Shell restates commitment to sports

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)has restated its commitment to  grassroots sports development in Nigeria, saying that its investment in the area in the past had produced great players who have won laurels for the country.

 At the presentation of a cheque of N2.5 million to Purple Krown College, Enugu, the winner of the 2013 NNPC/SHELL Cup competition, the SPDC’s Communications Production Services Manager, Peter Ademu-Eteh, said for the past 15 years, the company had kept faith in the vision of getting students engaged in developing both their education and football talents.

 While noting that the company through the age-grade football tournaments had helped to prove that it is possible to excel in education while playing football, Ademu-Eteh said participation in the championship had continued to soar among secondary schools in the last 15 years.

He said, “From about 2000 schools and 60,000 students in 1999 when it commenced, the championship has grown to about 2500 schools and over 75,000 students across the country presently.”

 He said the NNPC/Shell Cup has continued to provide avenue for the discovery of talents for the various junior and senior national teams in Nigeria, adding that, “one of the players that won the 2012 African Cup of Nations in South-Africa with the Super Eagles, Ejike Uzoenyi, emerged from the NNPC/Shell competition.”