By Chimezie Anaso
The Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police, the Nigerian Navy and about 1,578 football teams y will take part in the 2019 Anambra Football Season billed to kickoff on Feb. 1 at a yet to be announced date.
Tony Oli, Chairman of Anambra Sports Development Commission (ASDC), made the disclosure at the pre-season and tournament news conference on Tuesday in Awka.
Participants at pre-season parley include ASDC Sports at the local governments, primary and secondary school education officers and representatives of the the institutions that will play in the competition.
He said the football season which was inaugurated on Nov. 30 last year would end at the Chuba Ikpeazu Mini Stadium, Onitsha on May 27.
Oli said ASDC branded footballs had been distributed to all participating teams.
According to him, 1, 062 primary schools will compete in the U-13 Kiddies Cup, while 258 Secondary schools will jostle for the Governor’s Cup in the Academical game.
He said teams from 63 markets would trade tackles in “Market Exchange” for the Traders Cup, while 179 Communities will play for the Kings Cup or Community Shield and eight tertiary institution slug it out in the Unigames Cup.
“We also have Security Challenge Cup where football teams from Police will play against DSS, Navy against the Army, Immigration against the Prisons Service and NSCDC against FRSC in their opening matches.
“In all there are six cups and they are going to run concurrently from the official kick off on Friday.
“Part of our support to ensure the success of the programme is the procurement of standard branded football which have been distributed to all participants,” he said.
The chairman said the primary school games would be played on Fridays, while that of the the secondary schools would be on Saturdays.
He said that part of the purpose of the football seasons was to awaken sports consciousness among the youth, communities, security agencies and school children.
Oli urged local government education and sports officers to ensure that the programme ran through smoothly, adding that the leadership of the schools and organisations represented were expected to kit and mobilise the teams.
“This is aimed to raise football to enviable height in Anambra, we want to restore the golden days of our state in sports.
“It is part of the conscious efforts at achieving that purpose, the governor has given his support and I urge us all to make it work.
“The semi-finals for May 1 and a full month for the final match on Children’s Day at the Chuba Ikpeazu Stadium Onitsha,” he said. (NAN)
