The Milo-Ahmed Musa Under-13 Football Clinic and Tournament has commenced in Kano with 16 teams participating in the 17-day event aimed at discovering and nurturing grassroots football talents.
The clinic, holding at the Ahmed Musa Sports Complex, is organised by Milo, a brand of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, in partnership with former Super Eagles captain and Milo brand ambassador, Ahmed Musa.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Milo Category Lead, Nestlé Nigeria Plc, Gilbert Tweneboah-Koduah, said the initiative was designed to develop young footballers while promoting the values of teamwork, resilience, discipline and determination.
Tweneboah-Koduah said Milo had supported sports development in Nigeria for nearly three decades, adding that its partnership with Musa was aimed at extending grassroots sports development initiatives to Northern Nigeria.
He said the participants would receive training from professional coaches in areas including shooting, tackling and teamwork, ahead of the tournament final on September 3.
“We believe that by starting with children under 13, tomorrow’s top striker or football player may have started learning the skills from here.
“This is why we will not stop. It is better to catch them young, train them young and instil the right values in them so that they can make our nation proud when they grow up,” he said.
He added that the programme would provide structured coaching, mentorship and competitive football experience, with winners expected to receive cash prizes and sporting kits.
Declaring the event open, Musa said he initiated the tournament to revive the school sports culture he experienced while growing up.
The former Super Eagles captain said the Under-13 category was deliberately selected to enable organisers to identify promising talents early and provide them with the foundation required for future development.
“When I was growing up, we always had school games and Milo was always there. But nowadays, we don’t see that as much.
“When I signed the contract with Milo, I told them we have to bring back those memories. I am happy they gave me the opportunity to do this,” Musa said.
He said the initiative would continue beyond the tournament, as outstanding players would be identified and provided with further opportunities to develop their talents.
Musa also announced additional prizes of N1 million, N500,000 and N300,000 for the first, second and third-placed teams, respectively.
Some of the participating teams commended Milo and Musa for providing the platform, describing the initiative as an opportunity for young footballers to showcase their talents and gain valuable exposure. (NAN)
