Shell Cup 2012: Odegbami Reads Riot Act To Age Cheats

Former Green Eagles’ captain, Olusegun Odegbami, has said that 2012 NNPC/Shell Cup Football Championship for All Nigeria Secondary Schools will give no room to age cheats and any other malpractices that have characterised Nigerian football.

Odegbami, who is the Head of Nigerian Academic Sports Committee, NASCOM, said school sports have been infiltrated by mercenaries, nonstudent and individuals who are far above the age limit, adding that as a stakeholder in the NNPC/Shell Cup 2012, his committee would come out with a data bank that will provide information on all students participating in the tourney. Odegbami noted that the bio-data of students will be captured and used to stem false age declaration.

“It is unfortunate that older persons and mercenaries have taken the place of genuine youngsters. The predilection for falsification of official documents and recourse to the use of nonstudent is undermining the development of football and sports in the country. Our society cannot continue to bear the consequences of breeding a generation of cheats. This practice stunts our development in morals, ethics and sports and questions the credibility of our achievements in the past,” said Odegbami.

— Bamidele Olowosagba