As part of plans to keep youth busy and discover talents, Engr. Dotun Sanusi, owner of Ilaji Hotel & Sports Resort, Akanran, is organizing a football league.
Tagged Ilaji Football League, it will feature ten teams divided into two groups, with group A consisting of Oyo United, Ogbomoso United, Iseyin United, Ilaji Football Club and Ibarapa United. Group B is made up of Igboho United, Ibadan United, Saki United, Kishi United and Igbeti United.
Inside sources said that the sum of one million naira would be spent on each club. This, they said, is apart from the grand prizes.
The league kicks off with an opening match in the group A between Iseyin United and Ibarapa United and Ibadan United versus Igboho United in group B.
But before then, the date for the screening and commencement of the league would be communicated to the participating teams.
Represented by the league director, Mrs. Nike Remi Olarinde, at the unveiling of logo and fixtures to herald the commencement of the league, Sanusi further said that the competition is targeted at promoting the love, unity within the people of Oyo State and to engage the youth in sporting activities.
In his welcome address, he spoke about the importance of organizing the league and purposely to promote unity, noting that building of communal relationships and friendships is key and paramount to nation building and peaceful society.
He said sporting activities, especially football in Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole, need to be given a facelift “as we can perform better than the foreign leagues we have all adapted to. And, raw talent will be discovered, exposed to foreign scouts and supported to have a balanced and successful football career.”
This is just as he charged participating clubs on discipline, unity and fairness on the part of all, so as to make the tournament to be successful.
The Oyo State Football Association, through its secretary, Mr. Kehinde Ojelowo, assured of the total support of the association to ensure the success of the competition.
He explained that the competition will go a long way in the area of sports promotion, which he said will translate to its development in Oyo State. Ojelowo noted that the organizers, with the assistance of Oyo FA, will run the league in line with FIFA, football ruling body’s rules and regulations.
While unveiling the logo and the porting of the participating teams, Prince Dapo Ajibade made it known that, 10 teams will be playing the league and will be put into two groups; Group A and Group B. Each team will have the opportunity of presenting 25 players and 5 officials.
Ajibade assured that the talents discovered will be nurtured to prominence, saying that it is in the light of this that the financier of the competition, Sanusi, acquired a football club in Europe.
It was further stated that, the league will be livestreamed by Ilaji Football League, IFL, TV on cable network, and the coaches, referees and others will as well be rewarded base on conduct to the success of the football league.
Related
