The Abia U-15 football competition will help to harness budding talents in the state for brighter career prospects in football, the Director of Sports, Mr Ejikeme Ikwunze, has said yesterday .

The competition is being sponsored by the Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ASOPADEC).

Ikwunze, who made the remark at Umuahia when a member of the Commission visited him, said the competition would assist the youths to become focused and shun criminal tendencies.

“The completion will help to redirect the energies of the youths toward productive ventures and take them out of the streets.

“It will also discourage them from engaging in kidnappings, armed robbery and other social vices,’’ he said.

The director implored the local government councils and members of the House of Assembly to identify with the programme.

He said that the moral and financial assistance of the councils and the legislators would encourage players from the council areas and constituencies to participate in the programme.

Ikwunze commended ASOPADEC for bankrolling the competition, saying “what you are doing is not for the present day but for the future.’’

“It will be a thing of pride for all of us if in future, any of these boys becomes a diamond in the sky,’’ he said.

In his remark, the ASOPADEC member, Mr Fred Udensi, said that the competition, captioned ‘’Ochendo U-15 football competition,’’ was part of the commission’s youth empowerment initiative.

He said the competition was being organised to complement Gov. Theodore Orji’s transformation programme and develop the talent of the youths.

According to him, the competition is to help secure the future of the youths by developing their soccer talents and making them useful to themselves, their families and the society.

The one-month soccer fiesta, which would take place in various zones in the state, would kick- off on Friday at the Umuahia Township Stadium.