By Dennis Udoma
American based Non-Governmental Organization, INISO Youth Development Foundation has announced plans to host the second edition of its youth cup tournament in Nigeria next year.
The tournament, slated for February will be concluded at a grand finale in April, 2019 as part of activities to mark 2019 Easter celebration.
The Executive Director of the NGO, Mr Howard Usen while briefing journalists at a press conference in Uyo at the weekend on preparations for the game said, the football fiesta was aimed at empowering the youth, while also harnessing their talents towards professional football.
The competition, which debuted last year with Etinan Ward 1 in Akwa Ibom emerged Champions according to the organisers, would be extended to cover the Etinan Federal Constituency of the state and subsequently, Nigeria due to popular interest by football enthusiasts in other parts of the country.
Mr Usen noted that, the competition during the previous edition has helped to discover more talents making the NGO to consider establishing an academy in Uyo next year to camp, as well as empower the players for higher skills and productivity.
According to him, “the next edition of the tournament would have thirty-one teams from Etinan Federal Constituency comprising Nsit Ubium, Nsit Ibom and Etina Local Government Areas, which is an improvement from the first edition within Etinan local government”.
He used the occasion to commend its founder and President, Mr Ubong Usen who is based in the United States of America for sustaining the programme, expressing the hope that, with the arrangements put in place the tournament would outlived the present generation.
Usen however disclosed that, effort was on to register the academy with the State’s Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, while also partnering other organizations to expand the coast and sustainability.
Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/american-ngo-plans-easter-soccer-for-akwa-ibom-youth/
