Nigerian ex-international and former Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia, has called on stakeholders including corporate organisations in Nasarawa State to invest in grass-roots sports development.

Mr Siasia made the call at the kickoff of the 2024 Mailafia Peace and Unity football tournament on Saturday in Deddere in the Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

The ex-international, applauded Yakubu Mailafia, for consistently sponsoring the grass-roots football tournament since the past eight years.

He noted that such investment would go a long way in discovering great football talents from the rural communities and enable them to fulfil their dreams.

Mr Siasia added that the venture would also address youth restiveness in the communities and they would be positively engaged.

He, therefore, urged spirited individual and corporate organisations in the state to emulate Mr Mailafia by investing in grass-roots sports.

He said, “We will support him and the players that were discovered to become exceptional and to pursue their dreams to become professional footballers.’’

Also, Chairman Nasarawa State Football Association, Salisu Galadima, commended the organiser for the initiative aimed at engaging youths to make them unavailable for crimes.

Mr Galadima, therefore, promised that the football association under his leadership would partner with the sponsor and others interested in promoting football.

On his part, Mr Mailafia said that his passion for football motivated him to start the tournament in 2016, saying the current was the eighth edition.

“We started the competition in 2016 with just eight clubs, but the 2024 edition has 32 clubs from Nasarawa South and Nasarawa North senatorial districts. We have a lot of plans for players who displayed exceptional talents at the competition to promote their football career,” he said.

Also speaking, a lawmaker representing Lafia North constituency at the State House of Assembly, Esson Mairiga, said that his constituency had presented three clubs at the tournament.

Mr Mairiga expressed delight with the massive investment in the youth through football and promised to support the organiser to achieve the goals of the tournament.

Meanwhile, in the opening match of the tournament, Thunder Football Club of Agyaragu and defending champions defeated Harland FC of Shabu 1-0 in the first game of the 2024 edition.

Mamuda Mohammed of Thunder FC, spotting jersey number 8 scored the only goal of the match 10 minutes into the first half from the first corner kick of the game.

(NAN).