By Odie Ramon, Yenagoa.
More stakeholders in the sports sector in Bayelsa State have hailed the continuous progress and the sustenance of Nigeria’s biggest grassroots football tournament christened the Prosperity Cup.
The Bayelsa Governor’s Football Tournament tagged the Prosperity Cup season seven will have three categories in the competition, namely male, female, and the para category, with 50 Million naira up for grabs for the winners.
Some of the stakeholders in an interview with the Prosperity Cup media, commended the governor for the expansion of the tournament, particularly the inclusion of the women and the para soccer competition.
Director of new media to the governor, Dr. Kola Oredipe, said the tournament has, over the years, contributed to football in the nation, pointing out that the governor’s “ASSURED” mantra of sports is a clear indication of the Prosperity administration’s passion for sports.
Dr. Oredipe noted that the tournament has exposed many youths in the state, stating that the governor has, in the last five years, given every sport in the state premium attention.
Tournament Director Mr. Perela Aboroson asserted that the Prosperity Cup has positively impacted the lives of the youths in Bayelsa, pointing out that beyond winning trophies, the tournament has given young players a means of livelihood.
Reflecting on the successes recorded in the previous edition, Mr. Aboroson believes that with the 50 million prize money, the showpiece will witness unprecedented improvement compared to other editions of the tournament.
He hinted that five players from the tournament scouting program would be leaving Bayelsa for Lithuania, Malta, and Turkey this month for greener pastures, explaining that the spectacle this year would accommodate three professional players.
Former international Jossy Dombraye, who described the tournament as international said the 50 Million naira prize for the showpiece speaks volumes of the governor’s deliberate effort to make Bayelsa a hub of sports, maintaining that the current generation of players is lucky to have the governor’s cup and the scouting programs.
Also, technical adviser Bayelsa United, Ladan Bosso, opined that the state governor, Senator Douye Diri needs to be commended for taking the competition to a noticeable level, stressing that the tournament is a perfect avenue to scout for players in the various local government areas in the state.
According to him, the Bayelsa Governor’s Football Tournament is one platform that has kept the youths busy, noting that during the tournament, less crime was reported in the state capital and the eight local government areas.
He explained that the increase in the prize money for the women’s version of the tournament would generate more interest in women’s football in Bayelsa and equally consolidate the achievements recorded by Bayelsa Queens in women’s football in Nigeria.
A board member on the board of Bayelsa United and President of the Independent Grassroots Development Association of Nigeria (IGDA), Ambassador Miebi Ogunu, noted that the Prosperity Cup had taken grassroots players to a new dimension, describing the competition as a blessing to the nation, adding that the prize money would improve tournament participation amongst teams.
Ambassador Ogunu, equally urged multinational oil companies, financial institutions, the organized private sector as well as well-meaning Bayelsans to get involved in the tournament.
