FLASHBACK: Last edition’s winners receiving their prize from the organisers
The 2023 edition of Duamenefa Regional Tournament would kick-off on Saturday, June 24, the organisers have said.
The tournament, designed for Volta Region, is an initiative of Fafaa 100.3 FM, Dzodze, a private commercial radio station with its associate non-governmental organisation (NGO) dubbed the Duamenefa Foundation.
The tournament began in 2017, with 46 football teams registered for the maiden edition.
This was followed by 77 teams in 2018. In 2019, 104 football teams registered.
The annual event, which had a break for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, however resumed in 2022 with 61 teams on board.
This year has recorded a historic 125, U-17 registered teams from 125 different communities of the Volta Region. 115 out of this number are from the southern part of the Volta Region while ten teams registered from the central Volta.
This number is considered by sports pundits as the highest in the history of football tournament in the country and beyond.
The Duamenefa Regional Tournament is proudly sponsored by Gabriel Kwamigah Atokple Tanko, a private business entrepreneur and an aspirant who wish to contest the Ketu North Constituency parliamentary seat as an independent candidate.
According to the Executive President of the Duamenefa Foundation and CEO of Fafaa 100.3 FM, Emmanuel Ketaman Evortepe, the main objective of the tournament is to unearth talents embedded in the youth and to market same through already established foreign scouts in Portugal, UK, China and the United States of America.
He stated that the Duamenefa Regional Tournament has been enjoying the kind support of the Volta Regional Chapter of the National Sports Authority, Regional Football Association and National Athletics Association.
Through their collaborations, the participating youth over the years under review have been able to participate in National Cross Country while others were selected by division one and two teams and some also grabbed foreign teams’ opportunity.
The Director of Sports of the Regional Tournament, Patrick Amazing Doamekpor, congratulated the 125 participating football teams and encouraged them to exhibit good morals and the highest professionalism towards the development of youth and sports in the Volta Region.
Doamekpor, who is resident in the USA, uses his contact and connections to collaborate with foreign and local scouts to achieve the desired objectives of the Duamenefa Regional Tournament.
From The Sports Desk