Adebutu U-18 Soccer Tourney Beckons By Abdulfatai Sobande, Abeokuta Healthy soccer hostilities among youth teams in Ogun State will begin on the 19th of this month, when they take centre stage and battle for honour in the much anticipated Sir Kessington Adebutu Under-18 Football Championship. The competition is expected to hold in four different centres of Ogun State, Ijebu-Ode, Ilaro, Sagamu and Abeokuta, the state capital, with the kick-off expected to hold shortly after a screening exercise at same venues for all participating teams. Speaking about the championship, chairman of Ogun State Football Association, Ganiu Majekodunmi stressed the need for more private sector driven participation by taking a cue from Chief Adebutu, whose timely intervention in sport developmental efforts in Lagos is now being replicated in Ogun state. He assured that every player would be fully screened in order to guide against age cheats, promising to follow all the rules of the game strictly. Cup donor, Chief Adebutu expressed his desire to partner the football body and state government in transforming football, but also said he was worried that the under-20 national team, Flying Eagles struggled throughout their campaign at the recent FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey, despite huge investment and early preparations. The State Football Association in a timetable made available by its spokesman, Wole Otayemi, stated that the screening exercise in Egba and Yewa zones will hold this Saturday, 10th of August while it will be the turn of Remo and Ijebu on Sunday, the 11th. According to the time-table, draws for the tournament will hold immediately while competition proper gets underway on the 19th of August for the preliminaries in all the centres. Top functionaries of the state government, the Nigeria football federation and Chief Kessington Adebutu are expected to grace the opening and the final moments of the championship in Abeokuta.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 16:03:23 +0000