The chairman of the Imo Football Association, Ifeanyi Dike, has called on the state government to revive state tournaments to foster unity and the discovery of talents.
The FA chairman made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to Emeka Okoronkwo, Imo State Commissioner for Sports, Youth, and Social Development.
He urged the commissioner to start the process of bringing back the inter-school football tournament and the Imo Governor’s Cup, arguing that they had previously served as avenues for the identification of potential players for the Heartland Football Club.
According to Dike, such players, who were discovered while they were secondary school students and undergraduates, went on to play for other teams in Nigeria and elsewhere.
“I want to ask you to look into ways to bring back these competitions. I want to reassure you that these competitions would contribute to the unification of our people because, as you know, football is the only sport that unifies Nigerians despite our differences in culture, religion, and ethnicity. These are inexpensive ways for football managers to find new talents and exports from Imo; I can tell you that for free,” he said.
The FA chairman further called for partnerships between the association, the sports ministry, and the government. He also appealed for a bus to convey referees, especially during Premier League matches.
On his part, Emeka Okoronkwo commended the FA board executives for the familiarisation visit, even as he congratulated them on their election.
He thanked the board members for providing what he described as a soft landing when he resumed as Commissioner for Sport, adding that they assisted in ensuring the recruitment of Heartland players was on merit.
He also appreciated the immediate past chairman of the FA, Mazi Amanze Uchegbulam, for his selfless service to the state and country, adding that the former CAF official still has a lot to offer.
The commissioner pledged his readiness to work towards the promotion of sports in the state.
