According to Geoffrey Bottson, President of the Berom Sports Development Association (BESDA) and Chairman of the Berom Nation’s Cup, the maiden edition of the tournament is designed as a groundbreaking football development program aimed at nurturing talent across all 14 districts of Berom Land.
The initiative stems from the realization that previous grassroots programs by BECO and BYM, though impactful, lacked consistency.
“We decided to create a long-term, structured football development program to identify and refine talents from various villages,” Bottson explained.
“This tournament will provide a platform for players to showcase their abilities, with the goal of attracting attention from clubs both locally and internationally.”
Football, being Nigeria’s most popular sport, was the natural choice for this project.
“Everywhere you go in Nigeria, you’ll find children kicking a ball. It’s embedded in our DNA,” Bottson emphasized.
“We must leverage this passion by designing structured football programs for children from as young as three years old.”
While the maiden edition of the Berom Nation’s Cup focuses on adult players, the larger vision is a comprehensive Under-12 Sports Development Program across all 14 districts. Young talents will be identified and trained weekly in district stadiums under the guidance of skilled coaches and top-notch facilities.
“If we consistently develop these children, in a few years, they will be the stars of the Berom Nation’s Cup, with significantly enhanced skills,” Bottson added.
The inaugural tournament, which began on March 1 and will conclude on April 19, 2025, is set to become an annual event.
Fourteen teams—Foron, Gashish, Heipang, Riyom, Fan, Bachi, Aboro, Du, Kuru, Gyel, Vwang, Za’ang, Jos, and Ropp—will compete in a group-stage format, showcasing the best of grassroots football talent.