Organisers of the ongoing maiden edition of the Bishop Owen Nwokolo U-21 Football Tournament have exclusively revealed to Exclusivenews.com.ng that no fewer than fourty players would be selected from the tournament and that such players would be groomed ahead of a proposed tour of Europe.

Sir Victor Nwangwu, a former Rangers International FC player and former Secretary of Anambra State Football Association, who also is the Chairman of the Main Organising Committee of the tournament disclosed on Saturday that the tournament is part of Bishop Nwokolo's commitment to ensure a balance of physical and spiritual aspects of youths in the Diocese on the Niger.

Nwangwu expressed delight on his continued involvement in nurturing youth players since his retirement as a player and administrator.

"I'm extremely delighted. It's been my ambition that after retirement, I would still be working with young players, discovering and developing young talents", Nwangwu began when cornered at the St Andrew's Anglican Church 'Basilica' pitch in continuation of the tournament's group games. 

"Because I've the believe that Nigeria has a lot of potentials that if we'll harnessed, we can do a lot of youth development through football".

Nwangwu had an illustrious playing career at Rangers. On retirement from active football, the Ajali, Orumba North LGA, Anambra State born football administrator served as Secretary of Anambra State FA.

During his tenure as Anambra FA Scribe, he brokered the NEROS Pharmaceuticals Ltd/Anambra FA Cup sponsorship in 2007.

The sponsorship, with a winning prize of N2m runs till date, perhaps, the longest in the country.

Nwangwu tersely sheds light on his football background, saying it was a family heritage.

"Yes, I played for Rangers. My brother, Austin, was also a player too. Actually, we came from a football family. The bigger background is that we're born in the church yard. 

"Our father was a Catechist. And so, in our own time, we lived in the church yard. And there were football fields wherever we found ourselves. There were other sporting facilities too. So we're exposed in sports well on time". 

Nwangwu holds Bishop Owen Nwokolo, Bishop on the Niger in very high esteem for His Lordship's love and passion for the spiritual and physical balance of youths in the Anglican Church as regards the U-21 BON Tournament.

"Yes, it's a part of youth evangelism. As you can see, Bishop Owen Nwokolo is so passionate about this; about football in particular and about raising people. 

"And it's in line with the mission of our Diocese to make young people take their place in the scheme of  things anywhere they found themselves  with strong spirituality backing it up. 

"And so, he's our motivator, he's our sponsor and he urges us on. Without him, these things wouldn't be happening. And I think he's the best we could ever find around. He's a Bishop of 'special' caliber, supporting sports, football in particular. 

"The Bishop Owen Nwokolo Football Academy takes part in all (Anambra) State competitions----the FA Cup, State league, the local competitions around here (about five of them)---we've been taking part in them, aside those of the church, the Diocese and the Province of the Niger".

He also revealed the aims of the ongoing BON U-21 Tournament, hinting that someone who was captivated by what's going on at the Bishop Owen Nwokolo Football Academy, BONFA, decided to sponsor the U-21 Tournament in the name of the Bishop.

"Somebody who loves what our Bishop is doing saw the (BONFA) academy in training and he screamed 'waow', can somebody really be doing this sort of thing? 

"This person is a lawyer and is based in Europe and decided to sponsor this tournament in the name of our Bishop. And he's not just sponsoring it. He made it clear that the BEST 40 players should be selected and groomed for a European tour and exposure. That's his terminal objective.

"20 teams are taking part in the tournament. The 'first prize' is that the footballers would be exposed to football internationally. 

"Yes, it is a competition but in the main, it's a screening exercise, talent hunt to be precise. But there is a prize actually but it is only the sponsor that will announce it officially", Nwangwu, who is also Chairman of the Main Organising Committee, MOC, for the tournament said..