Nigerian ex international and former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, has called on stakeholders including corporate organisation in Nasarawa State to invest in grassroots sports development.
Siasia made the call at the kickoff of the 2024 Mailafia Peace and Unity football tournament on Saturday in Deddere, Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
The ex international, applauded Yakubu Mailafia, the sponsor, for consistently organising the grassroots football tournament for the past eight years.
He noted that such investment would go a long way to discover great footballing talents from the rural communities and enable them to fulfil their dreams.
Siasia added that the venture would also address youth restiveness in the communities and they would be positively engaged.
He, therefore, urged spirited individual and corporate organisations in the state to emulate Mailafia by investing in grassroots sports.
“We will support him and the players that were discovered to become exceptional and to pursue their dreams to become professional footballers,” he said.
Also, Salisu Galadima, Chairman of Nasarawa State Football Association, commended the organiser for the initiative aimed at engaging the youths to make them unavailable for crimes.
Galadima, therefore, promised that the football association under his leadership would partner with the sponsor as well as others interested in promoting football.
On his part, Mailafia, said that his passion for football motivated him to start the tournament in 2016, saying the current was the eighth edition.
“We started the competition in 2016 with just eight clubs, but the 2024 edition has 32 clubs from Nasarawa South and Nasarawa North Senatorial Districts.
“We have a lot of plans for players who displayed exceptional talents at the competition to promote their football career,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Esson Mairiga, a lawmaker representing Lafia North constituency at the State House of Assembly, said that his constituency had presented three clubs at the tournament.
Mairiga expressed delight with the massive investment in the youths through football and promised to support the organiser to achieve the essence of tournament.
Meanwhile, in opening match of the tournament, Thunder Football Club of Agyaragu and the defending champions, defeated Harland FC of Shabu 1-0 in the first game of the 2024 edition.
Mamuda Mohammed of Thunder FC, wearing jersey number 8, scored the only goal of the match 10 minutes into the first half from the first corner kick of the game.
