Organisers of Nigeria Secondary School Flag Football (NSSFFL) said that 75 secondary schools from seven states, participated in the season two of the competition with eight teams into the final phase.
The competition was organised by the Nigerian American Football Association (NAFA).
The President of NAFA, Babajide Akeredolu, stated this on Monday in Akure while addressing newsmen to usher in the season two of the competition.
The season one was hosted by Lagos State, with Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure hosting the season two scheduled for July 31 to Aug.5.
Akeredolu, who was represented by NAFA Secretary, Lawrence Ojaideh, said the association was determined to provide a viable platform for Nigerian youths to utilize American football for both personal and national development.
The president, who said that the vision goes beyond sports, added that the competition was meant for students in secondary schools (High School) between the ages of 12-18.
“The NSSFFL Season 2 commenced in May with great anticipation, showcasing exciting games in the preliminaries and embracing the inclusion of new states, elevating it to a multi-state spectacle.
“A total of seven states participated in the preliminaries, including Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Abuja, Akwa Ibom, and Osun.
“This season witnessed the active involvement of 75 secondary schools from these states, with over 2,000 student athletes competing,” he said.
Akeredolu said that this year’s edition in the spirit of the game had been christened `Our National Championship Game for the Foreseeable Future`.
In a remark, Mr Bamidele Ologunloluwa, Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Ondo, urged parents and guardians to encourage their wards to be part of the sport.
“Anything that is about sports development, we are always happy to participate. Let’s encourage our wards to be at the event.
“ Sports is a unifier, it’s one of the way to curb social vices,” he said
The General Manager, Ondo State Sports Council, Mr Henry Babatunde said that initiative would bring a lot of development to the youths.
He urged parents, Principals of secondary schools to allow their children to participate actively.
“When we have national events like this, I am always happy because it’s always an avenue of exposure for our youths,” he said.
