Ghana’s flagship community football event dubbed Tigo Community Soccer kicks-off on 29th March at Abbey’s park in Kumasi.
This year’s edition which is the third since Tigo Community Soccer began in 2010 will visit eleven municipal and metropolitan areas in Ghana.
The outlook of the hitherto purely football and entertainment competition has also been expanded to reflect Tigo’s continuous care and passion for Ghanaians who identify with the communication services provider.
“The 2014 Tigo Community Soccer will have a more passionate and caring feel†says Kwamena Buckman, Public Relations and Advertising Services Manager of Millicom Ghana, Operators of Tigo.
“Tigo Community Soccer is where heroes are born at the community level. In Ghana football is the passion of the people. To provide a platform at the community level for players to win bragging rights and defend the pride of their communities has yielded impressive results both for the brand and the communities.â€
“This year however,†continues Kwamena Buckman “We are upping the stakes. We are using Community Soccer to increase Tigo’s social equity. All our host communities will also benefit from clean-up exercises, blood donation and health screening campaigns. At Tigo, this is part of our Care strategy. We do care for the passion of the community which is football. We also want to do more for the health and other aspects of the Community. These are the reasons everyone should attend Tigo Community Soccer once it hits your area.†Said Kwamena Buckman.
Beginning in Kumasi on the 29th of March, Community Soccer will travel through Mampong, Sunyani, Tamale, Nkawkaw, Cape Coast and Sekondi.
The other beneficiary towns include Ashaiman, Teshie, Dansoman and British Accra.
At least 20,000 people will be involved in the 2014 Tigo Community Soccer which will end in June this year. Every host community will present sixteen teams who take part in a two-day hotly contested knock-out tournament.
The Champions and Runners-Up receive cash prizes, trophies and medals. All participating teams receive full sets of jerseys for free and host communities are also pampered with Tigo Souvenirs.
Ghana Football Association President Kwasi Nyantakyi describes Tigo Community Soccer as an engaging platform to spread the good news of football as the passion of the nation and also a tool to do good for host communities.
“Football brings excitement to all Ghanaians. Tigo wants to do even more than that. They also want to show care for the communities. This is brilliant and worth emulating,†said the Ghana Football Chief.
For the inaugural event in Kumasi, the participating communities are Asafo, Manhyia, Tafo, Dekyemso, Asuo Yeboah, Santasi, Asawasi, Adum, Bantama and Suame. The rest are Asokwa, Abuakwa, Ashtown, Nhyiaeso, Aboabo and Krofuom.
The blood bank at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital will benefit form a blood donation exercise to be held at Abbey’s Park which doubles as the venue of the games.