From Ifeoma Ejiofor
Football is of course a very lucrative business in today’s world. To this end, a Legislator in Anambra State Hon Kingsley Udemezue who is the member representing Idemili North State Constituency in the Anambra House of Assembly has set the target to use football to better the lives of the youth in his domain by floating a football competition known as Idemili League.
The Idemili League featuring ten teams from communities in Idemili North was kicked off yesterday at St Philip primary school field in Ogidi amid pomp and pageantry with some personalities and football fans having a good time. In the opening match Ogidi United smashed the opponent by 3-0.
Speaking on the competition Hon Udemezue disclosed that his intentions on using the round leather game to empower the youth is based on the fact that there are talented ones who are good enough to use football to earn a better living but lack the opportunity to do so.
He described football as a viable tool to engage the youth into meaningful life adding that his intention is to use his connectiond to market talented players from his Constituency identified from Idemili League to bigger teams in Nigeria and elsewhere.
He added “Idemili League is for talent hunt in football and I want to assure the players that they have a future in football via this competition. The Nigeria Football Federation ,(NFF) and other relevant stakeholders in football are aware of this competition and hopefully something good will follow the youth at the end of the day”
Asked if there is sponsorship behind him, the lawmaker said he is reaching out to people of goodwill within and outside Idemili with a passionate appeal to lend their support for the league to produce the expected result of churning out players who will play for Nigeria clubs and National teams like Golden Eaglets, Flying Eagles and Super Eagles
As obtained in such competition, Hon Udemezue said that the first, second and third placed teams will go home with prices so also over all best player, highest goal scorer and best disciplined team among others.
Personalities that watched the opening upmatch include the Chairman Idemili South Local Government Area Hon Amaka Obi, the member representing Oyi State Constituency Hon Ojike Innocent alias Ojikam and his Ayamelum counterpart Hon Bernard Udemezue among others.