Abuja Lawyers’ League: GLA Defeats Afe Babalola 2-0 to Win Maikyau Cup

Alex Enumahin

Grobartig Legal Advisory (GLA) last Saturday defeated Afe Babalola team 2-0 to emerge winners of the 2021 Abuja Lawyers’ League (ALL), football tournament, tagged Maikyau Cup.

GLA has won the tournament back-to-back having similarly emerged winner of the 2020 edition. GLA smiled home with the star prize of N500,000.

Speaking at the event, Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare commended lawyers for engaging in sporting activities despite their very time consuming job.

The Minister, who was represented by his Special Assistant on Projects, Mr Biodun Owoborode, noted that lawyers by the competition have demonstrated to Nigerians the importance of sports to the well-being of the people.

While stating that sports is a major unifying factor in Nigeria, he urged other professionals to emulate the lawyers by organizing and participating in various sporting events to stay fit.

“It is phenomenal and amazing to see lawyers let loose and get involved in exercises like this.

“It tells us that sport is important to our wellbeing and I think so many other professions should be doing things like this as well,” he said.

The minister’s representative also commended the team spirit displayed by the players, stressing that is what Nigeria needs in times like these, particularly as the nation heads to the delayed 2020 Olympics Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Similarly, a senior lawyer and Chairman of the 2021 ALL championship, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, noted that apart from the health benefits of exercise, the tournament has also created room for networking among the lawyers.

Fagbemi who is one of the sponsors of the event expressed satisfaction with the performance of the tournament, and commended the organizers for a job well done.

“This should be encouraged because of its advantages. I call on other senior lawyers to participate and encourage the junior lawyers and not only encourage them but lead by example”, he said.

One of the organizers of the football tournament, Mr Olujimi Poko, expressed gratitude to God for a successful end of the nine weeks tournament which he said was full of fun and entertainment.

Poko noted that the reason behind the football competition was to bring lawyers together, draw them out of their busy schedules and sensitize them on the need to pay attention to their health.

“Football is a game of unity. In football, we speak one language and nobody remember he is Yoruba, Ibo or Hausa, it is a good channel to cement our unity”, he said.

Apart from the football game, medical personnel were on ground to carry out medical checks on lawyers as well as guest at the venue.

Meanwhile, Maikyau Strikers in the second match played earlier defeated Chris Uche’s team to win the third place spot.

The prize money for the second and third placed teams was N400,000 and N350,000 respectively.