The HIVE Leagues Ltd., Nigeria’s foremost sports management company, has begun preparations for the 6-A-Side small-sided football World Cup taking place in Crete, Greece, later in the year.
Shedding more light on the initiative on Tuesday in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer, Henry Koko, said the vision for small sided football in the country was huge.
He said that was why the company was setting up leagues around the country to bring the vision to life.
“We want to replicate the culture and structure of organised small sided football as seen in the U.K., for instance, here in Nigeria and we believe `Everybody Should Play’.
“Our desire is to have individuals or teams compete in the leagues, play regional tournaments and produce a dream team, made up of everyday footballers, that will represent Nigeria in the small sided football World Cup,’’ he said in statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
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According to the league organisers, it will kick-off the weekend of the June 21, 2019, and several captains have already registered their teams.
“In addition, entry fees for the first four teams in each league have been waived to encourage participation.
“Currently, teams can register to play in Lagos or in Abuja, with more locations coming soon.
“Interested football fans are advised to visit the HIVE Leagues website, for more information and register their teams to be part of the new structure of small sided football currently making waves in Nigeria,’’ Koko said.
“A lot of recreational football gets played in Nigeria but usually without too much structure.
“What appears to occur from an organisation point of view, seasonally, are small sided tournaments which are held over a few days, usually organised by companies.
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“It is hard to point to a small sided football league system anywhere in the country and this is where we as an organisation, The HIVE Leagues, come in,’’ he added.
The recently launched HIVE leagues is affiliated to the International Socca Federation (ISF), which is an authority on small sided football worldwide.
Its major focus is to begin organised small-sided football and recreational sport leagues in Nigeria in general with a focus on putting together a squad from everyday players and amateurs that will compete in the small-sided football World Cup in Greece.
To participate, football lovers should visit www.thehiveleagues.com or send an email to info@thehiveleagues.com to register and begin this exciting journey. At the HIVE Leagues, everybody should play!
The company has laudable dreams of bringing a new level of excitement, enjoyment, wellness and social integration to “Everyday People’’ via a variety of other recreational sports products in the near future. (NAN)