Organisers of the Abuja Lawyers Soccer League have announced the date for the commencement of the seventh edition of the competition.
The annual football competition, aimed at creating an avenue for lawyers to socialize outside the courtrooms and keep fit, is scheduled to take place from March 4 to May 13, 2013.
For this year’s edition tagged: ‘ChukwukaIkwuazomSuperCup 2023’, the number of participating teams has risen to 24 from 20 teams that participated in the last year’s edition. The 24 teams were drawn from the various law firms based in Abuja.
Unveiling the headline sponsor during the weekend, the chief organiser and coordinator of the league, Barrister Olujimi Olujide-Poko, said this edition will be an extra-ordinary event.
“This year’s edition will be an extra-ordinary one. We increased participating teams from 20 to 24, the prize money has also been increased as well and our female colleagues will not only join us in playing a ceremonial game this year, they will be playing an actual league that runs alongside the male competition. We will also have a medical check up and other prizes that will come with the league including the weekly most valuable players (MVP) award that will be given out to the best player of the week.
“For the female league, we are looking at six teams for participation because we don’t have as many female teams as we have in the male,” Poko said.
The new title sponsor and former chairman of the NBA Lagos branch, Chukwuka Ikwuazom, said he decided to bankroll the 2023 edition of the competition because of its immense importance to the wellbeing of the lawyers.
“As lawyers the work that we do is very high pressure and most of us live a very selective life.
This selective lifestyle poses a great risk to our health. So, I see the importance of creating an avenue for lawyers to exercise and to keep fit,” Ikwuazom said.
He commended the organisers for their doggedness that has propelled the competition to its current status, saying it is the kind of hardwork and commitment to excellence that he likes to associate with it.
“I want to thank the organizers of the Abuja Lawyer League for their doggedness that propelled this competition to its current status. I want to thank them for their commitment to excellence that has ensured that the competition gets better year after year. This is the kind of hard work and commitment to excellence that I like to associate with it.
“I would also like to pay my compliments to the great leaders of the Bar that sponsored this tournament up to this point because without their benevolent and financial commitment you and I will not be here talking about the forthcoming edition. I thank our dear president, Mr Yakubu Maikyau who sponsored the 2021 edition and the man who has made his facilities available for us to hold this event, Mahmud Magaji, for sponsoring the last year’s edition. So, I am humble to be in the company of these great leaders of the Bar that sponsored this tournament up to this moment.
“I want to assure you that with my commitment and that of the organisers, this year’s edition will be like none before it. It is going to be better, bigger and more competitive.”
