Pitch Award Ninth Edition: My Dream Is to Make Award One of the Best in  World -Shina Philips

BY BEN MEMULETIWON

President of the Nigeria Pitch Award, Shina Philips has restated his commitment and determination to make the award one of the best in the world.

Philips, at a  world press conference in Lagos on Tuesday announced that the  ninth edition of the highly rated award would hold in March 2023 adding that voting for different categories of the Awards will start on December 1, 2023.

“As organisers of this prestigious football awards, we remain committed to our core principles of credibility, transparency and integrity,” Philips said. .“From inception, we set out by adopting a voting system that is transparent. Our voters, who are Sports Editors and journalists across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; our partners; the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and SIAO have remained committed to the success of the award.”

Expressing his rugged determination to make the award one of the best in the world, the Ondo State-born NPA president assured that the organizers will continue to uphold the standard of the event with a promise that the next edition will be bigger and better than the previous ones.

“My dream is to one day have the President of the Confederation of African Football, CAF and President of FIFA at the award night to present awards for the winners. That will be the icing on the cake. But we have put our hands on the plow and there is no looking back until we realize these great dreams,” he said.

“In spite of the lull in Nigeria’s football, we fervently believe and pray that the Super Eagles will bounce back and take its place in the comity of football nations. It is painful that Nigeria is not at the ongoing World Cup in Qatar.”

Director of Communications of the NFF, Demola Olajire who represented the President of the FA revealed that the cordial relationship that exists between the NFF and NPA will continue to grow stronger.

Olajire said: “The relationship between the organiers and the NFF will continue to soar higher and higher because we believe in the awards and we have always been looking forward to it year in, year out.”

Expressing the depth of his  gratitude to all the partners –NFF, Sports journalist and staffers of SIAO – Philip,  specifically, showers huge praises on Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, for his support and belief in this dream

The Nigeria Pitch Awards is a yearly event to honour  Nigerian former and present sports people, administrators and journalists in recognition of their positive contributions to sports in Nigeria.

Philips at the inaugural press conference in 2012, had said that the organisers promised that the Nigeria Pitch Awards would offer Nigerians more than awards to deserving footballers.