Winners have emerged at the 3rd edition of the Maikaya Development Foundation’s yearly grassroots football tournament.
Kofa FC of Toto Town pipped hard-fighting Emani FC of Sofiyo by a lone goal in the final played on New Year’s Day at Toto Central Primary School Football Field to be crowned champions.
The grand finale was attended by Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State who was ably represented by the State’s Commissioner for Health, Pharmacist Ahmed Baba Yaya; Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Amb Lucky Isaac Yargwa, and his Information, Culture and Tourism counterpart, Hon. Yakubu Mohammed Lawal.
Others were Rt. Hon. Shuaibu Sani(SSA to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Youth Affairs cum Chief Operating Officer, MDF); Executive Chairman of Toto Local Government Area, Hon. Abdullahi Tashas; Comr. Jaafar Mohammed Loko, Special Assistant to Governor Abdullahi Sule on Political Matters and Chairman, Kogi State Civil Service Commission, Barr. Tanko Ashuku.
Prizes were presented to the winners, runners-up and 3rd placed team, Ciroma FC.
Amb. Yargwa who donated two pieces of customized football crested with the portrait of Governor Abdullahi Sule to the two finalist teams was decorated with a special medal alongside his Information, Culture and Tourism colleague, Hon. Yakubu Mohammed Lawal, by Organizers of the Competition.
In his appreciation note, Sponsor and Chief Executive Officer of Maikaya Development Foundation, Dr. Mohammed Musa Maikaya(Ciroman Toto), expressed gratitude to the Governor for sending a powerful delegation to grace the finale, assuring that the presence of the dignitaries encouraged him to continue to do more for the growth and development of youth in Toto and Nasarawa State.
The 2019 Governorship aspirant explained that the essence of staging the annual football competition was to promote unity, entrench peaceful co-existence and add to the Governor Sule’s grassroots talents discovery initiative aimed at giving youth of the State a sense of direction and actualizing their God-given potentials through sports.
Fifteen teams drawn from the ten Electoral Wards of Toto Local Government Area took part in the competition which began on 14th November, 2022.