The twenty-four teams participating in the Delta Ethnic Peace and Unity Cup have been presented their football kits by the Convener, Comrade Sheriff Mulade.
The presentation was performed during Tuesday’s draws for the tournament, which took place at the CEPEJ office at Ugolo-Osubi in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.
The twenty-four participating football teams are drawn from six ethnic groups of Ijaw, Itsekiri, Ika, Isoko, Ndokwa, and Urhobo in Delta State.
Four football clubs, each from the ethnic groups, will lock horns at the qualifying group stages in their respective centers before advancing to the quarter, semi, and final of the competition.
The Convener of the competition, Comrade Sheriff Mulade, was joined by the chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Kenneth Nwaomucha.
Comrade Mulade said the event started ten years ago is aimed a fostering unity among Ijaw and Itsekiri ethnic groups but was expanded to include four other groups in the 5th edition to promote harmony among all ethnic groups in Delta State in support of the State’s Government development agenda.
He disclosed that the initiative is currently supported by the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, in line with its mandate to promote peaceful coexistence among oil-producing communities in the state.
The competition is also aimed at discovering young football talents in line with the Catch Them Young advocacy of Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ.
He charged the participating teams to put peace, the motive behind the tournament, above their desire to win the coveted prizes for the competition.
The LOC chairman of the 2024 Delta Ethnic Peace and Unity Cup competition, who is also the immediate past chairman of Delta Football Association, Kenneth Nwaomucha, told the football clubs and the Organising Committee at the centers to play according to the rules.
CEPEJ BOT chairman, Dr Godwin Oradahwe urged the teams to put in their best to meet the expectations of football scouts during the competition.
The fixtures for the tournament start November 7, with the final taking place on December 8, 2024, at Orerokpe, headquarters of Okpe Local Government Area.
A novelty football match to herald the football tournament will be played on November 16, 2024, at Ode-Itsekiri in Warri South Local Government Area.
The players for the competition are of the U-23 category and are expected to be cleared for participation with their National Identification Number, NIN, as part of checking impersonation and other malpractices.
