state sports commission, Ekanem Ekpenyong, confirmed that there would be prize money of N10,000 for Best Defender, Best Midfielder, and Highest Goal Scorer, respectively in the competition.
He said the prizes would be in honour of Christopher Edem, John Okon Ene and the late sports journalist, Bassey `Koma’ Ekpo respectively.
In a related development, the Sports Commission has also announced that a basketball championship for primary and secondary schools would come on the trail of the Under-15 football championship.
Duke said that fitting balls and training shoes had been procured for training by the young people wishing to participate in the male and female category of the tournament at the stadium’s basketball pitch.
The chairman hinted that the commission has laid out plans for the immortalisation of legends who have contributed their quota to the development of sports in the state and the nation.
Duke said such legends include late Hogan “Kid” Bassey, the first Nigerian to win a world title in boxing; late Oyo Orok Oyo, international sports administrator; and late renowned sportswriter Bassey `Koma’ Ekpo.
The sports Commission’s chairman said his administration also aimed to re-enact those happy days when students who perform well in sports were offered scholarships to study abroad.
Oyo, the first Nigerian member of the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), died on September 10, 2008 at the age of 86 years in Calabar.
Oyo, popularly referred to as the father of modern Nigerian football, served for 12 years as Secretary General of the then Nigeria Football Association (NFA) and member of CAF between 1974 and 1998.
Okon Asuquo Bassey (Hogan `Kid’ Bassey) was the world featherweight boxing champion in 1957.
Bassey also holds the record of the youngest boxer to win the national flyweight title in 1950 at the age of 18 while in secondary school.
Bassey was awarded the honour Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 1958, and Member of the Order of Niger (MON) in 1979.
Duke also said that a former Nigerian junior champion in the 400 meters in 2013 now running for Bahrain, Edidiong Ofonime Odiong, would also be honoured.
Odiong won gold in 200 metres for Bahrain, her adopted country, in the IAAF World U-20 Championships in Poland when she was 19 years old.
Duke said that Offiong Edem, a living female tennis legend from the state, and late Okon Ene, former Nigerian football international who played for Nigeria’s Flying Eagles in Chile ’87 will all be honoured through tournaments organised by the commission.
Sourced from: https://www.thisdaylive.com
