On Wednesday 15th July 2015 at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto,
Abeokuta. The rock city witnessed excellent field of play at the season three
finals of Guaranty Trust Bank’s Ogun Principals Cup. Winners of the female and
male category respectively; Muslim high school Isolu, and Pakoto High school,
Ayede Ifo clinched the 3rd edition of the prestigious GTBank–Ogun
State Principals Cup competition held.
This season’s competition, tagged “Smash All Barriers” featured over
344 teams from the 4 qualifying zones – Egba, Ijebu, Remo and Yewa – in Ogun
State, thereby attracting a more robust participation than the previous
editions, with wider audience and followership.
The Female teams kicked off the finals as United Comprehensive High
School, Wasimi Abeokuta played against Muslim High School, Isolu Abeokuta. The
game started with both sides showing their class and skills until
AdeyinkaJumoke broke the deadlock in the 19th minute with a curly
free kick found the back of the net. However, the Muslim girls were not done
yet until Nurudeen Wasilat doubled the lead few minutes after the start of the
second half and that delivered the GTBank-Ogun State Principals Cup trophy to
them.
But it was different in the male category. St. Anthony's Grammar
School, Esure, Ijebu Mushin scored first when Olaide Kehinde dribbled past the
Pakoto High School goalkeeper to give his team the lead. However, Ishola
Damilare equalized for Pakoto High School minutes before the break and it was
level at half time. The second half was tense as both teams had chances to take
the lead but the needed goal came from most valuable player of the match,
Ishola Damilare for Pakoto High School and they were crowned Ogun State
Principals Cup Champions for the first time.
According
to Segun Agbaje, the Managing Director of GTBank, “The Principals Cup
Competition paves the way for youths to cultivate their sporting talents while
fostering and building a healthier lifestyle at a critical stage in their
lives”. He enjoined the students to imbibe the spirit of fair play, hard work,
and discipline, which are some of the core values of GTBank.
The competition is aimed at actively engaging the youths through sports
whilst promoting the values of excellence and fair play. It fosters camaraderie
and provides a platform for identifying, nurturing and grooming young and
talented players amongst Secondary School students in Nigeria.
In gracing the finals of the tournament, Mrs Yewande Ige, Divisional
Head South-West GTBank, Mrs Oyinade Adegbite, Senior Manager Communications and
External Affairs, Mrs AbimbolaMeshinoye, Deputy Manager Communications and
External Affairs, GTBank, OlajideAdebanjo, Group head retail South West,
GTBank, Acting Deputy Governor of Ogun State Mrs Yetunde Onanuga, SSG Ogun
State, Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa.
At the end of the tournament, the foremost
bank gave out prizes to winner and runners-up as promised, ranging from mouth
watering N1, 000,000 and N750,000, N500,000 and N250,000 for 1st, 2nd 3rd
and 4thplace winners respectively in both the male and female
categories. On the male category, 1st – Pakoto High School,
Ayede Ifo, 2nd – St. Anthony's Grammar School, Esure, Ijebu, 3rd
– Asero High School, Abeokuta and 4th- Ode Remo High School, Ode
Remo while on female category 1st – Muslim High School, Isolu,
Abeokuta, 2nd – United Comprehensive High School, Wasimi, Abeokuta, 3rd
– Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Ijebu Ode and 4th- St.
Anthony’s Grammar School, Esure, Ijebu Mushin. 
GTBank also provides sports equipment such as balls, goal post nets and
corner flags for schools throughout the duration of the competition.
Guaranty Trust Bank plc.is one of the few Nigerian financial
institutions that have maintained a defined Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) strategy since its inception in 1990. The Bank actively supports
in-classroom and out-of-classroom educational programmes, infrastructure development,
students’ scholarship and teachers training across Africa.
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