BY ADELU PRAISE DEBORAH

Just as it did for the 2024 edition, the sponsor of the annual U-13 JOF Kids Cup Tournament, JOF Nigeria Limited, has announced the sum of N1,925,000 as prize monies to be given to winners in the 6th edition of the grassroots soccer championship which final will hold on Sunday 27 April, 2025.

Speaking earlier on Thursday at the corporate headquarters of JOF Nigeria Limited on Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos southwest Nigeria, Mr Adeyinka Adetunji, Director of Strategic Support Services of the company told a media conference that the firm has set a very good standard for the grassroots football tourney last year with handsome rewards for excellence for the winners coupled with an exciting and glamorous final ceremony held at the University of Lagos (Unilag) Sports Centre in Akoka, Lagos, hence any package for the winners this year of the 6th edition must not be low.

Adetunji therefore unveiled the sum of N250,000 for the fourth-place winners. N350,000 will go to the third place, while the second-place winners will pocket the sum of N500,000.

“The winners of the 6th edition of U-13 JOF Kids Cup will go home with the sum of N750,000. We also monetary rewards for individual awards such as the Best Goalkeeper (N25,000), Highest Goal Scorer (N25,000) and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament who will pocket the sum of N25,000,” Adetunji said.

The JOF Nigeria Limited’s manager also announced the 27 April 2025 date for the final ceremony scheduled at the Unilag Sports Centre in Akoka, Yaba. He also disclosed that of the 64 teams that started the 6th edition on 16 February 2025, four teams would be on display during the final ceremony.

He said: “Strong Dove of Orile will trade tackles against 1st Class FC of Lagos Island for the third-place prize, while the final match will be a titanic battle between B. Unit Boys of Mainland and Versity Boys of Lagos Island.”

Some of the kids participating in the U-13 JOF Kids Cup

Adetunji applauded the support the tournament has been receiving from the sporting press since the first edition, just as he also commended various private companies which have been given services and product support to the tournament.

“This support has kept us going to give these kids a future in the round leather game. We are so much grateful. I want to assure you that the final ceremony this year will be more glamorous than what we saw last year,” Adetunji said.

The U-13 JOF Kids Cup Tournament is organised by the Lagos State Grassroots Football Association and sponsored by JOF Nigeria Limited, a wholly indigenous Nigerian company, which prides itself in the development of talent of the Nigerian youth.

Bayelsa State Commissioner for Sports Development, Honourable Daniel Igali, has praised Team Bayelsa for their exceptional triumph at the inaugural Niger Delta Sports Festival, held in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital — where they emerged overall champions, finishing ahead of Delta and Edo States.

In a statement personally signed on behalf of the Governor of Bayelsa State, His Excellency Senator Douye Diri, Igali lauded the team’s fierce determination and excellence, which led to an impressive haul of 86 medals — 42 gold, 29 silver, and 15 bronze.

“Our athletes ran, swam, wrestled, paddled, and fought their way into history,” Igali declared. “From the thunder on the tracks to the brilliance on the mats and in the water, Bayelsa’s sons and daughters showcased the new, unstoppable spirit of our state — proud, prepared, and poised for greatness.”

“On behalf of His Excellency Governor Douye Diri, I say welcome home, champions! Thank you for making Bayelsa the pride of the Niger Delta at this historic maiden edition of the festival. You stood tall at the centre of a region redefining its future — a future beyond oil, driven by talent, hard work, and excellence.”

He continued: “To the Director of Sports, Braveman Wodi, our dedicated coaches, technical staff, secretaries, media team, and every single athlete who gave their all — you have etched your names into gold. We celebrate you. You have made us proud.”

Igali, however, reminded the team to stay grounded and focused as the journey continues: “While we revel in this remarkable achievement, our eyes must now turn to the bigger challenge ahead — the National Sports Festival, Gateway 2025, in Ogun State. It’s time to rest, recover, and prepare to raise the bar once again.”

Delta and Edo States finished second and third respectively, with Delta securing 41 gold, 26 silver, and 32 bronze medals, while Edo claimed 23 gold, 35 silver, and 31 bronze medals.

Bayelsa has spoken — and the message is clear: this is only the beginning.

After six days of sporting contests, the curtain was partially drawn on the Niger Delta Sports Festival (NDSF) with finals in football, athletics and wrestling.

For the close to 3,000 athletes who made it to Uyo with their respective states, it’s possibly an experience they will live with even if they drop out of sports as a career in the future.

This was succinctly captured by Alabo Boma Iyaye, Chairman of the NDSF Main Organising Committee (MOC) when he addressed the media shortly after the rounding off meeting of the organising body.

“This festival has provided opportunity for bonding among youths of our region, memories that they will carry all their lives. We are happy at NDDC to have made this platform available,” Iyaye has remarked.

For a festival that took off with all the trappings of a carnival on the opening night, the closing is not expected to be less of a spectacle.

Dunamis Icon Limited, the festival project managers are expectedly retaining the services of Smile Global Entertainment, producers of the opening ceremony for an encore.

Brown Chinedu Wilfred, the Abia State born all-white dresser was all over the Uyo Township Stadium venue of the event, coordinating his team as they mounted exotic lights and high quality speakers.

“We are setting up differently from what we did on opening day but this time, it’s going to blow minds,” Wilfred boasted.

Itiako Ikpokpo, the Lead Consultant, told journalists that the festival objectives have been met but added, “We will surely put up a good show befitting all that was accomplished in attention to details we brought to organise this event. However, the real accomplishment will be achieved when we are able to groom discovered athletes to be on the podium in years ahead.”

Earlier, Iyaye had announced the decision of the MOC to recommend that the festival be a biennial event.

“We have received commendations from all over the country and the MOC reached a decision today to recommend to the NDDC Board that this festival should hold every two years,” said Iyaye who also is the Executive Director Finance and Administration at the NDDC. Present at the briefing and on hand to watch the final races was the Chairman of the NDDC Board, Chinedu Ebie.

David Akahalu anchored the Edo State 4×400 meters quartet to clinch the gold medal in the very last event that drew the curtains on the festival. That win, coming after Delta State girls took the gold in the 4x400m relay seem to have pushed Bayelsa State off the pinnacle of the medals table.