JOF Nigeria Limited’s Sponsored U-13 Football Tourney Kicks Off Saturday

OMOTAYO KOLAWOLE PETER

The maiden Lagos State JOF U-13 Football Tournament has been scheduled to kick off this Saturday at the Evans Square Playground, Ebute Metta in the heart of Lagos.

The grassroots youth football tournament is proudly facilitated and sponsored by JOF Nigeria Limited, an Integrated Logistics Services Provider with subsidiaries in properties and investments portfolios.

Speaking in Lagos Thursday during the public presentation of the tournament at its corporate headquarters at Obanikoro, General Manager, Strategic and Support Services of JOF Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Adeyinka Adetunji said that the company was proud to associate with the organisers of the competition, Lagos State Grassroots Soccer Association for the privilege extended to the company to be part of a project to develop the talent of Nigerian youths.

“Our chairman extends his felicitations to all the young boys who have formed themselves into football clubs, their coaches, managers, parents and supporters. We are aware that to take part in this competition, the football teams have been training hard and we look forward to watching the eliminating matches before the final,” said Adetunji in company of other top management staff of JOF Nigeria Limited.

He revealed that the company is putting the sum of N3.5 million as total sponsorship packaged out of which the sum of N500, 000 will be given out as prize monies.

“The champions of this maiden edition of Lagos State U-13 JOF Tournament will take home the sum of N200, 000 while the first and second runners up will pocket N150, 000 and N100, 000. The fourth position will get N50, 000.

“However, in addition to the teams’ cash prizes with trophies, we have also made provision for additional cash and gifts for those individual players who will distinguish themselves during the tournament. The category include the golden glove award winner for the best goalkeeper, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the highest goal scorer of the tournament,” he said.

While wishing all the participating teams a successful tournament, Adetunji re-emphasised that “at JOF Nigeria Limited, we believe that we have a duty to encourage, support and project this type of competition and other constructive youth events in Nigeria.”

P.M. EXPRESS reports that 32 teams will compete in the tournament which will be played on knockout basis. Double Stars FC of Ijora will slug it out against Okon United of Alimosho in the first match of the competition on Saturday by 1pm. The quarter final will be played on 12 February, semi finals hold on 20 February, while the third place and final matches hold on 23 February at the Campos Mini Stadium, Lagos.

The third place game will start by 1pm, while the final match kicks off by 3pm.

The organiser, Lagos State Grassroots Soccer Association, informed the media that selection of players for this tournament was strictly based on the right age and the competition has been packaged to give the players more room to focus on their studies during the month-long event.