Saidat Lawal Speaks On MTN Street Soccer Championship.

The third edition of MTN Lagos Street Soccer Championship officially kicked off on Sunday at Campos Mini Stadium, Ajele Lagos Island,Sportsweight.blogspot.com spoke with MTN Segment Manager, Saidat Lawal. She speaks on the championship.

Sportsweight: Good afternoon.For three years, MTN has been sponsoring the tournamet without hitches.What are challenges MTN is facing in staging th event?

Saidat Lawal:I do not want to count on the challenges, i do not dwell on the challenges because everything new has its own ups and downs. But what i like to dwell on, is the positive things that have come out of the competition.You are this afternoon when the Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Sporta and Social Develpment, Prince Ademiola Adeniji Adele, said Omoefe Innocent Erusiafe was presented as a product of the competition during the first edition and he is on his way to Brazil to continue his professional career in football.

There are others that have been absorbed in the Local league lubs as part of the MTN Lagos Street Soccer Championship.This are the things tha made MTN to partner Lagos State and we are glad that the dream is actually being realised and MTN is part of their lives and enriching them ti live their dreams.

Sportsweight.blogspot:For running the tournament three years consecutively, what's make this year's edition different from the last two editions.

Saidat Lawal:This year's edition we have almost two times the number of the lubs that registered for the championship in the first edition almost a hundred percent improvement.It is very very laudable thing.The second edition thing is that because MTN is sponsoring the FIFA 2010 World Cup i South Africa, we have agreed with Lagos State Government that the winners of the MTN Lagos Street Soccer Championship will be ging to South Africato watch the soccer mundial for couple of days.

As you know that everyone knows that MTN as the giant telecommunication in Nigeria and it is even better when you go door to door and let people know that you are saying that thank you for helping MTN to where it is today as the number one telecom network in Nigeria today.And also for MTN to feedback the communities they showed support for.The Lagos State has been tremendously supportive of MTN and it is very good thing that we come together with them and we have them to achieve the goals they have for the young people.


Sportsweight.blogspot: When MTN conceived the idea in 2008, did you think that the tournament will attract teeming young Nigerian football players.

Saidat Lawal:When the idea of MTN Lagos Street Soccer came up 3 years ago, we expected that it would be a slow going thing not any reason but the fact that new tyhing take time to settle in and in 3 years time, it was rapid.In two years time, when the competition will continue, by the grace of God, we would have expected that every nooks and crannies knows about the competition not just MTN.

And the administration of Babatunde Raji Fashola, is very passionate about giving the youth something to live on, get them out of the strees and to achieve their dreams.MTN saw this and when Adeniji Adele, approached MTN to partner them, we could see where he was in envisioning Lagos State youngmen to be and we hought its only our responsibility topartner with them.



Sportsweight.blogspot: Any intension to extend this gesture to other states of the Federation?

Saidat Lawal:The thing is that the street soccer was an idea from Lagos State.THere have been other ideas that other states have come to MTN and we have been supportive of it. We have the Osun Osogbo festival, we have other socio cultural festivals that they have come to us and we have supported them.We try to reach people of Nigeria in different ways, so soccer is one of them,MTN Lagos Street Soccer Championship.

We have Project Fame,where Iyanya and Mike Anyazodor were the award winners, we have MTN Family Game Show. The MTN Foundation has assured that one percent of every money that comes to MTN goes back to the society. We have built laboratries in schools,Low Cost Housing, among others.