Belarusian club hunts football talents at Katsina tournament
Sports
YOUNG footballers in Katsina State have been given an opportunity to showcase their talents before international scouts seeking players for professional football in Europe.
The opportunity came during the four-day second edition of Gov. Dikko Radda Football Scouting Tournament held at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the tournament was organised by the Katsina Football Academy in collaboration with the Belarusian club.
Speaking after the event, the Coordinator and Director of Katsina Football Academy, Shamsuddeen Ibrahim-Makudawa, expressed satisfaction with the performance of the players.
He explained that the aim was to discover and develop talented players and create opportunities for them to play professional football abroad.
Ibrahim-Makudawa commended Gov. Radda, coaches, technical officials and sports lovers for supporting youth and sports development in the state.
According to him, the four-day tournament attracted hundreds of young players who competed for a chance to secure professional contracts with FC Torpedo BelAZ Zhodino, a football club in Belarus.
A member of the scouting team, Vladimir Bogdanou, said they came to Katsina to identify talented players capable of joining the Belarusian club.
Also, a Katsina-born professional footballer based in Belarus, Hamza Hadi Mai-Dawa, said he facilitated the visit of the scouts with support from the Katsina government.
Mai-Dawa praised the commitment and discipline shown by the players, adding that between 15 and 17 participants had been shortlisted for further assessment.
According to him, only the best among them will be offered opportunities to pursue professional football careers abroad.
He added that the tournament has raised hopes among many young footballers in Katsina of securing opportunities to play on the international stage. (NAN)
Tags: Belarusian Club Katsina tournament