No fewer than 60 football clubs will participate in the second edition of the second edition of Bet9ja Ondo State Football League, to re-awaken the state league which had been docile.
The Chairman of the Bet9ja Football League in the state, Mr. Yomi Seriki, who disclosed this in Akure, during the draws in Akure, the state capital, said the league was put together to groom future champions and players for clubs, especially, for Sunshine Stars, through the competition.
Seriki who appreciated the teams that registered for this year’s competition said the competition would go a long way to determine whether the football league would continue, urging the clubs to protect the sponsors’ name.
He noted that he had enjoyed working with football stakeholders in Ondo State and the relationship and leadership of the Football Association and stakeholders led to a renewal of the league sponsorship deal.
Seriki appreciated Bet9ja for the continuous promotion of grassroots football, said the committee would be fair to all participants.
He said “Getting the sponsorship is not that easy, and the way manner we will handle this edition will confirm whether next year we are still going to have the football league or table tennis tournament or basketball tournament.
“Left to me I have enjoyed working with football stakeholders in the state, and I will just wish that this thing will continue.
“Another thing that we need this time around is discipline. Let us see this thing as an opportunity and we should play our individual roles, if there is any disagreement, let us sit down and look at how to solve it because we are all from the same source.
“There is no way we will have a competition like this and there won’t be issues, but it should not be like that, let us agree to disagree, or let us disagree to agree and in doing that I want to assure you that the board which I represent will be fair to everyone.
“What we want is a competition whereby we will be able to get the benefit of sponsorship. We want to identify talents that can go higher, those are the things we want to work on.
“Let me reassure everyone that the competition will be run to the highest standard within this locality and I want to appeal that wherever we find ourselves, we should treat the competition with respect, let us do things to the level that will attract the sponsorship,”
Also speaking, the Acting Chairman of Ondo State FA, Gabriel Aborowa, expressed optimism that more successes would be recorded in this year’s league.
He said the competition would start from Owo centre with Real Ifon FC trading tackles with Focus FC in what would serve as the opening ceremony for the competition.
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