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Grassroots Soccer
Developers Association of Nigeria (GRASSDON) has vowed to bank on the
success of the fourth C. Woermann Youth Football Championship to extend
participation to clubs in other parts of the country. Speaking at a
meeting after the last championship which ended two weeks ago, Axel
Kuppe, managing director of C. Woermann Nigeria Ltd, sponsor of the
tournament, said that plans were underway to make it a national
championship where teams will be selected from across the six
geo-political zones of the country.

“Having come this
far, I have seen that this tournament, which we started as part of our
corporate social responsibility has turned to be breeding ground for
talents,” he said. “We will look at making it a national championship.”

Ossy Nwokeabia,
national coordinator of GRASSDON and chairman, Collin Edwin Global
Sports Limited, said that the body is poised to do all it can to
develop football in the grassroots as it is the bedrock of sports
development.

“Our body is a body
that has been in the grassroots for some time,” he said. “We understand
what it takes to go down to the grassroots which has suffered neglect
over the years; now we are giving the grassroots a voice. We will ride
on the crest of the successful staging of this championship, which has
been our flagship for over four years.”

Looking inwards

He further went on
to advocate the integration of grassroots into mainstream football so
that there would be a reduction in the exodus of players.

“Ugonna Anyaora who
won MVP last year now plays for FK Hungsund in the Norwegian top
flight, so you see why the grassroots should be integrated into the
mainstream of sports in the country,” he said.

The national
president of the group, Anne Chiejine, implored the Nigeria Football
Federation to look to the grassroots in their efforts to rebuild the
country’s various national teams.

The former Super Falcons player believes there is a wealth of talent at that level.

“I am involved
because I believe in this cause,” she said. “I was discovered at the
grassroots before I played for the Super Falcons so why can’t we
discover other talent?”

The just-concluded C. Woerman Youth Football Championship saw C.
Woermann from Enugu successfully defend their title with a lone goal
victory over BIG FC of Port Harcourt, while Wincor Nixdorf took third
place after a 4-2 win via penalty over Masalta FC of Sokoto State.