…Nigeria Pillar of Sports Stakes ₦1m for grabs
By Saidu Abubakar
The much touted Igwe Orizu Diamond Football U-20 Competition, powered by the Nigeria Pillar of Sports, Chief Donatus Agu-Ejidike JP kicks-off in Nnewi Anambra State this week, with sum of ₦1 million to be won by the champions.
This was contained in a press release from the office of the Nigeria Pillar of Sports (ONPS), signed by the Chairman, Prince Shola Ajide Olayioye, and made available to newsmen, on Monday.
The competition which is an invitational tournament, with teams, randomly selected from the three senatorial districts of Anambra State by the Main Organising Committee, (MOC) in collaboration with the Anambra State Football Association will kick off on Wednesday, the 23rd of August, and ends on Friday, the 25th, at the Ifeanyi Ubah Stadium, Nnewi.
Prince Ajide said the sponsorship of the competition by the Nigeria Pillar of Sports is in line with the vision of the Sports philanthropist that, apart from being a kind of unifier, sports can be used to channel the bubbling energies of the youths, away from crime, and into more productive ventures that would make them become empowered socio-economically, and be more useful to the society even as the championship is also to honour Igwe K.N.O Orizu, the Igwe Nnewi who clocks 60 years on the throne.
The Pillar of Sports, believes it would be an avenue to bring together prominent indigenes of Nnewi with a view to investing in sports business and unearth budding talents in Anambra State, and nurture them to stardom.
He called on all sports-loving individuals to troop out in their numbers and honour Igwe Orizu on all the days of the competition.
Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, The Igwe Orizu , Cabinet members – Igwe-in-Council, SWAN National Executives led by the President, Benjamin Isiah, Senator Ifeanyi Uba, Anambra State Football Association led by its chairman, Chikelue Iloenyosi, prominent sons and daughters of Nnewi and critical stakeholders in Sports are expected at the grand finale of the competition .
The Nnewi- born sports philanthropist, Chief Agu-Ejidike has been using his philanthropic generosity to promote the development of Sports at the grassroots across the country, and this is just another of such noble ventures.