As Nigeria deepens its investment in grassroots sports development, the Alabi Oyo Football Tournament is emerging as a key platform for discovering and nurturing the country’s next generation of football stars.
Speaking at the second edition of the competition, which kicked off on Wednesday, November 19, Chris Alabi, Executive Chairman of Ronik Group of Schools, represented by Adebola Olubanjo, Vice Chairman/Lead Consultant at Ronik, said the tournament’s mission goes beyond football.
“Our focus has always been the discovery of youngsters and the development of sports,” he said.
“We want to discover and nurture young talents who can grow to become the Ronaldos, Messis and Pelés of tomorrow.”
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Olubanjo noted that the tournament has expanded significantly, evolving from a primary school competition into one that now includes secondary school students. From five participating schools in its maiden edition, the contest now accommodates 12 schools, an expansion that includes a school from Bayelsa State.
This year’s event features U-13 and U-16 categories, split into junior and senior secondary school groups.
“We are giving young people the opportunity to develop,” he added, while also revealing that plans are underway to introduce a female category following growing interest from girl students eager to showcase their abilities.
As part of its commitment to supporting emerging talent, the Ronik Group of Schools will award both partial and full scholarships to standout performers.
“We’ll give scholarships to those who excel, partial or full, depending on their performance,” Olubanjo explained. “Partial scholarships will cover tuition and other needs, and we have a sports school where they can be enrolled.”
In her welcome address, Victoria Duru, Principal of Ronik Comprehensive School, said the competition aims to nurture sporting talent from the primary and secondary levels while promoting respect, fairness and sportsmanship.
She added that the tournament aligns with the school’s objective of fostering holistic education where academics, character building and physical development go hand in hand.
