The maiden edition of Akunaepuome Unity Cup, a football competition for youths for the nine Communities in Umuaka, Njaba LGA and sponsored by a US based pharmacist, Dr. Ikenna Fortune Duru , kicked off last Saturday at the new Aka City Stadium, Umuaka.
Addressing newsmen shortly after opening ceremony, the chairman organizing committee, Mr.Uju Ugochukwu disclosed that they patterned the event to run with 28 matches and is expected to last till January 5th 2018 and that the communities include Uba, Isiozi, Umuele, Obeakpu, Amakor, Ibele, Achaea, Ugbele,Amiyi.
Ugochukwu further disclosed that the sponsor of the football tournament fondly called Akunaepume 1 of Amazano by friends had concluded arrangements with some foreign football clubs in Europe whose representatives would be visiting Umuaka to scout for quality players for their various clubs during the competition.
The winner of the competition would get the sum of Two hundred and fifty thousand naira, N250,000 while the second position would receive one hundred and fifty thousand naira, N150,000 just as the third placed team will go home with the sum of one hundred thousand naira only 100,000. Meanwhile other participating teams are expected to get Thirty thousand naira N30,000 as consolation prizes each.
He noted that four Umuaka -born young footballers who distinguished themselves in the competition would be taken abroad for proper training in some of the European clubs. He expressed optimism that the selected youths would soon produce the likes of Emmanuel Amunike, Austin JJ Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, Kanu Nwankwo, and a host of Nigerian sports legends, who made this nation proud some years back in the area of sports.
Ugochukwu maintained that the essence was to foster unity in the community and promote peace .The greatest weapon with which to fight crime was to engage the youths in human and capital development through which they would become useful to the society in future, he averred.
