By Ikenna Nwokedi 

A total of eight secondary schools in Onitsha are jostling for honours as the 2024 edition of the annual Dozek Inter School Football Championship on Wednesday, 1st May 2024 kicked off at the Christ the King College pitch Onitsha.

The eight schools which are drawn into two groups of four each has Blessed Child School Onitsha, Government Technical College (GTC), Christ the King College (CKC) and Onitsha High School drawn in Group A while Group B has Metropolitan College, Washington Memorial Grammar School, Modebe Memorial High School and Prince Memorial Secondary School all based in Onitsha.

The competition which was initiated by an Ex-Rangers player and former board member of the Anambra State Football Association (ANSFA) Emeka Ralph (Sarafi) is being bankrolled by Chief Donatus Nzekwesi, an old boy of the CKC and MD/CEO of Dozek Group Realtors.

In the opening fixture, Blessed Child School played out a one all draw against GTC while CKC obliterated Onitsha High School by 7 goals to nil. In other results, Metropolitan College saw off Modebe Memorial High School by a lone goal, Washington Memorial Grammar School saw off Prince Memorial Secondary School by one goal to nil. In other results, Metropolitan College saw off Prince Memorial Secondary School by a lone goal while Modebe Memorial Secondary School played out a one all draw against Washington Memorial Grammar School.

According to the sponsor, the essence of bankrolling the competition is to give back to the society through engagement of students and schools in sports through the instrumentality of football. Chief Nzekwesi informed that the competition was birthed in the aftermath of the 2022 edition of Inter House Football competition of the CKC.

Nzekwesi affirmed that the organizers seek to promote the spirit of sportsmanship among students, discover and promote talents to the next level and create an opportunity for bigger challenge now and in the future.

The competition holding at three venues such as CKC football field, Washington Memorial Grammar School field and Modebe Memorial Secondary School playing pitch will conclude with the grand finale scheduled for Thursday, 16th May 2024 as the winner is expected to smile home with the sum of one hundred thousand naira, while the first and second runners-up goes home with the sum of N50,000 and N30,000 respectively with other consolation prizes as Most Valuable Player (MVP), Highest Goal Scorer and Best Behaved Team Gong all on offer.