MORE than 1,000 teams and over 10,000 players started the race about three months ago for the crown and N5 million cash prize. While some fell by the way side at the commencement of the journey, a few manage to reach the finish line only to fall to superior powers just when the cash rain began to fall.However, with faith and the determination to excel, players and officials of TK Football Academy weathered the storm and pushed their aspirations to see their dream come through. They got the reward, as their team emerged overall champions of the 2012 Gulder Ultimate Five-A-Side competition.The final of Season Three of the competition, a grassroots football tournament, put in place by the Nigerian Breweries PLC, took place in the Indoor Sports Hall of the National Stadium, Lagos, last weekend, with a showdown between the Surulere-based TK Academy and Sheriff FC from Lagos Island. The teams were certainly the best in the competition and players and officials of side were looking up to the ultimate prize of N5 million.The tension-filled affair was goalless and had to be settled by penalties, which eventually ended 3-1 in favour of TK Academy, thus capping its three-month struggle in the tournament on a golden note.As the players were battling to out do one another on the artificial turf inside the Sports Hall, some ex-international players, including former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, were nodding their heads in admiration.'This is a good display of soccer and I must commend Gulder for this innovation,' Rufai told The Guardian midway into the final game. 'With more competitions like this, the job of national team coaches would be made easier. I am saying this because this type of tournament helps to unearth some of the hidden talents we have across the country.'My prayer is that the sponsor (Gulder) will continue with the sponsorship and I also pray that the players will make good use of the opportunity by building on the success of today for a better tomorrow,' Rufai added.For Coach Oladuni Oyekale of the National Five-A-Side team (FUTSAL), the Gulder football competition has come at a better time. 'I am grateful because more than half of the members of the national Five-A-Side team are products of the Gulder football competition. I will say that this tournament has made my job so easy,' he said.On their part, players and officials of the winning team, TK Football Academy, were full of praises for Gulder, for lending what they described as 'a helping hand' to their football business. The team inspirational captain, Oghenovo Uzezi, who plays for National League side, C.O.D United, said that winning the 2012 Gulder 5-Aside Soccer tournament was like lifting a World Cup trophy.He said: 'It was not an easy journey and I must give God the Glory. I am saying this because over 10,000 players started this journey about three months ago and for us to win the crown and the N5 million is a dream come true. I thank Gulder and everyone who contributed to the success of this competition.'Another player of TK Football Academy, midfield general, Kehinde Ishola, who emerged as the tournament's highest goal scorer with 10 goals, attributed their success to hard work and dedication. He said: 'We knew from the onset that the race would be tough, and so, we prepared for the worst situation. This is our version of the Gulder Ultimate Search, which usually holds in the jungle. To be a champion in any event orgainsed by Gulder, one has to be in his best element. I thank the sponsor because this competition has opened my gate of success.'While the champions left the Indoor Sports Hall with the N5 prize on offer, the runner-up, Sheriff FC, went home with N3 million. The third-placed team, De Royal II FC, which defeated Mandiba FC 3-0, got N1million for its effort. There were other consolation prizes for the players and their coaches.The MVP player award went to Karbiru Nasiru of Sheriff FC, while the Golden Boot went to Kehinde Ishola of TK Football Academy for scoring 10 goals. They got N100,000 each.At the commencement of the 2012 edition of the competition, the country was divided into six zones with the city of Makurdi (North-Central), Enugu (North-East), Port Harcourt (South-South), Oleh (Mid-West), Ijebu (South-West) and Lagos playing host to the qualifying matches.In some of the matches played in the knockout stage, Network FC of Port Harcourt accounted for the elimination of Mid-West flag bearer, Campous FC of Oleh, while D Royal FC of Lagos beat Ultimate FC of the South-East zone. In the same way, Mandiba FC sent Port Harcourt FC packing with a 2-1 win, just as Sheriff FC humbled Saint Etienne FC 2-1.The Marketing Director of Nigerian Breweries PLC, Mr. Walter Drenth, expressed satisfaction with the organization of the 2012 edition of the Gulder 5-Aside football competition, saying that the tournament was part of the company's contribution to the development of grassroots football in Nigeria.He said: 'We have to go to the nooks and crannies of the country seeking for the best talents and we are happy to have these young lads as champions today. We will continue to play our part in the development of football in Nigeria because we see this as part of our social responsibility to the people and community where we operate.
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