As preparations continue for the maiden Sam Okwaraji U-16 National Football Championship, the first Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Chief Felix Anyansi Agwu, has called on various state governments and corporate organisations to support the noble initiative.
Okwaraji slumped and died at the National Stadium Surulere, Lagos in August 1989, during a crucial FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Angola and a memorial tournament is planned to honour him later this year.
Speaking on the tournament, the former Chairman of Enyimba FC of Aba noted that Okwaraji was a patriotic Nigerian who died serving his fatherland and theres need for both federal and state governments to rally round the initiators of the tournament which will help in grassroots development of football in the country.
He specifically called on all the governors of the South East states to give maximum support to the championship which will be used to immortalise him.
The memorial football tournament coming more than three decades after the death of Okwaraji is a welcome development as its targeted at grassroots football development and theres need for governments at all levels and corporate Nigeria to support the project.
I also want to particularly appeal to all the South East states, philanthropist and corporate Nigeria to support the tournament which will begin with zonal competitions in all the six geopolitical zones of the country and at the end of the day two teams will qualify from each zone for a round robin game, he said.
Anyansi was also emphatic that the tournament, apart from discovering talents at the grassroots, would also help the young players build friendships with their peers from other states of the country.
Youre aware that the NFF is taking the issue of grassroots football development serious in order to move our football forward. When you look at South Africa and Morocco, youll discover that their football is developing very fast because of their massive investment in grassroots programme and thats why everyone must support this tournament, he concluded.
