By Dipo Olowookere
Lafiaji Football Club has emerged the overall winner of the 2018 Oba’s Cup, which came to an end on Monday, October 22, 2018.
The Oba’s Cup is a football competition inaugurated by Dr Kennedy Okonkwo, to celebrate the 25th coronation anniversary of Oba Tijani Adetunji Akinloye, the Sateru ӏӏ, Ojomu of Ajiranland.
The competition kicked off on September 22, 2018 and had several football clubs in the area participating.
The monarch, who congratulated all winners and participating teams in the competition, thanked the organiser for using the platform to foster the spirit of sportsmanship among the youths in Eti-Osa community and its environs.
With its emergence, Lafiaji Football Club smiles home with the grand prize of N500,00, with the second placed team, Tobalase Football Club, grabbing N300,000, and the third team, Ajiran Football Club, taking N200,000.
In addition, the highest goal scorer at the tournament went home with N100,000, while the best goalkeeper also received N100,000.
Speaking at the finals of the tourney, Oba Akinloye said, “I congratulate all winners and competing teams for displaying the spirit of oneness, peace, togetherness, unity and love throughout the period. Indeed, this is what football preaches and this tournament has helped to instil these virtues in our youths.”
Sponsor of the 2018 Oba’s Cup, Dr Kennedy Okonkwo, explained that the competition was put together as part of his company’s corporate social responsibility and also to encourage the spirit of sportsmanship among the youths in the area.
“The games were to celebrate our Royal Father and we have achieved this by competing as brothers in the tournament through our display of sportsmanship,” he said.
All participating teams showered encomiums on Mr Okonkwo for supporting the youths through sports by building and donating the new Ajiran stadium complete with flood lights to the community.
They also prayed for Oba Akinloye, whose coronation anniversary has given them the platform to showcase their skills in the spirit of celebration.
During the competition, a total of 32 games were played by 16 teams, with each getting a participation fee of N50,000.
Furthermore, sponsors of the tournament, Victoria Crest Homes Limited, a real estate company providing affordable housing solutions in Lagos, Nigeria, provided jerseys for the teams.
During the competition, indigenes of the community as well as visitors trooped to the stadium to witness the display of skills and sportsmanship from the teams. It was a month of entertainment and celebration of the Oba’s anniversary as everyone who witnessed were elated by the euphoria of sportsmanship displayed during the games.
Modupe Gbadeyanka