Oyo Plans Big For NASCOM Football Tourney Finals

In furtherance of its vow to lift sports at the grassroots, Oyo State government has finalized plans to host and stage a grand tournament to round-up maiden the NASCOM Soccer Championship scheduled to commence at Lekan Salami Sports Complex Ibadan on Friday.

States qualified to vie for honour in the last phase of the grassroots soccer tourney after the 2 months preliminaries are Edo, Bauchi, Kaduna and Oyo.

Winner of the tourney would also have a chance to become national academicals U-17 team and represents Nigeria that has been invited to the United States by the South Carolina Youth Soccer Association for a series of competitions and clinics from July 31 to August 12, 2012.

To ensure an itch-free hosting, Oyo State Commissioner for Youths and Sports Dapo-Lam Adesina has constituted various committees comprising of seasoned sports administrators and technocrats, saddled with different responsibilities.

Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Hon Dapo Lam-Adesina while receiving the teams on arrival assured that Oyo State will give them the best of treatment and warm hospitality the state is known for while also reiterating government support for grassroots sports development as evident in prompt response of the His Excellency Senator Abiola Ajimobi to sport matters.

Speaking on the championship NASCOM president, and former Nigeria international, Segun Odegbami (MON) said he is enthusiastically looking forward to a memorable championship owing to the pedigree of the pace-setter State who is hosting.

He praised the developmental effort of Oyo State government which he described as unprecedented in the history of sport in Nigeria. He said Oyo State came to the rescue after initial host, Kwara State failed at the last minute to host.

“We were impressed with the huge success of the last Governors Cup and approached the Sport loving governor, Senator Abiola Ajibola to stage the championship here in Oyo State and expectedly he again demonstrated that he indeed loves sport by accepting to host even at the shortest notice”

Odegbami himself who was a product of academicals sports said the championship will be an annual event which will help bring the lost glory of sports in the country while advising other state government to take a cue from Oyo State.