2016 NNPC/Shell Cup tournament kicks off in Lagos

In a bid to re-ignite grassroots sports in Lagos and discover raw talents for the national team, the 18th edition of NNPC/Shell Cup is set to kick off across all secondary schools in 36 states across the country and Abuja with over 60,000 students representing 3,000 schools billed to take part in the soccer historic event.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos to flag off the 18th edition of NNPC/Shell Cup, Mrs. Sola Abulu, the External Relations Communications Manager, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC), said the event of was to lay the foundation of academic and football success for youths in Nigeria whose identity will be revealed by the discovery of their talent in the course of the tournament.

“Over the years, the SPDC JV has sustained the founding vision for the NNPC/Shell Cup by promoting education and football hand-in-hand among secondary school students. The increasing successes of each edition of the competition and the growing number of football stars of significant repute produced by the tournament have shown that it is possible for our students to attain academic excellence while pursuing their passion for sports. That is what the tournament stands for and that we have always achieved with the support of our partners and key stakeholders.

“When this championship was introduced by the SPDC JV 18 years ago, it was a venture into an uncharted territory where no corporate organisation had ever attempted to sponsor a nation-wide age grade football tournament open to all secondary schools in every part of Nigeria. There was the Nigeria Academicals Championship, but that was a competition between selected student players representing either the regions or States, and not individual schools. That was the unique and new dimension the NNPC/Shell Cup introduced.

“Every year ever since then, the SPDC Joint Venture has endeavoured to make each tournament bigger and better than the previous one in terms of quality and opportunities for participants. For instance, in the 2015 edition, over 60,000 students representing 3,000 schools from the six geopolitical zones of the country participated in the competition and we had over 15,000 officials. We expect the number to be higher this year. Also, in 2014, we formed a partnership with the Feyenoord Academy, a leading youth football academy in the Netherlands. The partnership led to the exposure of the finalist teams and their coaches to coaching clinics handled by international coaches from the academy. Among the coaching crew for the 2015 edition was former Super Eagles striker, Michael Obiku, who is the head coach with the Feyenoord academy. We have sustained the partnership and the finalist teams and their coaches for the 2016 edition will enjoy the benefit of the coaching clinics. I have no doubt that the benefit of the coaching clinics will reflect in the quality of performance of the teams.”

A cash prize of N8.2 million has been announced for the 2016 NNPC/Shell Cup with N3.5 million for the 1st position; N2.3 million for the 2nd position; N1.3 million and N1.1 million for the 3rd and the 4th positions respectively.

 

Anthony Nlebem