No fewer than 640 young footballers from 64 streets are participating in the second edition of the Lagos Street Soccer Stars tournament, an initiative aimed at discovering and developing grassroots football talents across Lagos.
The tournament, themed “Oshodi Hidden Talents,” was unveiled in Oshodi last Saturday, with 32 teams receiving playing kits ahead of a two-week knockout competition scheduled to run until August 15.
The competition is being organised by the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu on Grassroots Sports Development, Adebanji Adeoye Atewogboye, popularly known as SKIBANJ, in partnership with First Bank Nigeria Plc and Sporty Lagos Naija Limited.
The tournament features a prize pool and consolation awards, with the winners set to receive N1 million, while the second- and third-placed teams will receive N750,000 and N500,000, respectively.
The initiative is part of efforts to advance Governor Sanwo-Olu’s grassroots sports development agenda and provide young people in communities across Lagos with opportunities to showcase their talents.
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Speaking on the initiative, Atewogboye said the programme was designed to identify hidden talents, provide them with structure and demonstrate the state government’s commitment to investing in the dreams of young athletes.
“The programme has been running from last year to identify hidden talents, give them structure, and show that Gov. Sanwo-Olu is investing in their dreams,” he said.
He added that the initiative was in line with the governor’s vision of ensuring that communities across Lagos continue to thrive through sports development.
The tournament, according to the organisers, is also aimed at creating a sustainable grassroots sports pathway through which talented players can be identified and given opportunities to progress beyond their local communities.
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