The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) demonstrated supreme form, securing a decisive 5-0 victory over the New Nigerian Newspaper (NNN) in the final of the SWAN President Cup at the Murtala Muhammad Square. While NTA celebrated its triumph, the overall spirit of the tournament was hailed by organizers as a massive success for promoting unity and camaraderie among media organizations.
Earlier in the day, the Correspondents Chapel edged out DITV with a thrilling 4-3 scoreline to claim the third-place bronze medal.
Swan President: Unity Objectives Achieved
SWAN President Isaiah Benjamin expressed immense satisfaction with the competition, emphasizing that the primary objectives of the tournament had been fully achieved.
Benjamin highlighted the focus on togetherness, stating that the objective of "coming together, laughing, smiling, playing together as a family has been achieved".
He underscored the competition's unifying effect, noting that participants were not focused on religious or political affiliations, saying: "We are not talking about who is the Muslim or who is the Christian. We are not talking about who is in APC, PDP or APGA or whatever".
He insisted that the event was a "tale of joy" and congratulated everyone involved, declaring, "whether you win or you didn't win, we are all winners".
Looking ahead, the SWAN President promised significant improvements for future tournaments, stating that the competition is "going to be better".
Benjamin revealed plans to introduce monetary prizes for winners, along with "more consolation prizes". He concluded with a promise: "we'll do the best we can to make it better".
Meanwhile, despite his team's heavy defeat, NNN coordinator and player Amos Mathew applauded the idea of bringing the teams together, calling the entire tournament a "good concept".
He stressed that the event was not a "do or die affair", but a platform for colleagues to "fraternize, do, clap, and have fun".
Mathew also noted that the competition provided a valuable opportunity for colleagues from different chapters to "meet each other every month".
While disappointed with the final 5-0 loss to NTA, Mathew concluded on a hopeful note: "We are happy. But we hope that next time we come, we'll do better".
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