Registration commences for first BOS Youth Cup

Registration has started for the maiden edition of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu tournament ‘BOS Youth Cup’.

Speaking at a press conference held on Sunday at the Bagauda Kaltho, Alausa, Ikeja, to kick off the football competition, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports, Mr. Anthony Adeyinka Adeboye, disclosed that online registration is already ongoing through a dedicated website www.bosyouthcup.com.

The BOS Youth Cup, which is a yearly tournament, would focus on football competition for youths under 21 years across all Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) within the State to select the 20 participating teams to represent the 20 LGAs in the State.

The programme, which is the initiative of all political aides to the governor, is in line with the vision of the Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration to actively engage the teeming youths of Lagos State for a more robust economic development.

It is understood that the Senior Special Assistants (SSAs) to Governor came together under the BOS Academy to organise the first edition of the BOS Youth Cup.

Adeboye, who also doubles as the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, stated that the BOS Youth Cup like other youth-based strategies of Mr. Governor is one of such opportunities for the youths of the State to explore, achieve their potentials and come into the limelight.

Adeboye added that the ‘BOS Youth Cup’, which is one of the key programmes under Governor’s ‘THEMES’ developmental agenda strategically put in place ‘For a Greater Lagos’ will directly have positive impacts on individual families, the communities and the State at large.

He said: “This initiative will unlock the doors for discovering budding talents and serve as a catalyst for the development of our local league, forming the pivot for recruitment into our National team. It will also empower many youths and further create business opportunities for other stakeholders with a multiplier effect on the State’s economy.”

Speaking on the modalities for selecting players, the Chairman of the Lagos State Football Association Technical Committee, Mr. Dotun Coker, said trials for the tourney would commence from this week to select players representing each local council, while the grand finale of the competition would hold at Mobolaji Johnson Sports Arena, Onikan, with the Governor himself handing the trophy to the winning team.

He said trials of eligible players with LASSRA cards and shortlisting of 23 players, comprising three Goalkeepers and 20 outfield players, will take place at LGAs/LCDAs level for Intra-scouting matches among the councils to select All-Star Players for the 20 LGAs

He said the 20 LGAs shall be transparently drawn into five groups of four teams each and each local government will play three matches in a legged league in their groups totaling six matches in a group.

According to Coker, the top teams in each group and three best Team losers will qualify for the Quarterfinal in a knock-out format leading to the Semi-Final, 3rd place, and final matches.

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He also disclosed that a seminar will be organised for key stakeholders in the 20 LGAs where the rules and regulations of the event will be explained to them, as well as clarifications on the controversial of and amendments on the Laws of the Game and First Aid Medicals.

The Head of the Technical Committee also disclosed that there would be an engagement of experienced sports medical personnel including ALS Ambulances for the competition, adding that the competition will create a pool of Ambassadors to better Lagos State and Nigeria in general.

Mr. Coker also explained that the tournament is designed to be ranked by the various football governing bodies with a view to making it an international event in the forthcoming years.