Kwara dominates YSFON CNN/ NOWA football championship
Ifeanyi Eduzor
Host state Kwara, over the weekend won both the boys U-14 Chief of Naval Staff and the girls U-17 Nigerian Navy Officers Wives football championship.
The finals which was decided at the Kwara State Football Academy Complex, Ilorin saw the male team beating their Enugu state counterpart by 4-2 penalties after their game ended 0-0 at full time while their females who are winning the title a record fifth time recorded a 1-0 victory over their opponents from Osun State to emerge winners.
Presenting trophies and medals to the teams, the Chief Of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo who was represented by Rear Admiral B.J. Gbasa Chief of Naval Administration expressed delight at the successful hosting of the week-long event assuring that the Navy will continue to partner Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria in their quest to develop grassroots football.
He was particularly happy that the championship over the years has produced many talented youths who later represented the country both locally and internationally and charged YSFON not to relent in their efforts at championing grassroots sports development.
” The Nigerian Navy is happy to partner with YSFON in it’s talents discovery programme and am happy that since the commencement of this championship, many talented players have been discovered who later became household names internationally in football.
” I also want to say that I’m happy with the football artistry displayed by the players, the discipline and their level of sportsmanship and I want to assure YSFON that the Nigerian Navy will contact to sponsor this competition because of the immense benefit that goes with it”, he stressed.
In his closing remarks, National President of YSFON Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna who was represented by the Vice President North- Central Alhaji Mustapha Allayday said that the Federation is happy with what the Navy is doing in grassroots football development and charged similar services and corporate Nigeria to partner with it in order to develop sports further and give hope to talented youths of the country.
” We at YSFON are particularly happy with what the Navy is doing in grassroots sports development in the country and I appeal to similar services, corporate organisations and philanthropists to emulate them and give hope to our youths”, he concluded
Some top government officials that graced the grand finale are; representative of the Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police, Paul. O. Odama, representative of Kwara State Governor, Director of Sports Nigerian Navy, Commodore R.M Shammah , Deputy Commandant Navy College of Health Sciences, Offa, Kwara State, Navy Captain S.A Ahmadu and Nigeria Pillar of Sports, Donatius Agu- Ejidike amongst others.
