Pakoto, Muslim High School win GTBank ‘s Ogun Principals Cup  

On Wednesday 15th July 2015 at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta. The rock city witnessed excellent field of play at the season three finals of Guaranty Trust Bank’s Ogun Principals Cup. Winners of the female and male category respectively; Muslim high school Isolu, and Pakoto High school, Ayede Ifo clinched the 3rd edition of the prestigious GTBank–Ogun State Principals Cup competition held.

This season’s competition, tagged “Smash All Barriers” featured over 344 teams from the 4 qualifying zones – Egba, Ijebu, Remo and Yewa – in Ogun State, thereby attracting a more robust participation than the previous editions, with wider audience and followership.

The Female teams kicked off the finals as United Comprehensive High School, Wasimi Abeokuta played against Muslim High School, Isolu Abeokuta. The game started with both sides showing their class and skills until Adeyinka Jumoke broke the deadlock in the 19th minute with a curly free kick found the back of the net. However, the Muslim girls were not done yet until Nurudeen Wasilat doubled the lead few minutes after the start of the second half and that delivered the GTBank-Ogun State Principals Cup trophy to them.

But it was different in the male category. St. Anthony’s Grammar School, Esure, Ijebu Mushin scored first when Olaide Kehinde dribbled past the Pakoto High School goalkeeper to give his team the lead. However, Ishola Damilare equalized for Pakoto High School minutes before the break and it was level at half time. The second half was tense as both teams had chances to take the lead but the needed goal came from most valuable player of the match, Ishola Damilare for Pakoto High School and they were crowned Ogun State Principals Cup Champions for the first time.

According to Segun Agbaje, the Managing Director of GTBank, “The Principals Cup Competition paves the way for youths to cultivate their sporting talents while fostering and building a healthier lifestyle at a critical stage in their lives”. He enjoined the students to imbibe the spirit of fair play, hard work, and discipline, which are some of the core values of GTBank.

The competition is aimed at actively engaging the youths through sports whilst promoting the values of excellence and fair play. It fosters camaraderie and provides a platform for identifying, nurturing and grooming young and talented players amongst Secondary School students in Nigeria.

In gracing the finals of the tournament, Mrs Yewande Ige, Divisional Head South-West GTBank, Mrs Oyinade Adegbite, Senior Manager Communications and External Affairs, Mrs Abimbola Meshinoye, Deputy Manager Communications and External Affairs, GTBank, Olajide Adebanjo, Group head retail South West, GTBank, Acting Deputy Governor of Ogun State Mrs Yetunde Onanuga, SSG Ogun State, Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa.

At the end of the tournament, the foremost bank gave out prizes to winner and runners-up as promised, ranging from mouth watering N1, 000,000 and N750,000, N500,000 and N250,000 for 1st, 2nd 3rd and 4th place winners respectively in both the male and female categories. On the male category, 1st – Pakoto High School, Ayede Ifo, 2nd – St. Anthony’s Grammar School, Esure, Ijebu, 3rd – Asero High School, Abeokuta and 4th- Ode Remo High School, Ode Remo while on female category 1st – Muslim High School, Isolu, Abeokuta, 2nd – United Comprehensive High School, Wasimi, Abeokuta, 3rd – Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Ijebu Ode and 4th- St. Anthony’s Grammar School, Esure, Ijebu Mushin.

GTBank also provides sports equipment such as balls, goal post nets and corner flags for schools throughout the duration of the competition.

Guaranty Trust Bank plc. is one of the few Nigerian financial institutions that have maintained a defined Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy since its inception in 1990. The Bank actively supports in-classroom and out-of-classroom educational programmes, infrastructure development, students’ scholarship and teachers training across Africa.