The first edition of the Ifeanyi Ubah sponsored Grassroots Soccer Championship will start in June in Anambra State.
The competition, according to the sponsor, will see all the 127 communities in Anambra battle for supremacy in an event that will run from June to October 2016.
Ubah, who is also the Chairman of the Anambra State Football Association, said he had decided to bankroll the competition “so as to make sure all the youths in the state are engaged in the competition aimed at ensuring talented youngsters who have hitherto been hidden in the grassroots without the opportunity of showcasing their talents are given the opportunity to excel.”
The competition, which is one of Ubah’s programmes to move football forward in the state, would be played in a league format for five months across the communities in the three senatorial districts in Anambra.
“The 127 teams will be reduced to 64 after the first round and later to 32 teams, before the round of 16, which is the final round that will be played on round-robin basis. The beauty of the competition is that at this stage, the 20 best players in the competition will be selected by a team of soccer experts that will include former national team coaches. The selected 20 players will be groomed and sponsored to take part in a FIFA recognised international tournament in China in November.”