The qualifiers for the Football Fives World Championship (F5WC) will hold in six geo-political zones of the country in July.
According to the Organisers of the event, I-Sports Coliseum, Nigeria partners of F5WC, Kano, Kaduna, Abuja, Delta, Ogun and Lagos states would host qualifiers. Also, Lagos is being considered to hold the final leg of the event.
Boma Jacks, Director I-sports Coliseum and country partner F5WC said that the championship is the largest five-a-side tournament in the world, adding that the country partner for each country has the right to the F5WC brand through franchising.
He also stated that the country partner is expected to organise a nationwide qualifier to produce a winning team that will represent their country at the world finals. Each team will be made of seven players – five infield player and two reserves – which must have their residency in that particular country and must have valid international passports.
He said the F5WC organisers will arrange the flight, hotels, local transportation, food and other logistics for winning team from each country.
Managing Partner and head of competition, Shamsudeen Tijjani Yusuf said the game has grown since it debuted in the country in 2016 with this year’s winner expected to represent Nigeria at the World finals in Shanghai, China in September.
Tijjani noted that the winning teams from the six geo political zones will play at the national finals. Eights teams will proceed to the quarter finals and play on to the finals with a third place game also in the offing.
He also stated that I-coliseum was working with Nilayo Sports and marketing to attract sponsors to the event, noting that this will determine the prize money that will go to the winners.
Though the competition is strictly for amateurs, he however, said the that the winning team will get more than N1.5m the 2017 winners got.
Nilayo’s Sponsorship manager, Damilola Pedro said her outfit is out to bridge the gap between organizers of sport events and sponsors with a view of developing the industry as well as the athletes.
She stated that all efforts would be done to ensure the success of the tournament with a view of making the partnership between I-Sports Coliseum and Nilayo Sports and Marketing an enduring one.
Nilayo Sports and Marketing are the organsiers of the Lagos Marathon.
