Kunle Adelabu
The sporting aspect of the annual Igbogbo Day Celebrations will kick off on Friday, September 15, 2023, with the commencement of the Adeboruwa Cup football competition.
Ife-Oluwa FC and Pineapple Estate FC will play the first match of the tournament at the UAMC (Eleja) Primary School Playing Ground at 1.00pm.
The second match of the day will be between Otugbuwa Bombers FC and Okunuga FC, at 3pm.
The tournament, which is named after the traditional ruler of Igbogbo Kingdom, is being sponsored by the Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Builder Sesan Daini.
The draw for the tournament was staged at the Adeboruwa palace, earlier this month with 24 teams grouped into six groups.
In a chat with the Chairman, Sports Committee 2023/24 Igbogbo Day Planning Committee, Mr Obayomi Adeoye, he said that the sporting event was developed to create healthy competition among the Ituns (traditional wards) in Igbogbo, and promote cooperation between Igbogbo and her neighbouring communities.
“The sporting aspect of the annual Igbogbo Day celebrations has been in existence for about seven years. It is basically to bring about harmonious relationship among the Ituns in Igbogbo and also to use as platform to groom talented young men into sporting stars”, he said.
“We are also using it to promote good relationship between Igbogbo and its neighbouring communities; that is why teams from Bayeku, Oreta, Offin and Ibeshe, are also participating.
“Like I said, the competition provides avenue for young and talented youths to display their talents for scouts and sports managers to detect them.
“Over the years, the football competition has so far produced the likes of Tobi Alagbe who is now playing in Asteria Tripolis in Greece, Nurudeen Amodu, a former Shooting Stars of Ibadan player and Adewale Apa (Apatinati).
“There are also Kazeem Oluwa and Ayomide Iremide who are professional beach soccer players that have been invited to the national camp”.
Mr Adeoye also revealed that the Faniyi family in Igbogbo, will continue with their annual tradition of sponsoring prizes for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in every match that would played during the tournament.
In the same manner, Tobi Alagbe would be sponsoring Best Goal in all the matches and also provide MVP players with addition prize.
Other games that will be staged in commemoration of this year’s Igbogbo Day Celebrations, are Snooker, Table Tennis, Athletics, Scrabble, Chess, Chess and Basketball.
The groupings for this year’s edition of the Adeboruwa Cup, are below:
GROUP A
Ifeoluwa FC
Otugbuwa FC
Pineapple Estate FC
Okunuga FC
GROUP B
Oreyo FC
Ololo FC
Adegbose FX
Tunji shokefun FC
GROUP C
Oliwo Amoju FX
Apalura FX
Itun-Nla boys FC
Igbe Lara FC
GROUP D
Lajo FC
Agunfoye FC
Offin ile FC
Federal House FC
GROUP E
Awobo FC
Bashorun FC
Oga Oloye FC
Olumo FC
GROUP F
Olu odo FC
Selewu FC
Oseni FC
Awesu FC
