The technical committee of the Channels National Kids Cup has vowed to remain steadfast in the fight against age cheats at the football competition.
At the press briefing that flagged off the competition, the Chairman of the Main Organizing Committee, Steve Judo, reminded the participants that the company’s policy of zero tolerance to age cheat cannot be compromised.
Judo said that the long term objective of the competition is to become a reliable mechanism that can be used to curb the problems of age cheat in Nigerian football at all levels.
He advised the kids not to allow anyone mislead them to lie about their age just to play football.
During the screening process at the national finals, the committee conducted a thorough check on body features, confirmed and re-confirmed the information in submitted forms and knowledge of the school a player is representing.
A member of the technical committee, Ken Ochonogor, confirmed that the screening process will continue till the final day of the tournament.
According to Ochonogor, the committee has agreed that the process will be repeated before a player gets on the pitch to play. It is their own of way of ensuring that the disqualified players don’t feature at the competition.
The team co-ordinator of Kwara State, Laide Olanrewaju, described the process as thorough and fair, while the team leader of Kogi State, Medubi Foluke, charged the committee to keep up the good work in ensuring that the right players feature at the Channels National Kids Cup.
First Vice President of Nigeria Football Federation and Chairman of the Football Development Committee, Seyi Akinwunmi, commended Channels Television for working with EKO Football and putting up a task force to ensure strict compliance to the rules and regulations of the tournament.
Akinwunmi encouraged the kids not to be discouraged when they are disqualified.
“If you cannot play at the U-13 level, don’t feel bad, just stay focused and work hard to make the U-15 team. If you cheat to play below your age grade, you will be destroying your young career,” he said.
The Channels National Kids Cup is for pupils in primary school and under the age of 13.
