By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON, Kaduna.
The Kaduna State Football Association has commended Engineer Yusuf Abubakar (Best) for donatibg trophies and sponsoring a competition to immortalise the late Abdu’kadir Magaji Kapaka who passed on last month.
The new FA chairman who replaced Kapaka, Hon Sheriff Al Kassim said that in fulfiling the wishes of his predecessor, two trophies would be donated by him for a competition in honour of Engineer Best.
“We are grateful for your gesture and assure you that the trophies you have donated would be used to uplift the game in honour of our late chairman.
“Also as part of one of his wishes before his demise, he wanted to sponsor a competition in your honour. I will donate two trophies in respect of a competition in your honour, ” he announced.
He used the opportunity to appeal to all stakeholders in the state not to shy away from making suggestions that will help in promoting the game of football.
Speaking earlier before donating the trophy, Engineer Best said that he was donating both trophies, to be competed for by teams from the 23 local government areas of the state.
“The giant trophy is meant for the champions, while the smaller one is for the runners-up,” he announced.
The donor explained that beside the trophies, the winners will also win cash prize of N70,000, while the first runners-up will get N50,000 and N30,000 will go to the third position.
He described the late Kapaka as a man who was kind and generous to all, stressing that no sacrifice would be too much to do to immortalise him.
“I remember the first time I had an encounter with him, 16 years ago. We were in Abuja for a competition. I went with Highlanders and he went with his own team.
“We had financial challenges and there was no ATM then, so we could not get cash. He learnt about it, met me and said that though he didn’t have much on him, he parted with N50,000 from his personal money. That singular incident attracted him to me and we have been close ever since,” he explained.
In his vote of thanks, Chairman of Nigeria Beach Volleyball Commission, Engineer Musa Nimrod who was there as a special guest, praised the sponsor, while appealing to him to always continue his philantrophic gestures in spite of side talks from people who may attempt to frustrate his efforts.
He said putting smiles on the faces of youths through such competition brings fulfilment to the sponsor.
“It is not news that anywhere in Nigeria you go, as someone from Kaduna you would be proud because you would meet successful sportsmen and women from various sports who are ambassadors of the state. They emerged from competitions like this and will forever remain grateful to the sponsors,” he added.
Other dignitaries spotted at the trophy presentation are the Chairman/CEO of Kaduna United FC, Emmanuel Babayaro, Chairman Kaduna United Supporters Club Alhaji Ya’u, Secretary Kaduna FA, Alhaji Abdussalam Jere and the Secretary of the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) Kaduna State Chapter, Malam Abdulrazak Usman.
The Kaduna State Football Association has commended Engineer Yusuf Abubakar (Best) for donatibg trophies and sponsoring a competition to immortalise the late Abdu’kadir Magaji Kapaka who passed on last month.
The new FA chairman who replaced Kapaka, Hon Sheriff Al Kassim said that in fulfiling the wishes of his predecessor, two trophies would be donated by him for a competition in honour of Engineer Best.
“We are grateful for your gesture and assure you that the trophies you have donated would be used to uplift the game in honour of our late chairman.
“Also as part of one of his wishes before his demise, he wanted to sponsor a competition in your honour. I will donate two trophies in respect of a competition in your honour, ” he announced.
He used the opportunity to appeal to all stakeholders in the state not to shy away from making suggestions that will help in promoting the game of football.
Speaking earlier before donating the trophy, Engineer Best said that he was donating both trophies, to be competed for by teams from the 23 local government areas of the state.
“The giant trophy is meant for the champions, while the smaller one is for the runners-up,” he announced.
The donor explained that beside the trophies, the winners will also win cash prize of N70,000, while the first runners-up will get N50,000 and N30,000 will go to the third position.
He described the late Kapaka as a man who was kind and generous to all, stressing that no sacrifice would be too much to do to immortalise him.
“I remember the first time I had an encounter with him, 16 years ago. We were in Abuja for a competition. I went with Highlanders and he went with his own team.
“We had financial challenges and there was no ATM then, so we could not get cash. He learnt about it, met me and said that though he didn’t have much on him, he parted with N50,000 from his personal money. That singular incident attracted him to me and we have been close ever since,” he explained.
In his vote of thanks, Chairman of Nigeria Beach Volleyball Commission, Engineer Musa Nimrod who was there as a special guest, praised the sponsor, while appealing to him to always continue his philantrophic gestures in spite of side talks from people who may attempt to frustrate his efforts.
He said putting smiles on the faces of youths through such competition brings fulfilment to the sponsor.
“It is not news that anywhere in Nigeria you go, as someone from Kaduna you would be proud because you would meet successful sportsmen and women from various sports who are ambassadors of the state. They emerged from competitions like this and will forever remain grateful to the sponsors,” he added.
Other dignitaries spotted at the trophy presentation are the Chairman/CEO of Kaduna United FC, Emmanuel Babayaro, Chairman Kaduna United Supporters Club Alhaji Ya’u, Secretary Kaduna FA, Alhaji Abdussalam Jere and the Secretary of the Youth Sports Federation of Nigeria (YSFON) Kaduna State Chapter, Malam Abdulrazak Usman.
