The importance of grassroots talents discovery especially at the Governor’s Cup tournament, has been reiterated with the fact that it is the best place professional clubs need to go back to if they want to get a formidable team.
This was the challenge thrown at professional clubs on the Plateau and Nigeria as a whole by the first General Manager of Plateau United Football Club, to win the NPFL crown in 2017, Hon Pius Hemwan.
Pius Hemwan threw this challenge at the draws for the 2025 Governor’s Cup held at Mees Palace, tagged “The Time is Now Soccer Fiesta”.
Responding to ssimedia247.com.ng, Hon Hemwan reiterated the need to discover talents from the grassroots especially from the Governor’s Cup like this to build formidable clubs in the professional cadre.
‘I’ll encourage our professional clubs to ensure they go back to the grassroots for talents discovery where they abound and moulded into the potentials of the clubs. The grassroots is the right place. When we won the NPFL trophy in 2017, our winning captain,Golbe Elisha, was picked from the Governor’s Cup while representing Pankshin local government and we have lots of them like that’.
The former Plateau Utd GM, heaped praises on PFA Chairman, Hon Dr Prince Suleiman Kwande for the great work he has been doing in the FA.
” I’ll like to appreciate the PFA Chairman,Prince Dr Suleiman Kwande, for the excellent job he has been doing ever since he came on board, it has never been this good for football on the Plateau, he has not done anything because I’m sure he has more in his kitty and I urge him to keep working to take football on the Plateau to where it belongs’.
On the reason his voice has not been heard on the issue of Plateau United, the Director in the Sport Council said:
” I’m now a stakeholder who needs to be consulted before dabbling into an affair of the club.So anytime I’m consulted, I’ll definitely give my input, the last time I was consulted, my opinion helped the club tremendously, so I’m open to consultation’.
Hon Hemwan thereafter wished all the participating teams of the Governor’s Cup success.
Credit:Nathaniel Mobolade,
SSIMEDIA.
