..As Ezegbogu Sch Peep Comprehensive Orji In Final
..Five Players Selected For Nat’l Invitation
More commendations and praises has continued to trail the Ikukuoma Foundation Powered Secondary School Football Competition for selected schools in Owerri Zone as former Super Eagles Coach, Paul Aigbogun has rated the competition high.
Aigbogun who currently serves as a member of the NFF Technical Committee was the special guest of honour at the final of the 3 -week talent hunt competition which was ably organized by members of the Like -Mindes Fitness Club, Owerri under the leadership of Chuks Dike.
Reacting to journalist after the very entertaining encounter between Ezegbogu Secondary School, Ezinihitte -Mbaise and Comprehensive Secondary School Orji, Owerri -North, the former Enyimba Int’l and Warri Wolves Gaffer eulogized the sponsor and organizers of the tournament for initiating the brilliant idea of tapping raw talents for future.
He maintained that the future of football development in Nigeria lies in the revival of School Sports citing example with the class of “94 and the “Dream Team” in “96 which Mobi Oparaku was a member that they were all products of school sports.
While commending the sponsors of the competition, he urged for sustenance praising the players for exhibiting good technicalities and called on cooperate bodies and well meaning Nigerians to invest in the development of our football especially at the school level which according to him is the nucleus of Grassroots.
In their separate speeches during the presentation of medals and awards, the Director General of Ikukuoma Foundation, Comrade Julius Nnaji said the tournament is in line with what the foundation represents which is nurturing talents to greatness assuring of the continuous support of the foundation while the President of Like -Minds Fitness Club, Owerri Mr Chuks
Dike thanked all the dignitaries who graced the final ceremony and all the schools that participated declaring the competition as being won by all the schools that participated even as Ezeagbogu Seconday School, Ezinihitte Mbaise won the trophy.
He further assured that the competition will be an annual project advising the schools to start preparing for the next edition which pointed out will be a full school sports competition with about ten different sports to be added.
Ezegbogu Secondary School, Ezinihitte Mbaise for emerging Champions guaranteed themselves a huge sum of N200,000 while the runners up, Comprehensive Secondary School Orji, Owerri North got a consolation cash sum of N150,000 just as the second runner up, Obizi Secondary School, Ezinihitte Mbaise went home with N100,000 among many other individual prizes for top scorer, Mbika Samuel of Obizi High School with 5 goals, best keeper,Iwu Nnanyereugo of Pater Noster Secondary, Ahiazu, Most Valuable Player, Anele Emmanuel of Comprehensive Secondary, Orji.
Five players were selected by Coach Aigbogun for national invitation; Anele Emmanuel, Okenmadu Leo, Okoro Odinaka, Nwaigwe Joshua all from Comprehensive Orji and Ohaeri Obed from Ezegbogu Secondary School, Ezinihitte Mbaise.
Some of the dignitaries that also graced the final include; Mlick -Pro FC CEO, FIFA Referee, Evang Ndubuisi Odiwonma Ukah, Heartland GM, Promise Nwachukwu and his management members, Imo state Sports Commission Head of Admin, Mrs Patricia Ezeji who represented the Director of Sports, Director SEMB, Mrs Ajoku, CEO Imo Strikers Queens FC, Prince Chidi among many others.
