.. as EGM FC emerges Champions of 2022 Prosperity Cup
Amgbare Ekaunkumo,Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri , has challenged multinational oil companies operating in the State to contribute to develop sport at the grassroots as part of their corporate social responsibility.
Governor Diri throw the challenge at Multinational Oil Companies on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 while speaking at the
grand finale of the Prosperity Football Tournament at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex in Yenagoa.
The miracle Governor decried the lack of commitment of oil companies towards addressing the challenges facing oil producing communities and failure to sponsor sporting event and charged them to initiate programmes and policies to develop the communities.
He urged the oil majors and other corporate bodies to improve on the discharge of their corporate social responsibilities and partner with the state government to promote sports and other social activities to keep the youths busy and give to the people a sense of belonging.
He expressed satisfaction with the high level soccer artistry exhibited by players from the participating clubs and assured youths of his administration disposition to provide more opportunities for them to develop their innate talents as a measure to make the state proud.
While commending all the participating teams and the organisers for their show of sportsmanship and orderly conduct, the sport loving governor charged youths to shun cultism and other social vices inimical to societal development and channel their energies to productive ventures.
In his words”It gives me great pleasure today to be here physically to see the very satisfying and technical performance in this finals. This can be compared to any finals in the world, because, the standard of play is very high, and I can tell you that football is here in Bayelsa State.
“I congratulate you all who participated in this tournament, and as you know that sports, and in particular, football, is a unifier. This tournament has brought unity and peace to our State”.
He described the just concluded national scrabble tournament which ended on Sunday July 17 in Yenagoa, where over two hundred players from all over the country participated, as one of the best event ever, going by the accolades he is receiving from stakeholders of the scrabble federation.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon.Daniel Igali lauded the Diri led Prosperity Administration for the deliberate steps taken to promote sporting activities, saying that Bayelsa has recorded land mark achievements in sports.
Also speaking, the Director General of the Prosperity Cup, Onoriode Akpe, explained that the rationale behind the competition is to harness the sporting potentials of the youths in the state and convince them shun cultism, violence conduct and other social vices.
Mr Akpe informed that 206 teams took part in 2022 edition of the community-based competition.
He expressed his appreciation to the Governor, Senator Douye Diri, his Deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, and others who contributed to the success of the tournament, adding that the competition has become the cynosure of all eyes in the country, following the visitation of both foreign and local scouts that graced the tournament to hunt for players.
CAf Medical Committee member, Dr. Peter Singabele, and representative of the Nigerian Football Federation, also eulogised the Governor for throwing his weight behind the soccer tournament, as a yearly competition of such to the state to the pinnacle in terms of availability of young talents for clubs within and outside the country.
Winners, EGM FC of Yenagoa went with a reward of five million naira(#5,000,000), first runner up Odioma FC got a reward of two point five million naira(#2,500,000), third place winners, Agbere FC received one million naira (1,000,000) for their efforts, while Anyama Ogbia, were rewarded with five hundred naira (#500,000) for their fourth place finish and the four quarterfinalist that lost their encounter, received N200,000 consolation prizes each.
