.. Football Talent Hunt Camp Soon To Open In Owerri
..Shortlisted Players Set For Physically Documentation
The Zonal and Local Government Sports officers and the Technical Team of the Imo FA who were charged by the Chairman of IMO Sports Commission to tour round the State, monitor Imo budding footballers involved in the 2022 yuletide community-based football tournaments across the State and to select good players therefrom, have presented their final list of players to the Chairman, Imo Sports Commission, Hon . Prince Amb Eleazar Onyewuchi Ogbonna.
Presenting the list of players at the new office of the Imo Sports Commission located at the former Imo House of Assembly complex, the FA/Technical team informed the Imo Sports Commission Chairman that they utilized the Christmas season of football across the State to discover the players in the final list. They stated that their mandate of selecting twenty (20) players per LGA was successful baring the difficulties they encountered in Orlu zone.
According to the Technical Team, each LGA was to produce 20 players. The Committee regretted that some LGAs in Orlu zone did not have their complete slot due to security reasons. However, they promised to do everything possible to augment the deficit.
The Chairman thanked the Technical team of the FA for their success and assured that the shortlisted players are soon going to be called to the Camp for screening. “Our mandate is to help in our own ways to better the prospects of our budding talents in football and other Sports. The Governor of Imo State, HE Dist Sen Hope Uzodimma is passionate about Imo youths. This program is in tandem with desire of the 3R Government under our dynamic Governor to constructively engage the youths of Imo State and harness their potentials to the fullest. Idleness of the youths is being banished in Imo State. The young Imo players in this list will be the very first beneficiaries of our Talent Hunt Exposition exercise. They have the chance now to showcase their talents. Successful ones among them will forever be grateful for this experience. I thank the Gov for this and all his efforts”, Hon Prince Ogbonna enthused.
The Head of Football department, Ex-international Mobi Oparaku harped on the need for the shortlisted players to physically present themselves for preliminary documentation, assuring that his team will ensure that the very best legs make the final shortlist.
Meanwhile, the Sports Director, Sir Ferdinand Emeana assured that finishing touches are being given to the Camp after the facilitation of the rehabilitation of the Camp by Imo Sports Commission Chairman, Hon Prince Ogbonna. He maintained that there are sufficient Camping facilities for the Talent Hunt in the rehabilitated Camp.
It might be recalled that the Chairman Imo Sports Commission had since his appointment traversed Europe and secured several invitationals in Europe for the exposition of our budding talents. Top-notch football teams in Europe like Barca FC, Valencia FC, Real Madrid FC, Chelsea FC etc are partners in the scheme and have indicated their interest in sending in their scouts for the sole purpose of feasting on their choice players in the Talent Hunt Exposition tours.
In April this year, the first contingent of Imo players are touring to Valencia, Spain for the first of such tours. Other similar tours and Talent Hunt Exposition Tours are also already secured and being processed too.
The list of shortlisted players are to be publicized through all media channels: newspapers, social media and electronic media. The shortlisted players are to be on the alert for their invitations that shall be publicized also through the same channels.
