The Benue State Football Association (BSFA), led by Chairman Chief Barr. Paul Edeh, Thursday, held a press conference to announce the official commencement of the 2024 Governor’s Cup.
The tournament, which has not been held for over eight years, aims to discover and nurture young football talents in the state.
Chief Edeh emphasised that the tournament will not be solely funded by the state government.
He then encouraged sponsorship from private.
He said the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has already promised to donate a trophy for the competition, and the total prize money is set at N20 million.
“The competition will feature teams from all 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state, with a registration fee of N500,000 per team.
“The tournament will begin on October 1, 2024 with the winner receiving N10 million, the runner-up N6 million, and the third-place team N4 million.
“Consolation prizes and footballs will also be awarded to participating teams,” he said.
Chief Edeh commended the state governor for his vision to develop sports for youth empowerment and societal growth, and urged Benue residents to support the governor in promoting and building the game.
The Director of Sports, Philip Nongo, expressed his happiness at the resuscitation of the tournament, which he believes will help discover more talents in the state.
Permanent Secretary John Akume praised the BSFA chairman for his efforts in developing football in the state, noting that sports is a valuable resource that can bring economic benefits and solve the problem of youth restiveness.
The 2024 Governor’s Cup competition promises to be a memorable event, with the NFF president expected to attend both the opening and closing ceremonies.
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