By Sam Che in Buea
The 2nd edition of the Papi London holiday football tournament has kicked-off in Muea, Buea on 11 July, with the inaugural match pitting Koke Fc against Young Stars Fc of sand pit Bonduma Bokoko. Koke Fc thrashed Young Stars 4-0. The 2nd playing day on 14 July saw Mile 16 Fc and Free Boys Fc separating on a goaless tie. Other teams in the competition include Soweto Fc and Wonya Mavio Fc.
The Papi Football Tournament is open to young footballers residing in Muea and its environs. Players from the National Championships, League-1 and 2 are not exempted.
Quizzed on his motivation to organize the tourney, Papi London said he wants to keep the youths especially students occupied during the long holidays, and to give them an opportunity to show-case their natural talents and lay a solid foundation in their quest for football glory. He promised to do better in this 2nd edition, than the maiden edition that crowned Bomaka Fc in 2013 as the champions after they defeated Mile 16 Fc 1-0, in a hotly contested final presided over by the D.O of Buea and watched by more than 10.000 fans.
The budget for this year’s tournament is 1.000.000frs cfa, with the winner to take home the trophy and a cash prize of 400.00 frs. The runners-up will take home the sum of 200.000 frs. Other cash prizes include 25.000 frs for both the highest goal scorer and the player of the tournament. An undisclosed amount for the best referee, best fair play team, youngest player, best goal keeper etc etc.
Amongst the V,I,P guests during the inaugural match were Mami Kemanyang who traveled all the way from Kumba to support his son Elvis, Roger kemanyang, Papi’s elder brother from Tiko who gave the kick-off and a handful of former international footballers including Sam Che, Mokake Marcus, Atem Valentine, Batamoh Johnathan, Karawah Ephesians and Fomombod Eugene.
The finals will be played in mid August depending on the clemency of the weather and other logistics arrangements.
It should be noted that this is not the only football tournament sponsored by Papi and his pretty wife Foule. The finals of the Foule Kemanyang Community cup was played a forth night ago in Kumba with Mile 1 Fc defeating Nacom Fc of 3-corners Fiango to lift a trophy and cash prize of 200.000frs. The runners up went home with100.000frs.
Papi also sponsors a December football tournament that regroups Cameroonian professionals in the Diaspora with home based footballers. He is also the brain behind the popular four-team tournament in Kumba between Hausa quarters, Buea road, Fiango and Kumba Town with 500.000 frs for grabs.
There is also the popular lovers’ football game that comes up every February 14th to celebrate Valentines Day. The match is played amongst Papi’s friends while their wives and fiancees watch on. It usually ends with an all-night party in the Night Club.
Also, every 1st of January (New year day), bike riders play against taxi drivers in a thrilling encounter with the winner going home with 200.000frs and the losers bagging 100.000frs. The evening is party time for both riders and cab drivers at Papi’s London Palace Muea.
Elvis Kemanyang alias Papi London is an all-round philanthropist. Apart from football his largess is directed to many other areas and domains in his community. He is reputed to have salvaged almost all his childhood friends from hardship by providing them with start-up capital for their businesses.
When this reporter asked him how much he has given out as charity so far, Papi smiled wryly, saying that the instances are too many and the amount too much to be remembered.
But his childhood friend and confidant, Karawah Ephesians testified that Papi has spent nothing less than 30 millions fcfa as charity to friends alone. He says Papi has sponsored the relocation of many of his childhood mates to the Diaspora (Europe and U.S.A).
Apart from football and friends, a long list of artistes, musicians and comedians have benefited from Papi’s sponsorship and patronage. Sammy Diko, Nar6 Pryze, Hugo Nyamme, Dago P, Zachary Long`Mop, Spaco, West Don, V Blues and Big J. are all benefactors from Papi’s largesse.
Football veterans and music lovers enjoyed Nar6 Pryze staging for free at the recent National Veterans’ Tournament in Kumba that ran from May 17th to May 20th at the Kumba Town Green, thanks to Papi London.
Papi also takes care of more than 100 under privilege children in Kumba and the south west region in general. He pays their fees, buys their books, provide them with medical facilities, clothing and pocket money.
He has also distributed wheel chairs to the disabled. An invalid, Adebayor of CETIC Buea described Papi recently as God sent.
He has given more than 20 taxis to drivers asking them to work and reimbourse the cost price of the cars and become the owners of the cars.
Papi is presently constructing a business centre at mile 17 Buea. It will comprise of a hotel, a night club, restaurant and super market. He plans to complete the project before the end of 2014 and says as many as 100 workers would be employed at the complex.
Who exactly is Papi London?
Born some 40years ago in Kumba to the Kemanyang family and baptized as Elvis, the gentleman popularly known as Papi london is making his mark in Buea, capital of the South West region. After his secondary education in GHS Buea and high school at CHS Bambui, Papi followed the footsteps of his elder brothers Rogers, Eugene, Ivo, Boney and Dan and played successively for PWD Bamenda, Santos fc Kumba and PWD Kumba.
He excelled both as a defensive midfielder and central defender in these clubs before he later travelled to London, England to realize his childhood dream of becoming a professional footballer.
But a ghastly car accident in May 2004 put an end to his dream of becoming a professional footballer in the English Premier League. His spinal cord was greatly damaged; he came out of a coma that lasted for weeks only to be told by the team of medical experts who operated him that he will henceforth move around only with the help of a wheel chair. The accident occurred while they where driving from London to Leeds to play a football match with Cameroonian brothers as part of festivities to celebrate the National Day, May 20th.
However the accident only changed Papi’s dreams but not his destiny and dynamism; his love for football, his zeal to help people and his contribution towards nation building have all remained unperturbed. It was in this light that he launched the first edition of the Papi London inter-quarters football competition, in Muea in 2013.
In acknowledgment of his many charitable activities and his contribution to nation building we of this newspaper can only give Papi London a pat on the back and encourage him to keep up with the good works.
Carry on Papi….carry on boy; the sky is your limit.
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