OZOR SPORTS MANAGEMENT LTD CHAIRMAN’S SPEECH AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF SOLUDO VICTORY UNDER 17 INTER LOCAL GOVT FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.
Protocol
The Governor-elect, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR,
The Deputy Governor-elect, Dr Gilbert Onyekachukwu Ibezim
The Chief Host and Transition Chairman Anambra State East, Hon. Obi Nweke (Elegelede Omabala)
The Royal Father of the Day, Igwe Mike Idigo (Ezeudo Aguleri)
The Chief Guest of Honour and Chairman Sports Council Anambra State, Chief Tony Oli (Omenaokochi Aguleri)
The Chairman All Soludo Support Groups, Hon. Chinedu Nwoye Glamour
The Chairman Local Organizing Committee of the tournament, Hon. Chinedu Eze Yagazie
Our Special Guests of Honour
Distinguished members of the Press
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good afternoon.
I feel humbled and honored to stand before you today to chair this occasion and to declare the Soludo Victory under 17 inter Local Government Football Championship competition open. Apart from the grace of God upon my life, I can’t really figure out why the LOC of this competition chose me given the fact that there are so many respected Anambrarians who would have been a better choice. So, I thank God Almighty and the organizers of this program for the confidence reposed in me. I don’t take this for granted. Let me also use this platform to thank the Chairman of All Soludo Support Groups, Hon. Chinedu Nwoye Glamour for all his efforts in pulling all of us together to make a difference in our state.
We are still in the mood of celebration after months of tedious work preceding the gubernatorial election and landslide victory of our leader, Prof. CC Soludo at November 6 polls. We are still jubilating because if not for God who was on our side when the forces of darkness rose against us and our dear state, we won’t have gathered here today in the spirit of unity, love and sportsmanship.
We have every reason to celebrate this victory as long as we remember what the administration of the Governor-elect means to our individual lives and our collective destinies as Ndi Anambra. God has given us the kind of governor that nations of the world are praying to have as their country presidents. We are rejoicing through this medium because eyes have not seen yet the kind of transformation that is about to happen in Anambra State, not many days from now. So, as you play your matches do so in the spirit of gratitude for what God has done for all us, Ndi Anambra.
As I look at the players in this competition, it reminded me of my past as a young footballer in this state. There was no match I knew about that I did not play right from my primary school days until I left the shores of Nigeria to United States as an adult. I had desired to pick football as a career but there was no support system in place to help talented kids from poor homes to pursue their dreams in football abroad. By the time I got to the US, it was already late for any serious club to consider me given my age. It was painful but out of this pain, Ozor Sports Management Ltd was born to make sure that no child with football talent in Africa fails to utilize his God-given talent to earn a living on account of lack of opportunities to excel.
Ozor Sports Management Ltd is a sports talent discovery and development company with offices in Nigeria, US and Turkey. Since its inception, we have successfully established Ozor Sports Academy in Lagos and Turkey. We have successfully taken good players from Nigeria to abroad where they are pursuing their football careers. As I speak to you now, Ozor Sports has a training camp in Izmirr, Turkey where over 60 athletes are undergoing training. We have used this platform to empower youths in Europe, America, Asia and Africa.
In our quest to empower the youths of Anambra, we have always brought professional scouters to watch local competitions for the purposes of talent discovery and exposure to foreign clubs. It might interest you to know that Ozor Sports has a global network of partners in Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Romania and Spain with link to major football clubs around the world. Some months ago, my foreign partner and I visited one of Barcelona FC Academies. All they wanted from us was good talents from Africa and we promised them that very soon we will give them options from Nigeria to select. My question to you today is: who is ready to be discovered by Ozor Sports?
For your information, we have scouters from Turkey on ground who will be in all the matches. Their job is to identify those skill players in this tournament. At the end of this championship, two teams will be formed which will play against each other. Two white scouters will be coming to sign players in that very match. For those in the two teams who will not be signed, Ozor Sports will still keep eyes on them as they improve. If I were you, I will play my best because this kind of opportunity rarely comes.
As you engage one another, remember that this competition is not a do-or-die affair. There are still many competitions ahead of you. Just do your best and leave the rest for God. With this, I declare Soludo Victory under 17 inter Local Government football competition open in the Name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Amen
I wish you best of luck!
Chief Sabastine Ifeanyi Onyeka
(Ozor Akunaedoziobi, Ihembosi)
