Coach urges revival of National Deaf Challenge Cup
Competition
NAN-S-2
Football
By Kemi Ajayi
Lagos, Sept. 7, 2017 (NAN) Kamiludeen Banjo, Coach of the National Deaf Football Team, on Thursday appealed to individuals and corporate bodies to assist in reviving the National Deaf Challenge Cup.
Banjo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the competition, last held in 2006, was the biggest deaf football event before it fizzled out due to lack of sponsorship.
The coach said that the competition, if revived, would engage players and give the sport a new lease of life.
“Deaf footballers have been clamouring for the return of the Challenge Cup and I believe this is the right time to revive the event.
“For the competition to come back to limelight, we need support to revive and re-invent it and make it bigger.
“In the past, we select players into the national team through the Challenge Cup but since the competition stopped, it has been a difficult task’’, the coach said.
Banjo said that the Sports Ministry was yet to recognise the team for winning the 7th West Africa Deaf Football Union (WADFU) Tournament in May.
NAN reports that the National Deaf Football Team had won the championship four times since its inception in 2010.
“It is so said that my players are yet to be recognised for doing the country proud, the players are not happy because they believe they are not recognised because of their disability.
“I hope the ministry would prove the players wrong by doing the needful,’’ he said. (NAN)
KOA/GOM/WOJ
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(Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam / Wale Ojetimi)