• Organisers urge NFF encourage youths’ participation

Organisers of the African Freestyle Football Championship, Feet ‘N’ Tricks, have revealed that the 2020 edition of the competition will kick off on July 1 and end on July 20.

Unveiling the football championship in his organisation’s first virtual press conference held via Zoom at the weekend, Feet ‘N’ Tricks International chairman, Valentine Ozigbo, said the championship, for the first of time in the continent, would be held online.

He said the major aim of the event was to develop, nurture an art, a lifestyle and a passion for youths, who love freestyle football in Africa.
Ozigbo also noted that Freestyle Unlocked Africa 2020, which is the fourth installment of the annual football freestyle event, was motivated by his passion and commitment to continue growing freestyle football in Africa.

“We will not stop till an African emerges the world champion, and we also host the World Freestyle Football Championships in Nigeria,” he said.
Explaining the decision to organise the freestyle football event when the world is going through difficult times owing to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Ozigbo said his passion for the development of freestyle football spurred him to find a way round the pandemic to continue a tradition, which has become his passion.

The organisers said that the freestyle football competition was designed for inclusiveness and would have men and women battling for daily $50, $30 and $20 cash prizes in the peoples’ choice category.

In the judges’ choice category, which will hold in the last week of the event, freestyle footballers will compete for a $1000 grand prize.
The body also posited that other prizes $750, $500 ,250,$150 will be given to the second ,third ,fourth and 5th place winners. A total of $ 6,300 will be given out in cash prizes at the end of the programme.

Ozigbo, who is the immediate past president and chief executive officer of Transcorp Plc., called on well-meaning Nigerians and sports lovers to contribute their quota in sponsoring sports events.

Some of the prominent participants in the conference were co-founder of the World Freestyle Football Association, Daniel Woods; Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick; Operations Manager for WFFA, Lukas Skoda; a director at Feet ‘n’ Tricks, Odyke Nzewi; and the
founder of Ovation Media Group, Dele Momodu.

Top professional freestylers, who also joined the event were Titi Kone, who is the reigning African champion, Ayoub Haouas from Tunisia, Ashley Mkhize from South Africa, and Patofs from Madagascar.

Speaking on the freestyle football championship, NFF president, Amaju Pinnick said the championship would gainfully occupy youths in this period where sports activities have been paused in most countries.