Femi Atolagbe

In a bid to revive school sports, Prince Favour Adesida is organising football competition among secondary schools in Akure metropolis.

The competition tagged: Favour Secondary School football league  kicks off  4 October.

Igoba Secondary School ,Akure will tackle Saint Dominics in the opening match of the competition, while Omooluorogbo Grammar School will slug it out with Commercial Secondary School in the second match of the league.

Alakure Grammar School will be up against Army Comprehensive Secondary School, Aquinas College will face Alagbaka Comprehensive, also, CAC United will be up against CAC Grammar School, while Muslim College Akure will go head to head with Adegbola Memorial Grammar School , Ejioba Grammar School in Oba Ile will trade tackles with Estate High school and Oyemekun Grammar School will tango with Saint Francis High school.

Earlier, the sponsor of the competition, Favour Adesida, in a chat with newsmen said the idea behind the competition was to contribute his quota to the development of grassroots football development in the state.

Adesida added that school sports is the best way to catch raw talent, adding that most of the best legs in the country were all discovered through school sports.

He said that the memories and rivalries football created while growing up still lingers in his memories.

He added that the in the current era, most people passed through secondary schools without such experience.

Adesida said various prices were on ground for participating schools, in individual awards and recognition have been planned for the competition.

“ This is not competition for the fun of it, one of our partners has promised us that there will be trials for the best player of the tournament and another sponsor, promised to give best players two pack of soft drink  per month for three months with N5000 naira for same months.

“So we have a lot in store for the participating teams and to support the good work Ondo State FA is doing in discovery of talents from the grassroots with various competitions,” he said.

Chairman Akure Football Council, Mr Abayomi Ogunlade, commended the sponsor for his vision to revive school sports in the state, adding that if the state had many people sponsoring competitions, enough players would abound.

He urged philanthropists in the state to join hands with the government to develop sports in the state.

He said: “Government can not do it alone, therefore I call on individual, private sectors to join hands with the government at all levels to develop sports in the country at large.