From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
As beach football gains popularity in Nnewi, Anambra State courtesy of Moonshine Residence, the project director who handles, the teams, Mr Emeka Ralph has vowed to produce a team for national competitions.
Mr Ralph made the vow ahead of the beach football tournament final to be played June 18, 2023, to determine the winners of the month-long league series at the hospitality industry in Otolo Nnewi, Anambra State.
Giving a breakdown of the sporting events, Mr Ralph called Sarafi in the sports world and said that the sequence was for four teams in each group to square it up with each other and the winner qualified for the final.
For the finalists, he said that first and second positions would be considered for prizes and compensations.
He noted that tough matches had been played by the teams. He praised the teams for their efforts, saying that he was very impressed with the performance of the Tummy Tummy team which he said had shown coordination and professionalism in their outings. He said they were not kicking away the ball.
“Tummy Tummy team impressed me. They were passing the ball to each other and they were scoring. It’s not a one-man game. Most of the players are new to beach football.
“June 18, 2023, is billed for the final. This is the first time beach football is introduced in the South East and we are going to take it to the next level. We are going to select players to represent a club to play for the South East.
“There’s a beach soccer league in Nigeria and nobody represents the South East. So, we are coming up with a team to represent the South East in a beach soccer competition at the national level. And good players are being selected, ” Sarafi said.
An Nnewi-born US-based human resource manager, consultant and lecturer, Professor Victor Mmadubuko, recently introduced the beach football soccer game at his hospitality facility, Uru, Umudim, Nnewi.
Eight teams are participants in the tournament drawn from Innoson Group; Gabros; Chicason Group; Moniepoint; OTC; Moonshine Residence; Cutix Plc and Tummy Tummy.
