The first edition of the Fwanya Veterans Cup 2024 has concluded with a call to the Taraba State government to use sports to unite the youth.
The final took place at Afolayan Square in Jalingo, the state capital, on Sunday, August 4th, 2024.
The tournament, organized by Pastor Luka Joel Maza, brought together football veterans who have played the game for the past fifteen to twenty years.
Before the game began, the players started with jogging and stretching, which is a must before a football match commences to enable the players to last for the full ninety minutes of the game.
It was a splendid moment as the veterans reminded themselves about the olden days and exhibited different stamina during both the first and second halves of the game.
Spectators, mostly youth including young females, were enticed by the way the veterans displayed their talents.
The final match was between the Negatava Veterans and Mayo-Gwai Veterans football teams.
Benedict Adolpos Jimlari, the captain of Mayo-Gwai Veterans, scored the only goal in the first 45 minutes, leading his team to victory with a 1-0 win at the end of the 90-minute game.
Speaking to sports journalists shortly after the presentation of the trophy and gifts, Captain Benedict Adolpos Jimlari described the competition as exciting, saying that they deserved it because they had worked hard to reach the final stage and win.
Jimlari, who retired from active football ten years ago, mentioned that he was the captain of Road Lions Football Club before his retirement and became the club’s secretary afterward.
He revealed that before the introduction of the Fwanya Veterans Cup, they normally organized old-timers’ training on Saturdays.
He added that the introduction of the competition by Pastor Luka Joel will encourage them to do more, enabling them to coach the younger ones at the same time.
Extending his appreciation and commendation to the organizers, particularly Pastor Luka Joel Maza, the goal scorer appealed to the Taraba State Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, as well as the Sports Council, to collaborate with Fwanya to boost sporting activities in the state.
According to Benedict Adolpos Jimlari, football is the only agent of unity, hence the need for the government to prioritize the sector.
Aminu Pele of the Negatava Veterans team also expressed his excitement with their performance in an interview, stating that he was looking forward to a stronger showing in the next edition and appreciated the organizers for strengthening their unity.
The sponsor of the tournament, Pastor Luka Joel Maza, stated that the competition is the first of its kind in Taraba and it was aimed to bring together old-timers and strengthen unity among them, as well as to cherish the memories of the old days irrespective of religion, cultural or ethnic background.
Represented by Mr. Ibro Bala, Pastor Maza revealed that sixteen veteran football teams took part in the competition and promised that the second edition, coming up next month, will feature 32 veteran football teams across the sixteen local government areas of the state.
Furthermore, he announced their resolve to collaborate with the Taraba Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) to amplify sporting activities from the state to the world.
The Chairman of SWAN Taraba, Sani Sulaiman, described the tournament as timely, considering the situation the country found itself in, and commended Pastor Luka Joel Maza for the initiative, which he said will go a long way in uniting the people of the state.
The leadership of SWAN also presented a token to the winning team as part of its contribution.
The highlights of the competition were the presentation of the trophy, medals, and cash prizes.
It is worth noting that Pastor Luka Joel Maza is the Founder of Fwanya Corporate Solutions Limited, which provides entrepreneurship and youth empowerment in Taraba State.
Report By Sani Sulaiman
