Kunle Adelabu
-Igbogbo selected team emerge inaugural champions
Some youths in Igbogbo area of Ikorodu Division, Lagos, Southwest, Nigeria led by the former Referee at the FIFA Beach World Cup, Mr Jelili Ogunmuyiwa, has successfully organized an historic Beach Soccer tournament which has now been described as a brand which can be hosted annually with adequate support and sponsorship.
The successful hosting of the tournament, which its final was played at the Igbogbo Stadium on Sunday, December 20,2020, and won by the Igbogbo Selected side which defeated Igini Oghene Street 3 – 2 in a three halves final watched by over a thousand spectators, has prompted the Director General, Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr Toyin Gafaar, to pledge a bigger and better outing next year.
In the same vein, Builder Sesan Daini, the Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (the host community), was proud of the success recorded by the tournament and described the initiative as a laudable developmental effort.
He also pledged his support for the tournament’s improvement in terms of sponsorship and organization.
The winners of the tournament won a trophy sponsored by an illustrious indigene of Igbogbo in diaspora, Mr Segun Gbolade, and N50, 000 cash prize also donated by another illustrious son of the community, Mr Oduntan Babatunde, while the first runners– up received N30, 000 cash prize, courtesy another illustrious son of Igbogbo.
In the 3rd place match played earlier, Adeboruwa FC beat Glory Boys Estate to emerge in the third position. Both teams were rewarded with N20, 000 and N10, 000 respectively.
Aside from the dance performance by a group of young girls who added colour to the tournament and made it to be in tune with the international standard, TySleek, DD Dragon and Ijebu Boy, the trio who are proud artistes of Igbogbo roots, also took turn on the sandy pitch to entertain guests and spectators.
The Celebrity match, which featured the likes of Bashexy, Tolu Faniyi, TySleek, DD Dragon, ljebu Boy, Gbenga Shokunbi and Mr Yinka Ogunlaja. among many others (most of whom were former players), was very entertaining and filled with fun as they tried very hard to re-enact their good old football artistry with their respective protruded tummies which provoked laughter from the teeming spectators.
Mr Toyin Gafaar, Director-General, Lagos State Sports Commission, speaking with THE IMPACT at the final match, said that the initiative is very good for sporting and community development and assured that the state government will take a critical look at it for the purpose of coming up with better organization in subsequent editions.
“What we have experienced today in Igbogbo is a right step in the right direction for community development and sports. The state will take a very good look at it to modify what we have here and make it better in terms of the provision of facilities and organization”, he assured.
“Having tournaments like this will help us in many ways by taking our boys off the streets and knowing where to channel their energy and will also give them hope for tomorrow. We hope to have more of this.
“This tournament has come to stay and we are going to make it bigger. It is a big event to have had over a thousand boys and girls trooping out to watch what we are offering in Igbogbo and Ikorodu at large. It is a big one for our community.
Commending the coordinator of the tournament who was the first African FIFA badge referee to officiate at the global stage of the beach soccer tournament, Bolowotan described him as a pride of the community deserving support.
“Jelili is the first African and Nigerian referee to officiate at the FIFA Beach soccer tournament. During his active time, he won overall best referee in Nigeria in the 11 – Aside twice back – to – back. He’s a young man that needs to be encouraged and we have been doing that ever before now. What we are seeing today is part of his ingenuity and we are proud of him”.
The Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, Builder Sesan Daini, said that he was encouraged and happy by the historic and successful staging of the tournament in his domain.
Describing the hosting as an achievement, the council chairman pledged council’s support for a bigger and better outing next year, adding that the tournament has added value to the community.
“The tournament amazed me and I am encouraged and happy having this tournament in Igbogbo and being the first of its kind in the state.
“As you can see, it is a means of promoting development of sports in Igbogbo, as well as social and economic activities in the community. When I look around and see economic activities around, it shows that it has added value to the community.
“The crowd that we have here today is about 1000 spectators and what that implies is that if this tournament is not going on, the 1000 youths that are here will be elsewhere doing something else”, he said.
“To be realistic, it is a major achievement for sports, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA and Lagos State at large.
“This is actually to test run the tournament and starting from next year, we will look for a way to have a bigger competition, engaging more youths and making it more acceptable sports within our community”.
He also lauded the FIFA badged Jelili Ogunmuyiwa, stating:
“Jelili has done well for the community and the Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA. Every citizen should be proud of where they come from and bring new innovations and ideas to add value to their community. That is what Jelili has done and we are happy with him”.
Prince Jimoh Ogunmuyiwa, the Chairman of the final match ceremony and first Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, also speaking with our reporter, said that the tournament is a state affair.
“This is no longer for the Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA but the whole of Lagos State because the Lagos State Governor is here today because this is a good competition that has brought out people from their homes to watch.
“This is the first of any kind in any community in Nigeria. A beach soccer at the grassroots level.
“I am sure that the Director – General of the Lagos State Sports Commission will make a good recommendation of the tournament to the governor for the purpose of supporting and making it bigger”, he charged.
Meanwhile, Jelili Ogunmuyiwa, while explaining how the beach soccer tournament initiative came into being to THE IMPACT, said:
“The idea came about through the Igbogbo Youth Coalition (IYC) when we decided to have something special to mark the year that was distorted by COVID 19 and Ademola Ogunleye (Oruma) brought up the idea that I should bring the beach soccer down to Igbogbo”, he recalled.
While describing the inaugural edition of the beach soccer tournament in Igbogbo as a huge success and a brand, Ogunmuyiwa added that he foresees a situation where government and private bodies are competing to support the initiative in subsequent editions.
“This is a huge success and from the feelers that we are getting, people want to make it an annual event.
“This is just our initiative with personal donations from the DG Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr Toyin Gafaar, Chairman of the Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA, Builder Sesan Daini, individuals in the community, youths, families and friends that felt that this is a brand that we must make to succeed.
“The Igbogbo Beach Soccer has now become a brand which we must sell to get sponsors.
“When this idea came up, we refused entreaties by some people to take it up because we wanted to see what we can make out of it and now, it has become a brand and I am looking at a situation where the Lagos State Sports Commission, the Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA and other interested sponsors will have to fight to take over the tournament next year”.
Also, at the grand finale of the tournament were Alhaji Kola Akinsanya, the President, Grassroots Sports Development and a Safety ambassador, Mr Gbenga Odunniyi, President, Igbogbo Youth Coalition, Mr Gbenga Faniyi, Chairman, Igbogbo Day Planning Committee, Mr Ahmed Aroyewun, Vice President/Director of Programmes, De – Vanguard, Mr Kazeem Ogunmuyiwa, a senior council official and Mr Kabir Baoku, a referee.
