2024 KGL FOUNDATION INTER-REGIONAL U17 COLTS CHAMPIONSHIP LAUNCHED
The Ghana Football Association has successfully launched the Fourth Edition of the 2024 KGL Foundation Inter-Regional U17 Colts Championship on Wednesday July 24, 2024.
The short but impressive ceremony which took place at the Conference Room of the Ghana Football Association, witnessed a high level of attendance from officials of the GFA and sponsors, KGL Foundation.
Speaking on behalf of the President of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, at Wednesday’s launch, Executive Council member, Dr Ransford Anertey Abbey, highlighted the distinguished role played by the KGL Foundation in youth development over the past four years.
“KGL Foundation has distinguished itself as the prime supporter of the GFA in the area of youth football through their sponsorship of Colts Football. Their support aligns perfectly with the GFA’s emphasis on the importance of nurturing young talent in football. The KGL U17 Colts Championship serves as a critical platform for identifying and developing future stars, providing young talents the opportunity to shine and reach their full potential.” Dr Abbey acknowledged
The Championship has produced several top talents for the various national teams and domestic clubs in Ghana since its inception, a clear testimony to its strong positive impact on youth football in the country.
“Through the KGL U17 Colts Championships, we have seen remarkable contributions to our national teams corps. Three of the last batch of National U17 players who participated in the recently held WAFU Zone B U17 Championships were discovered through these Championships. This is a clear indication of the significant role this tournament plays in shaping the future of our national football teams,” Dr. Abbey went on to add.
“The impact of the partnership with the KGL Foundation on Ghana’s youth football has been immense. Several players from previous editions have gone on to join and feature for clubs in both the Ghana Premier League and the Division One League. Additionally, the KGL Foundation’s sponsorship enabled us to take the 3rd Edition of the Championships to Kumasi last year, enhancing the level of inclusivity that the GFA is working hard to build throughout Ghana’s football ecosystem.”
Programmes Manager of KGL Foundation, Nii Sarpei, expressed his delight at the immense progress made since his outfit’s decision to invest in youth development while emphasizing the company’s commitment to, and support for the Championship that serves as a critical platform for identifying and developing future stars.
“On behalf of KGL Foundation and it’s CEO (Mr. Elliot Dadey), I would like to express how happy we are at facilitating the organisation of the 4th KGL Foundation U17 Inter-Regional Colts Football tournament. When we started this initiative, we didn’t envisage it growing to the current level it is now. Four years down the line, we have seen the impact of the investment in unearthing talents at the juvenile level. We understand that football continues to remain the number one passion of Ghanaians both in-country and abroad. We are thus committed and determined to support efforts to bring joy to the many faces of Ghanaians who are keen for us to win a major trophy especially at the juvenile level,” Nii Sarpei said.
“The KGL Foundation remains thankful to the GFA and other partners, including dignitaries like Dr. Randy Abbey, who is here with us today to help us launch the 4th edition of this tournament.”
“We celebrate the GFA for tirelessly championing the cause for the private sector to invest resources in juvenile football. I would like to express my gratitude to the GFA President, Mr. Kurt Simeon-Okraku, National Committee led by Nana Sarfo, and the regional teams for taking up such a worthy cause to support young footballers in Ghana.
“We, at KGL Foundation, believe that laying the groundwork for the younger generations to enjoy football is the way to go. We look forward to a successful tournament and thank you all for gracing this launch. God bless you all.” he concluded.
The KGL Under-17 Colts Championship was conceived as a platform to promote fair play, teamwork, and sportsmanship among young players. It provides a competitive environment to showcase and improve the players’ skills, fostering regional unity and camaraderie among different regions.
It encourages healthy competition and mutual respect among participating teams and offers potential scouting opportunities by local and international clubs.
Interactive sessions facilitated by seasoned professionals remind participating teams of the importance of education and personal development alongside their football careers.
This year’s edition will be held at the Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence in Prampram from the 25th of July to the 8th of August, 2024.
The Center has seen significant enhancements over the last couple of years and is now hosting several of the GFA’s developmental programs.
In keeping with the policy of the Association to continuously encourage young talent, the Championships will be officiated by young referees selected from the GFA’s flagship “Catch Them Young” Refereeing policy. This initiative has nurtured hundreds of young, ambitious referees who have officiated at the second-tier level of Ghana football.
Each participating team will receive fifty footballs, two sets of cones, two sets of bibs, and two sets of match jerseys by kind courtesy KGL Foundation.
This is the Fourth Edition of the KGL Foundation Sponsored Inter-Regional U17 Colts Championship after previous events were held in Accra and Kumasi, and now going to the GFA Technical Centre at Prampram.
The KGL Foundation Inter-Regional U17 Colts Championship, launched in 2021, has been an avenue for talent discovery for clubs, particularly Premier and Division One League clubs, with several players being beneficiaries of the esteemed competition.
The ten Regional Football Associations will select the best U17 players from their Colts competitions to represent their regions in this year’s edition.
It would be recalled that the Ghana Football Association, in October 2021, announced the KGL Foundation as Colts (Juvenile) League sponsors in a landmark sponsorship valued at One million United States dollars covering a period of five (5) years.
GFA Communications