…say initiative contributes to youths’ engagement, talent discovery
Ekiti State on Saturday came alive with various sporting activities which attracted commendations from Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji and relevant stakeholders in the State’s sports sector.
It was also an atmosphere on encomium pouring on the convener who is the Chairman of Ekiti State Sports Commission, Honourable Sunday Ola.
The Festival, which commenced on November 20 across the 16 local government areas of the state and concluded on December 20, featured football, volleyball, scramble games, Ayo Olopon, Table Tennis, Chess and several indoor sports, aimed at discovering talents, engaging youths and complementing Oyebanji’s drive for sports development.
Speaking with journalists in Ado-Ekiti where all final matches were played, Governor Biodun Oyebanji lauded the initiative, describing it as a clear demonstration of passion and commitment to youth and sports development.
Oyebanji, represented by his Technical Adviser on Sports Development, Olusola Osetoba eulogized Hon. Ola for sponsoring the festival, which she said contributes to the engagement of youths during the festive season.
She added that beyond competition, the festival serves as a positive avenue to keep young people productively engaged, discouraging social vices while promoting discipline, teamwork and healthy lifestyles.
“Today, we want to say a big thank you to his excellency for supporting sports in Ekiti state and we are also lauding the festival being sponsored by the chairman of the State’s sport commission, someone that has passion for sports.
“He has been saying that he wants to do a program for our governor, so he has put this one together and you can see that it’s going on smoothly, we have football, we have other indoor sports and volleyball and that’s what we are doing and I’m so happy excited for him organizing this thing and I’m here to support his vision and his mission for sport development.
“This is a way of encouraging the youth, promoting the youth and engaging the youth this festive season instead of going around and doing one terrible thing or the other but they are here busy with sporting activities”. She added
The Head Coach of Volleyball in Ekiti State, Olusoji Farotimi said the competition has significantly improved the performance of players since it began.
According to him, the festival has created a rare platform for coaches to properly assess their athletes outside major competitions, revealing promising talents and confirming the readiness of others for higher-level engagements.
Head Coach of Ekiti State Table Tennis, Kolade Rotimi Kayode also described the festival as a timely and laudable initiative that aligns with the vision of Governor Biodun Oyebanji for sports development in the state.
He noted that the programme is helping to strengthen the sports ecosystem by providing athletes with opportunities to compete and improve their skills.
On his part, the Convener of the sporting activities, Hon. Sunday Ola expressed gratitude to God and to Governor Oyebanji for creating an enabling environment for sports and youth development in Ekiti State.
He said the essence of the festival was to nurture young talents who can represent the state credibly at national and international levels.
According to him, initiatives such as the BAO Sports Festival are critical to building strong foundations for future sporting success, adding that the joy and enthusiasm displayed by participating youths reaffirm the importance of sustained investment in sports.
His words, “I want to thank God for today, particularly this whole festive season, we thank God for what God is doing and we thank God for this initiative. I also want to thank Mr. Governor for the opportunity and all his hard work, all his support for sports and for the youths of Ekiti State.
“We are here because of the atmosphere he has allowed and enabled and we thank God, look at this season and look at everybody, youths that are playing, that are enjoying themselves and they are becoming very relevant.
“The essence of this is to be able to produce youths that can represent us well within the state and outside the state and even in the whole world. These are the ways to build great, great dreams and this is just the essence. I’m so happy and grateful for a day like this”.
Participants such as Oluwatoba Emmanuel and Ayomide Alex hailed Hon. Sunday Ola for organising such initiative, saying the sporting activity will help in discovering talents, curbing crime and fulfilling potentials.
