Chairman of the League Management Company (LMC), Shehu Dikko on Thursday ruled out the presentation prize money or any other cash rewards for winners of the on-going NPFL/Laliga U-15 Promises Tournament.
He made this known at a recent press conference while fielding questions on the impact of the partnership between the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and the Spanish League (Laliga).
“The winners of this competition will not be going home with prize money, or any form of cash rewards; it exposes them at this level, to some hazards and deprives them of focus in their career”, remarked the LMC boss.
He explained that honouring such winners which brings some recognition is the best way to reward youths of this category, as it would spur them to pursue their career with great focus and diligence.
“When they get honoured and recognized, they are highly motivated and focused, and the hunger for more glory would naturally set in”, Dikko posited.
It would be recalled that Governments at various levels in the past have given cash rewards and landed property to under aged who won at international championships, a reward system Dikko disagrees with but supports investment in bonds and award of scholarship as a profound character and career building instrument at this level of their career.
“Making investments through bonds and scholarship would greatly benefit them later in life, than giving cash rewards for winning championships”, Dikko argued.
The final of the 2019 edition of the NPFL/ Laliga U-15 willl be a continuous process as players as already be discovered in the tournament the likes of Akinkunmi Amao, Olusegun Daniel, and Divine Nwachukwu all these players played in U 17 that just ended In Tanzania. They played in the last U 15 LMC / La Liga tournament so the tournament is a success already with discovering of players for the national team concluded by Shehu Dikko LMC chairman.
