The senator representing the Rivers South-East Senatorial District at the National Assembly (NASS), Barry Mpigi, has commended the chairman of Tai Local Government Area, Sir Friday Okpe Mbakpone for sponsoring the 2023/2024 Tai LGA Chairman’s Unity Cup Football Competition.
Senator Mpigi made the commendation recently at the Government Secondary school football field during the grand finale of the 2023/2024 football completion of Tai LGA.
According to him, “I want to commend the chairman of Tai LGA, Hon. Mbakpone and his team for sponsoring the Tai LGA Unity Football competition.”
The former chairman of Tai LGA assured that as a senior law maker and a member of NASS he would come up with method and way of improving and expanding the Tai LGA unity football competition, adding that the next edition of the competition will be played at a bigger sports complex.
Also speaking, the sponsor of the football competition and the chairman of Tai LAG, Hon. Mbakpone said that the 2023/2024 football competition was a stepping stone towards raising and building Tai LGA football team.
“I want to say that this 2023-2024 football competition is going to be stepping stone for more sporting activities in this LGA. In fact, we will diversify our sports promotion and development as well as the funding of Tai LGA women football team soon,” Hon. Mbakpone said.
The chairman assured that with some of the talented players discovered during the 2023/2024 football competition, Tai LGA football team would soon be formed, adding that one of the primary purposes of the football competition is to construct a stadium for the LGA.
“One of the primary purposes of this football tournament is to spur us to ensure that the football tournament of this LGA becomes an annual event as well as motivate us to build a stadium for this LGA,” Hon. Mbakpone assured.
He expressed optimism that some of the outstanding players who showcased their talents at the Tai LGA 2024 football competition would later play for the state and national teams.
He commended the political elite and stakeholders in the LGA for their support.
“I want to thank everybody who has contributed in one way or the other to the success of the 2023/2024 Tai Football Competition. I honestly want to thank everyone especially the political elite and other relevant stakeholders, for their support.”
Mpigi had also lauded the match officials led by referees Ibrahim Ogulake for the way they handled the final match of the competition, describing them as good enough to handle higher matches.
Our correspondent reports that at the final match, watched by thousands of fans, Ward 7 beat Ward 9 by 1 – 0 to emerge the winner of the 2023/2024 edition of Tai LGA football competition.
Some sports writers were presented with medals by the members of the local organizing committee of the Football Unity Competition.
