The season five of the Under-17 Airtel Rising Stars (ARS) football
tournament at the weekend saw the male team from Benue State and female counterpart
from Plateau State emerging winners of the Abuja Regional Championship, reports
ITRealms.
This means that both teams which emerged at the Old Parade Ground
in Abuja, ITRealms reports would now represent the North Region at the national
finals holding in Lagos.
The Abuja tournament which kicked off on Thursday 30th of
July came to a successful conclusion on Saturday 1st August at the
Old Parade Ground, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
In the
final matches of both male and female categories, the Benue boys defeated their
Nasarawa counterparts by 3 goals to nil, while the Plateau State girls beat
their Kaduna counterparts 7 – 6 through penalties after a gruelling encounter
that ended goalless.
In the
third place matches, the boys from Kaduna defeated team FCT by 2 goals to 1,
whilst the Abuja girls clinched the third place medals at a match that was also
decided by penalties where they beat the girls from Kano by 4 goals to 1.
A huge
crowd of soccer loving youths defied the early morning showers to be at the
venue to watch the final matches. The highly elated winners celebrated joyously
as the trophies were presented to them by Airtel’s Regional Operations
Director, North, Wole Abu who was in company of the Zonal Business Manager,
North Central, Lynda Umeh; Regional Trade Marketing Manager, North, Nasihu
Abdulmajid and ex-Super Eagles International and technical adviser in the ARS
5, Garba Lawal.
Speaking
shortly after presenting the medals and trophies to the teams, Mr. Abu noted
that the Telco remains committed to its laudable contribution towards the
development of youths and sport in Nigeria and has been consistent in
supporting football talents to achieve their potentials.
“From
Season 1 to the current Season 5, we have seen improvement in terms of
organisation and officiating. Airtel Nigeria is convinced that this platform
will continue to discover and produce football talents that will move on to
professional football as we have seen from the testimonies of those that have
been discovered. Airtel is interested in the success of youths in Nigeria,” he
noted.
Coach of
the Benue State Team, Ernest Patrick, was full of delight at the victory of his
team and expressed readiness to represent the North in the National Finals. “We
feel proud and excited to have seen the result of our efforts. We worked hard
but we will also work on our lapses. We played a good game and the other teams
played well too. By God’s grace we will lift the trophy in Lagos. More is
expected of us as we move to the National finals. We hope to make impact and
win the competition.”
Salisu
Nakande, Coach of the Plateau girls, who was a member of the Golden Eaglets
squad to China ’85, said the victory at the regional championship is not new to
him, but the task is for the team to lift the trophy at the national finals in
Lagos.
“I am used to the terrain and I am not new to the National Finals.
In the Airtel Rising Star Season 4, my boys made it to the finals but we lost
to Kwara State. This time around, I foresee a very strong final and we will
work hard to put in our best so we can win the National Finals in Lagos,” he
said.
Meanwhile,
four outstanding players were identified and honoured during the Abuja Regional
Finals.
Rita Sunday, who plays for Plateau, won the Female Highest Goals Scorer
award with a total of 6 goals, while Stephen Friday of Team Abuja won the Male
Highest Goals Scorer award with total of 3 goals. The female Most Valuable
Player award went to the skilful 15 year old Chinwe Akabike of Kaduna girls,
while the male Most Valuable Player award went to Sanusi Usman,16, who plays for
Benue State.
The next leg of the Regional Championship will be played in Port
Harcourt at Liberation Stadium, PH between the 6th and 8th
August. Thereafter, Lagos will host the last leg of regional championship at
Legacy Pitch, National Stadium, Surulere, starting from 14th to 16th
of August 2015.
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Pix: L-R, Airtel’s Regional Operations Director, North, Wole Abu; Benue State Team Captain, Sunday Ugor; Zonal Business Manager, North Central, Lynda Umeh with ex-Super Eagles International and Technical Adviser in the ARS Season 5, Garba Lawal during the presentation of trophy to Benue State male team after emerging winner in the Abuja Regional Championship on Saturday.
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