BY NONYELUM JULIET
Benue
The second edition of the Benue State Football Association (BSFA) Chairman’s Cup has kicked off in Makurdi with more than N5 million prize money and fresh scholarships for coaches up for grabs.
BSFA Chairman, Chief Dr. Paul Edeh Esq, who declared the competition open, said winners in the men’s and women’s categories will smile home with N2 million each, while runners-up and third-placed teams will get N300,000 and N200,000 respectively.
In the U-15 category, the champions will pocket N500,000, with N300,000 and N200,000 set aside for the second and third positions.
Chief Edeh directed Council FA chairmen across the 23 Local Government Areas to ensure their local tournaments are held within the stipulated time and warned that any council that fails to present at least two top teams for the state finals will face indefinite suspension.
He recalled that the 2024 maiden edition of the competition produced players who have since joined Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) clubs and charged stakeholders to build on the successes.
“We discovered many young boys last year. Some went on to play for Lobi Stars, others are with NPFL clubs. That for me is progress,” he said, while commending coaches in the state for their sacrifices despite financial constraints.
To further build capacity, the BSFA boss announced scholarships for 30 coaches—18 of whom will undergo training at the Nigeria Institute for Sports (NIS) in Abuja this September, while others will be selected at the end of the tournament. He said by 2025, about 50 coaches would have benefitted from the initiative.
The Acting Commissioner and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Creativity, Dr. Philip Nongu, hailed the FA chairman’s leadership, saying, “In my 16 years as FA secretary, we have not witnessed what we have seen in just two years of Chief Edeh’s leadership. On behalf of the ministry, I assure you of our full support.”
Also speaking, the Head of Coaching and Training at the Benue State Sports Council, Mr. Peter Obaike, pledged the council’s commitment to nurturing the talents discovered through the competition.
