The HRA Youth Cup entered its third edition with an exciting kickoff at Ilupeju Secondary School (ILUSEC) in Odiolowo-Ojuwoye LCDA on Saturday, 22 July, 2023.
The tournament has drawn participation from a total of 50 teams across the state, all vying for victory on the football field.
During the event, the council Chairman, Hon. Rasaq Ajala commended both the organizers and the participating teams.
He expressed his appreciation for their efforts in making the competition possible and successful.
The council boss assured everyone of his unwavering support not only for football but also for various other sporting activities.
Speaking about his recent appointment as the Chairman of the Lagos State Principals’ Cup Committee, Hon. Ajala revealed his plans to revitalize the competition.
He emphasized that the competition would once again become a valuable platform for discovering and nurturing talents, as it had been in the past.
HRA also committed to extending his government’s support beyond football to encompass all sporting activities in the LCDA, stating that his administration would prioritize the promotion and development of sports in the region.
He stated further that he would encourage the growth of athletes and foster a vibrant sports culture.
“We are not going to concentrate our resources on football alone, we have been supporting other sports like basketball, table tennis, and boxing games where several talents have been discovered and we will continue to do that,” he said.
“We believe sporting activities should be a veritable platform that we can use to get youth engaged instead of using such energies on destructive things that will not benefit them and the larger society,” he stressed.
He advised the competitors to have the spirit of sportsmanship where no one is a loser.
“I want to advise all the participants to have a sporting spirit
“In any competition like this you will always have the winner…. of course, there are no losers in a competition like this
“All of you should come into the arena to do your utmost best to ensure you get the coveted trophy at the end of the day
“For the fact that those who lose don’t get it this time around does not mean they won’t get in the subsequent edition, it should not be a do-or-die affair ” he added.
He advised the supporters of both teams to exhibit a high degree of maturity while supporting their teams
“To the supporters of all teams, I want to appeal to you to show a high degree of maturity in supporting your teams,” he concluded.
In the opening match of the competition, the Ghetto Tigress defeated Young Ladies Achievers by 2 goals to 1 while the second match in the male category where the defending champion, Ghetto Tigers beat Tuto Atlanta 2-0 with the goals from Yakub Shamsu and Dare Owosheni.
