In a Question and answer session at the opening ceremony of The Oyo Unity Cup at the Soun Stadium, Ogbomosho, Oyo State, astute football administrator abd Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Board Member Aisha Falode, said the Unity Cup as a grassroot competition, is for the development of football in the country.
The head of the Female League, said future football stars can only be discovered from the grassroots. “You cannot have any solid player without going through the grassroot. The grassroot is a nursery for the national team, it is a developmental program, the youth should embrace the grassroot.
“You cannot build a house from the top, the grassroot is the foundation and the Unity Cup represents the grassroot. It is a platform of football for developing the talent we need to service the national team and this is what we have seen here today.”
Aisha Falode also commended the initiative of the Minister Of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare.
“We must commend the Minister for the Unity Cup here in Ogbomosho. If we have this kind of program replicated across the Local Governments and States in Nigeria then we would have a pool of players to draw from when we need replacements for those who have given there services to their fatherland,” she said.
Speaking on how the Minster has fared with other sports such as badminton, beach soccer, handball, para lifting, volleyball, she said, “What we have here is a Minister who is not only talking the talk but walking the talk. He has said he is not a Minister of football and in everything he has done since his swearing in, he has demonstrated that indeed he is not. He has touched handball, basketball, athletics, gymnastics, boxing and other areas of sports. In other words we have seen a Minister who came prepared, who has a vision and knows the purpose why he was sworn in. Asides from having his template on how he wants to transform Nigerian Sports, which he has started grassroot programs and by drawing the attention of the corporate world to partner and invest in Nigerian Sports through the Adoption Initiative”.
“We must all commend the Minister,” she concluded.
