This year’s annual Bishop Mike Okonkwo football tournament ended on Saturday, August, 30, 2025 with Rehoboth FC and SGH FC winning the men and women categories respectively.

In an entertaining finals decided at the Digital Bridge Institute formerly NITEL playground, Oshodi, Lagos. Rehoboth who are two time winners of the tournament defeated Honey Bargers FC  by a lone goal to be crowned winners of the tournament.

Both teams went into the finals determined to outdo each other, but it was a goal from Samson Jonathan in the early minutes of the first half that separated the two teams as Rehoboth held onto the goal till the end of the encounter.

In the female category, SGH FC popularly  known as the ‘Amazons’ came from a goal down to defeat wasbak FC 3-1 on penalties after their game ended 1-1 at the end of the full 90 minutes.

Also in the novelty match played prior to the finals, Young Men Fellowship of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission ( TREM) recorded a 2-0 victory over the Pastors of the Church.

Speaking while presenting trophies and medals to the winning teams, Bishop Mike Okonkwo expressed happiness with the successes recorded since the inception of the tournament just as he commended the Local Organizing Committee for doing a great job.

” I’m really excited with the successes recorded since the competition started about 20 years ago. Through this competition, many talented players have been discovered and many of them are now playing top football which gives me joy.

” It’s equally important I commend the LOC for doing a good job. What they did this year is superb and I want to give kudos to them because they performed excellently well”, said the Man of God.

In his remarks , Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee of the tournament, Deacon Malachy Ndubuzor commended all the teams that participated in the tournament for their spirit of sportsmanship and exhibiting good football artistry to the delight of the fans 

He expressed  happiness that the biggest grassroots football competition in the country is growing in leaps and bounds, promising that they’ll continue to maintain the standard the championship is noted for .

Former  Vice President of Nigeria Football Federation, Barrister Seyi Akinwumi who was one of the  guests at the finals, described  the tournament as one of the few grassroots football tournaments in the country where the real ages of players are used and referees apply the rules to the fullest

He appealed to other religious bodies to emulate Bishop Mike Okonkwo and organize more of such tournaments.

At the end of the four months competition, cash prizes, trophies and medals were presented to the winners. There were also awards  for most valuable player, best goalkeeper, best attacking team, best defensive team, and the highest goal scorers.

The tournament was also used to mark the 80th birthday of Bishop Mike Okonkwo, the presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM).

‎The 8th edition of the Lagos International Badminton Classics came to a thrilling close at the Okoya Thomas Indoor Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, as Indonesia emerged the undisputed star of the tournament, sweeping the podium across multiple categories in a final day packed with drama, passion, and top-class shuttle action.

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‎Day four — the grand finale — lived up to its billing as fans and players witnessed an electric atmosphere befitting one of Africa’s biggest badminton showcases. With $17,500 in prize money at stake, the finals delivered a masterclass of skill, endurance, and national pride.

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‎The day opened with the Mixed Doubles final, where Indonesia’s Prasetyo and Munggaren overwhelmed India’s Ravat and Maneesha in straight sets (21-15, 21-17) to be crowned champions.

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‎In the Men’s Singles, the much-anticipated duel between Japan’s M. Koga and Indonesia’s P. Shujiwo had fans on edge. Koga showed grit but could not match Shujiwo’s relentless firepower. The Indonesian secured a hard-fought 21-15, 21-17 win, boosting his international ranking from his current world No. 63 position and affirming himself as one of badminton’s rising stars.

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‎India’s hopes of leaving Lagos with silverware were kept alive in the Women’s Singles, as an all-Indian final brought prestige to the South Asian nation. Defending champion S. Lele proved her class once again, overcoming compatriot Kashyap 21-15, 21-17 to retain her title and become a back-to-back champion of the Lagos International Badminton Classics.

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‎The Women’s Doubles final was a showcase of Indonesian dominance. Meida and Nastine blitzed through UAE’s Quathun and Sreejithparol in just 25 minutes, sealing victory 21-18, 21-7 — the shortest match of the day and a display of sheer shuttle artistry.

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‎The Men’s Doubles final capped the night, where UAE’s P. Ravikrishna and Rimdahoi fell to the Russian-origin neutral pair Alimov and Ogloblin (21-15, 21-12), ending UAE’s last shot at a gold medal.

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‎For the host nation Nigeria, the final day brought moments of pride. Obanisola and her partner earned a bronze in the Women’s Doubles, ensuring the green and white was represented on the podium amid world-class competition.

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‎The highlight of the evening was Indonesia’s golden sweep, celebrated passionately by their athletes, officials, and fans. Their ambassador to Nigeria, Ambassador Bambang Suharto, personally attended the finals and presented the Men’s Singles trophy to Shujiwo, underscoring the importance of the victory to the Indonesian contingent. The resonating sound of Indonesia’s national anthem echoed several times through the packed hall, igniting waves of patriotism and celebration.

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‎Beyond the matches, the tournament showcased Lagos as a hub for sports tourism. Athletes and officials praised the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) for its warm hospitality and seamless organization, while the support of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) ensured global standards were upheld.

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‎BFN President Francis Orbih hailed the success of the championship, promising an even bigger and more competitive 9th edition in 2026.

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‎“The Lagos International Badminton Classics has once again proven that Nigeria is ready to host world-class sporting events,” Orbih said. “We are building a brand that showcases Africa’s talent, hospitality, and passion for badminton.”

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‎As the lights dimmed at Teslim Balogun Stadium, the 8th Lagos International Badminton Classics closed on a high, leaving behind memories of long rallies, record-matching games, national pride, and the promise of an even more electrifying showdown next year.

The game between ayicrip nellis against lof United football club will kick off the 2025 edition of the Peter David  international safer community summer football camp at the Npa football pitch  surulere Lagos 

The tournament is more than just matches, it’s a ground breaking initiative dedicated to fostering unity, significantly reducing crime and positively engaging youths during the holidays 

8 clubs will compete for honours in the under  10, 13, 15,  17 and above 

In the draws ceremony held on Monday the 8 were drawn into group a and b with 4 clubs each in the competition that will be decided in a knockout format 

Defending champion, ayicrip nellis football club are optimistic of retaining the title 

The objectives is to promote unity amongst the youth from diverse backgrounds and reduce crime and ant social behavior

Founder / Executive director, African Youths Initiative on crime prevention, Ambassador, Chris Ibe says  summer camp will help lower crime rates: by keeping hundreds of youths meaningfully engaged in positive activities throughout the summer

Chris Ibe who doubles as the president/CEO of Ayicrip nellis football academy adds that the 2day competition will foster

Stronger community Bonds

” we expect to create a vibrant, shared platform for collaboration, engagement, and celebration across lagosian communities . 

Regular physical activity will lead to enhanced fitness and greater awareness of healthy lifestyle choices among participants 

The tournament will provide essential exposure and opportunities for young, talented individuals who might otherwise lack a platform to showcase their skills” He said 

“The greatest motivation for this is to bring young people ,and engage them meaningfully,we don’t  want to leave any ungoverned space in their lives during this time around because it is said that the idle man’s mind is the devil’s workshop,so for young people while they are now on holiday outside school ,they have something,they have an alternative ,they have something different , something exciting , something amazing that will keep them focused ,their energies while also doing that they exhibit skills ,you know football skills,so this are some of the things we try to do,by bringing football clubs and academies across  Lagos to come and play ,they are not just playing because they want to play they play to compete in a very sportsmanship manner ,where they will take home trophies and medals,the good ones,the outstanding ones will also be spotlighted,appreciating them ,you know,the best goal scorer,the valuable player of the tournament ,this are some of the things we do ,we believe that by putting this tournament together young people will be good for it,and our community will be safe because they’ll not have space to practice any form of cultism, violence , extremism or radicalization even bullying ,they will not have space for drug and substance abuse ,this are some of the things we do to engage them .And it has really worked out I’m very very happy with the level of energy excitement  young people across the 8 selected clubs and academies we have shortlisted, you know everybody is expected to do something significant , something amazing ,and I do appreciate God ,also thanking our mentor who has also supported us in this project for a very long time Peter David he his Danish but based in Japan ,so we also have some Japanese, some of our partners,the Tayo foundation they’ll be coming to watch the boys in the hope of selecting some of them to start their professional career in Japan” He said 

Ayicrip nellis, lof United, Phoenix FC, 12 angels, Amata eagles, auxano stars, eze United and micheal may are the 8 clubs participating in the grassroots football competition

The grassroots football competition will run from August 28th  to 29th