The Delta State government and competition sponsors, Zenith Bank Plc., have advised the schools in this year’s Headmasters’ Cup to embrace fairplay by playing to the rules.
Speaking on the competition yesterday, CEO/GMD of the bank, Ebenezer Onyeagwu, said the competition’s purpose would be defeated if the participants did not adopt fairplay, a major ‘rule’ of FIFA in the round leather game.
Onyeagwu said: “Our aim as an organisation is to give the young ones a chance to showcase their talents and expose them to people in authorities who will further boost them to get to world stage.
“It is important to be on the same page with the participants so that we can achieve our aim of developing these players for the future.”
Commissioner for Primary Education in Delta State, Chika Ossai, also said there was a screening exercise conducted to ensure all the participants provide correct documentation.
“We are going after cheating in whatever form. Players must be playing for the school they attend and the y must be current students. There are other conditions too as we go on in the competition, screening will still continue because we want a true winner to emerge,” Ossai said.
In some of the matches already decided, Rock Nursery and Primary School defeated Ahabam Primary School 2-0, while Ogini Primary School also recorded a 2-0 win over Meindu Primary School, Gbekebor.
The match between Ogbe Primary School and Ughworume Primary School, in Uwvie council ended 5- 3 on penalties in favour of Ogbe.
A total of 377 primary schools in various parts of the state registered for the Headmasters’ Cup, which will run till November.
