A total of 1062 primary schools alongside 258 secondary schools inclusive of The Nigerian Army, Navy and Police are set to take part in the inaugural edition of the 2019 Anambra Football Season scheduled to commence on February 1, 2019 with the finals expected to hold in the month of May.
Chairman, Anambra State Sports Development Commission, Tony Oli, made this disclosure at a tournament sensitization program and press conference held in Awka on Tuesday.
Oli stated that branded balls had earlier been distributed to the participating teams during the Football season inauguration held earlier on November 30th 2018, he further stated that the finals will hold of May 27th 2019 at the Chuba Ikpeazu Stadium Onitsha.
According to the Chairman, there are six trophies for six competitions where a total 1062 primary schools will compete in the U-13 Kiddies Cup, 258 Secondary schools will battle for the U-17 Governor’s Cup fondly known as the Academicals while 63 markets will exchange banters in the Market Exchange for the Traders Cup.
There will be Community Shield also known as the King’s Cup where 179 Communities will do battle, also eight tertiary institutions will slug it out for the UniSoccer with the security agencies participating in the Security Challenge.
The Security Challenge Cup will see football teams from Nigerian Police play against DSS, Army against the Navy, Immigration versus the Prisons Service and NSCDC against FRSC in their opening matches.
Oli further stated that the primary school games would be played on Fridays, while that of their secondary school counterparts be on Saturdays.
The Sports Administrator said that the objective of the football season is to rekindle the nostalgia and awaken sports consciousness among the youths, schools, communities and security agencies.
He urged the Sports Officers to work in tandem with the Local Government Education Sports Officers to ensure that the competition is hitch free and to record immense success.
The competition seminar saw participants drawn from primary and secondary school education officers, tertiary institutions representatives and the Anambra State Sports Development Commission sports officers.
