By; AYO OJEDOKUN, Lagos
Plans have been concluded by the Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) to establish Bishop Mike Okonkwo Football Hall of Fame aimed at honouring football stakeholders and other individuals who have contributed to the success of the Bishop’s annual football competition which enters its 15th edition this year.
Disclosing this to the media during the ‘Football Sunday’ organised by the headquarter church in Lagos to officially unveil the 64 teams that will participate in this year;s championship,dhairman of the Local Organising Committee of the tournament, Deacon Malachy Ndubuzor, noted that the hall of fame became necessary in order to encourage those that have over the year’s identified with the vision of the Bishop in transforming the youths through competitive engagement.
” We are encouraged by the successes recorded in the past 15 years since we started the championship and we want to use the hall of fame to appreciate those that have stood by us and other sports stake holders”, he stressed.
Speaking at the occasion, 1st Vice President of Nigeria Football Federation, Seyi Akinwumi while commending the church for its commitment to grassroots football development announced that the football house has set up a youth football development policy to encourage grassroots football development in the country.,
Bishop Okonkwo in his speech, urged all the participating teams to ensure fair play just as he commended members of the LOC for their efforts at ensuring that the tournament is sustained.and announced that very soon plans for the forming of (TREM) football team will be unveiled.
” I must commend members of the LOC for their efforts at sustaining the championship and I urge all the players to ensure fair play throughout the duration of the tournament.
“It is also important that the players go beyond this competition and become future stars and that is why we are thinking seriously about having a TREM Football team,”Bishop Mike Okonkwo concluded.
The championship which will be played for a total of 16 weeks will kick off on May 13 at the practice pitch of the National Institute For Sports Lagos while the grand finale will hold on September 2.
