Umuahia: The Abia Government has launched an initiative to grow local football talents by inaugurating a 33-member Local Organising Committee for Abia’s first-ever grassroots football tournament on Tuesday.
Addressing reporters after the exercise in Umuahia, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Uzor Nwachukwu, said that the committee members were drawn from various sectors to drive the initiative.
Nwachukwu said that the tournament would involve all the football teams in every community, allowing them to compete from the grassroots level, starting at the ward level and
progressing to the state finals.
He stated that the Chairmen of the 17 Local Government Areas (LGAs) were fully involved and committed to ensuring that no community was left out of the competition.
According to him, the tournament was endorsed by the State Executive Council and supported by the chairpersons of all the LGAs in the state.
Additionally, the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Mr Nwobilor Ananaba, stated that the tournament is part of the governor’s vision to discover and nurture talents at the grassroots level.
Ananaba said that the committee would ensure the event reached every corner of the state, allowing for inclusive participation by both in-school and out-of-school youths.
He stated that the tournament aimed to develop athletes who would compete at the state, national, and international levels, bringing laurels to Abia.
He further stated that European football agents would closely monitor selected players from the tournament during the final stages of the competition.
He said that the initiative differed from the secondary school unity games as it included all youths, regardless of their educational status, for wider talent discovery.
The commissioner stated that the committee comprised credible and ambitious individuals prepared to deliver a successful and far-reaching football programme for the state.
He assured the public that the programme would produce visible results and reposition Abia as a hub for youth football excellence in the country.
The Chairman of the committee, Chief John Udeagbala, expressed gratitude to Gov. Alex Otti for allowing the members to serve the state.
Udeagbala, a former Chairman of Aba North LGA, pledged that the committee would meet expectations in fulfilling its assignment.
