..Advocates More Support For Women Football
The General Manager of Imo Synage & Advertisement Agency IMSAA, Hon Chibuzor Umunnakwe has extended the youth empowerment programme of the 3R administration of Governor Hope Uzodinma to the young female football players in his community, Okwelle in Onuimo LGA.
Reacting to Trumpeta Sports desk on the reason behind his sponsorship of the recently concluded maiden edition of the Okwele Youth Progressive FA Women League, Hon Umunnakwe also revealed that he was motivated by his desire to ensure that young talents are discovered and trained to greatness.
“Apart from being a guru in advertising which i have practiced for years, I am also passionate about football though I didn’t play football at the top level during my youth days in Lagos but football has always been part of my passion.
“At the end of every year back there in Okwelle my home town, we always have football tournaments organized for the male players by the Okwelle Progressive Youth FA, so I decided to in addition to the free medical outreach I have been doing for two years now to do something different by introducing women football tournament which gave birth to the Okwelle women football league.
“This is the first of it’s kind, nobody has ever thought about organizing women football during the Yuletide season. It is my brain child and first of its kind there in Okwelle, Onuimo LGA”, Umunnakwe stated.
He went further to reveal how tough it was giving the little complications that comes with dealing with the female gender and the need to have a well planned outing with the help of the Community youths.
According to the advertisement expert, the tournament was made up of four teams namely; Umunnakwe Angels, Dikko United, Abbas Ladies FC and Chinonye Babes.
and it was played in a league format to determine the over all winner.
He further adduced that the league winners got N100,000, while the first runner up went home with the sum of N50,000, just as the second runner up received N30,000 and the last team got a consolation prize of N20,000.
“We made sure every partaker of the tournament went home with something and the jersey was given to the players to go home with as participant Souvenir.
“Some of this girls you see training now (at the City School field, on Wtheral road) are the best of the two final teams selected by scouts for further training and development.
“This is the personal task i have given myself, so it does not just end with me just organizing the tournament, but also to generate something out of it my positioning this young stars on a part to success.
“Having successfully hosted the maiden edition, the next edition will be bigger which will happen at the end of this year 2023.” Umunnakwe added.
The selected 10 players have been camped for further training while all their welfare for camping has been provided.
Our correspondent witnessed Coaches and scouts from different female clubs such as Heartland Queens, First Mahi FC including the coaches of the female football team for the upcoming National Youth Games in Asaba later in February who where on ground to scout for potential players.
“Am doing this because of the love I have for football and my community and for sports. I believe that in everything we do if we put more effort God will intervene and bless our efforts. One day this young girls will become stars and they will remember the society that made them.” Umunnakwe concluded.
