2023 Abuja Lawyers League Kicks Off In Grand Style, Afe Babalola Win Opening Match

The 2023 edition of the Abuja Lawyers League annual football competition kicked off with fanfare and camaraderie during the weekend at the D’kings Turf (Panorama), Abuja

The opening fanfare of the season 7th of the competition tagged ‘Chukwuka Ikwuazom Super Cup 2023’ which coincided with the 2023 World Kidney Day, witnessed a novelty match between member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Abuja Branch – Unity Bar FC and staff of Zenith Medical Kidney Center to commemorate the ‘World Kidney Day’.

Speaking shortly before kicking off the 2023 Abuja Lawyers League season proper, the headline sponsor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN),  Mr Chukwuka Ikwuazom, expressed satisfaction with the massive turnout of the participants and spectators, saying he was spurred by the benefits of the competition to lawyers to bankrolling the event.

“Lawyers are very hard working people, we work hard and hardly have time for any form of physical exercise and we live a very sedentary lifestyle. So, a competition of this nature provides an opportunity for us as lawyers to engage in physical activities and it is something that benefits us mentally, physically and otherwise.

The health benefits of this competition spurred me to be the headline sponsor. In addition to that, this kind of competition offers great opportunity for socialisation and you could see the numbers of our colleagues that are here socialising in a convivial environment. Those were the primary motivations for me,” Ikwuazom.

The SAN, who was the former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos branch, pledged his continuous support to the competition. “My association with the Abuja Lawyers League which I just started will endure. Resources are required to sponsor it and I may not be able to be the headline sponsor every year, but I’ll always want to be part of this competition because it is a very good initiative.”

The chief organiser of the league, Barrister Olujimi Olujide-Poko, said the tournament which started with merely six teams has grown over the years to become something lawyers look forward to yearly with no fewer than 20 male and six female teams competing for honours in this year’s edition.

“We had plans for 24 male teams but have 20 male and six female teams, 26 teams in all registered to compete this year. The uniqueness of this year’s event is that for the first time in the history of female football in Nigeria, we are having female lawyers playing a competitive game. It is a landmark achievement that we have female lawyers participating fully and not just playing ceremonial games.

“The other side attractions to the event is that we have quite a number of awards that players will be jostling for including the weekly most valuable player (MVP). Every weekend spectators will get to vote for the most valuable player of that particular matchday. We also have ‘Auta Iyanda challenge’ where spectators get to participate in a challenging game where they will win prizes just to mention a few of the innovations in this year’s game,”  Poko said.

In the opening match, Afe Babalola FC thrash Aluko & Oyebode FC 7- 0 to send strong warning to other teams of their readiness for this year’s competition.

The annual Abuja Lawyers League, which is in its seventh edition, commenced in 2017.