George Aluo
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State is planning big for the players discovered during the recently concluded Restoration Cup, a grassroots soccer competition in the state.
The boys discovered during the tournament that attracted over 350 communities drawn from all the local governments in the state are to feature in international youth tournaments abroad this year.
Hint to this effect was dropped last week by the governor’s Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Daniel Alabrah.
Alabrah disclosed that the players discovered during the Restoration Cup would soon be called to camp to assemble a team that would feature in international competitions.
“We have a list of the players that performed very well during the Restoration Cup. The governor is planning big for the boys. We are going to assemble a team after a screening process and get them to play abroad.
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In fact we are looking at registering them for the maiden edition of the Africa Youth Cup in Cape Verde. We have opened up discussions with organizers of the tournament,” Alabrah said.
Alabrah stressed that the state is already reaping the dividends of the massive investment the state government is making in the area of sports, pointing out that the fifth place finish of the state contingent to the Abuja 2018 National Sports Festival was a clear manifestation of that.
“Bayelsa finished 5th at the last Sports festival and that was a good performance. The state governor has since rewarded all the athletes including those that didn’t even win any medal. Those that won gold got N1m each and the whole Gov Dickson splashed N150m on the athletes.”