Nigeria Revives Moribund Schools’ Football Tournaments
Principal’s, Headmasters Cups back
The moribund Principal’s Cup which had been in the doldrums for years has been revived with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development and Hideaplus Consultancy Ltd.
This revival is in line with Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare’s quest to ensure grassroots sports development, leading to the discovery of budding talents.
The MoU empowers Hideaplus Sports Consultancy to organize the National Principal’s Cup and Headmaster’s Cup competitions among secondary schools and primary schools across Nigeria.
Speaking at his office in Abuja on Tuesday, the minister expressed delight that one of the ministry’s visions for grassroots sports development had become a reality.
He assured stakeholders that the event will bring back fond memories and experiences of the Principal’s Cup which led to the discovery of some ex-internationals .
“You would recall the nostalgia that the Principal’s Cup used to evoke. We had seen some of our best footballers and stars come through the Principals Cup , but it suddenly died off.
“Today we give strength to our commitment to revive the Principal’s Cup that would serve as trailblazer to bring back some of the lost glory of not just football, but sports development generally. I promise that this won’t be just about football ,but other sports would be included.”
In his response, the Chief Responsibility Officer of Hideaplus Sports Consultancy, Tony Oritse Pemu, thanked the minister for his visionary approach to sports, even as he promised that the partnership will reenact the old tradition of grassroots talent discovery and development.
The National Principals
Cup will cut across secondary schools in the country, while the Headmasters Cup will cut across primary schools, with about 10,000 schools expected to participate in the competitions.