Aketi Bowl: Lagos wins Nigerian American Football tournament in Calabar

Lagos State emerged winners of the 2024 Nigerian Secondary School Flag Football League (NSSFF) competition, tagged “Aketi Bowl,” held at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar, on Thursday.

In the keenly contested finals held at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar, on Thursday, in the male category, Lagos State defeated the defending champions, Akwa Ibom State, by 22 points to 12 to cart home the star prize of one million naira, while the runners-up bagged N750,000. Abuja, the third-place finishers, got N350,000 for their effort.

In the finals of the female category, Lagos State also won the star prize of one million naira after defeating Akwa Ibom State by 18 points to 14, while the hosts, Cross River, who emerged third, went home with N350,000.

Nine states, including Rivers, Cross River, Ondo, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Kwara, Lagos, and Abuja, participated in the championship.

Speaking at the Season 3 event, Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, thanked the Nigerian American Football Association (NAFA) for bringing the championship to Calabar and assured that the game would be introduced to all primary and secondary schools in the state so that they can reap the benefits of playing the game at both local and international levels.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Peter Odey, said the state already has a comprehensive sports development programme in place and reiterated his administration’s dedication to utilising sports, including American football, for youth growth, learning, and lasting connections.

While congratulating the teams that made it to the finals, he promised that in the next edition, Cross River would do its best to ensure that the state not only reaches the finals but wins the competition.

The president of the