No matter the vocation you choose to do, no matter the kind of discipline you posses and the kind of legal means you choose to earn a living, it cannot go unnoticed for eternity. Surely, it may be rewarded sooner than expected!
In whatever you do, do it with passion, zeal and total commitment to get attention and recognised beyond your immediate environment. Once you are reckoned with, whatever you do could not go unnoticed. Hence, it cannot go unrewarded.
Just recently, luck enveloped the trio of Abolaji Omotayo, Peka Victor and Adeyemi Sikiru, who all won gold Medals for Nigeria at the Commonwealth Youth Athletics Games in Samoa and African Junior Championship in Ethiopia when they were received by the Governor of Kwara State, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed at the Government House, Ilorin.
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| (L-R): Abolaji Omotayo, Gov Abdulfatah Ahmed, Peka Victor and Adeyemi Sikiru |
These athletes who know their onus on the tracks had won medals in 100m, 4 x 100m relay, 4 x 400m, 200m and 400m race by carrying Nigerian flag to international championships through the National Sports Commission and made the country proud. Who says Usain Bolt of this world cannot be discovered in Kwara State?
In fact, during the good old days, Kwara State could boost of the likes of
Olapade Adenekan, Bisi Afolabi,
Halimat Yusuf, Kehinde Aladefa, Omotayo Akinremi, Toyin Durotoye, Kuranga, Kayode Afolabi and Tunju Moronfoye (Ex-commissioner for Information & Communications)
who were all fantastic athletes of repute in the track and field events. In those days, Kwara was a centre of excellence in Nigeria, because they all brought glory to the state and Nigeria at large by winning medals at the nation's annual fiesta National Sports Festivals and other champions outside the shores of Nigeria.
With the likes of Abolaji Omotayo, Peker Victor and Adeyemi Sikiru, hope is not lost. In fact, there abound several talents in the track and field events and other sporting events across the length and breadth of Kwara State that are yet to be discovered while those discovered have not been exploited to make them realise their full potentials in life. To say the least, many died with their dreams as a result of lack of support and encouragement from immediate families, communities, corporate organisations and governments.
Rejoicing with the state over the success of the athletes, the Director-General, National Sports Commission, Mallam Al-Hassan Yakmut who was in the state for the University of Ilorin Marathon had a tete-a-tete with Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed in at the Government House, Ilorin where he commended the state government for its interventions in sports sector which led to the success of four athletes from Kwara at the Commonwealth Youths Games in Samoa.
"I came purposely to appreciate what you have done. There was something unique that happened at the Commonweath Youth Games between September 2nd and 13th, 2015 in Samoa. Four out of the 11 athletes that participated in the competition are from Kwara State and all the four athletes won medals.
"And the category of the medals symbolised the position of Kwara State in sports, they were mostly gold medals. So your excellency, you are a golden Governor.
"In order to tap on this luck, we have engaged the University of Ilorin and the Vice Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniy Ambali has accepted that the new dimension to Youth Games which has made the National Youths Games a University based activity has been approved by the Vice Chancellor and the 2016 and 2017 editions of the National Youths Games will be hosted by the University.
"We did observed that we need some complementary facilities from the state in order to support the University. Because, the University does not has Swimming Pool, and its indoor sport hall lack facilities.
"So, we want to take this opportunity to request your excellency to do help us to include in your budget, the renovation of the Indoor Sports Hall, where I as a National athlete was camped in 1985 for 36 good days before we went for an international competition. I still remember my bunk bed in the hostel here, your excellency.
The Director General did not hesitate to say that the Kwara Football Academy is the best so far in the country and the most organised and the oldest has occupied two blocks of the hostel and appealed that another set of two blocks that have 33 rooms and four beds each will be an opportunity for the Commission to have accommodation for resident athletes that are up to 244 without paying money for any accommodation, if renovated.
Mallam Yakmut's statements left no one in doubt about the past records of
Kwara in sporting activities and the current successes in the tract and field event. But it is not yet uhuru as talents abound in different parts of the state waiting to be tapped and exploited and do the state, Nigeria and African continent proud in championships.
Realising this, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed received the athletes whose commitments earned them medals in continental and global championships in his office at the Government House, Ilorin. Governor Ahmed at the occasion promised to ensure increased sporting competitions with prizes at school levels to inculcate in youth, the sense of discipline and commitment.
Governor Ahmed who described Sports as engagements to inculcate sense of additional managerial skill on youth promised to encourage athletes in the state in building careers in sports and in pursuit of their education.
"Importance of sport to any society can never be over emphasised. So, sport is capable of not only serve of exercise but inculcate sense of management of activities on youths as they grow."
He expressed delight over the successes of the athletes in various championships and urged other athletes to exploit capacity to becoming state, national and international championships.
The Governor assured the Athletics Association and Sports Council of total support of his government to encourage current and potential athletes to win laurels for the state.
Governor Ahmed also promised to put the Indoor Sports Hall and other pitches like Basketball court, volleyball court at the State Stadium Complex to meet International standard.
"As government we intend to embark on comprehensive renovation of the indoor sport hall of the Kwara state stadium with some other pitches like volleyball, lawn tennis, badminton, basketball among others.
"Lack of boarding system in our schools has contributed negatively in no small measure to the development of sport and we are not going to rest in our oars in restoring body system in our schools."
The Chairman, Kwara State Amateur Athletics Association, Alhaji Tunde AbdulKareem who led the athletes had in his remarks praised the government for its efforts at restoring the lost glory in sports. Alhaji AbdulKareem told the governor that the Athletes had done the state proud by wining gold medals at African Junior Championship, Commonwealth Youth Games among other competitions outside the shores of Nigeria.
To demonstrate his encouragement, satisfaction and happiness to the performance of the athletes and the Athletics Association, Governor Ahmed granted immediate approval to all the requests made the Chairman, Athletics Association who was a one time Accountant-General of Kwara State. Some of the request granted include support for academic pursuit of the three athletes.
Governor Ahmed who was in 2013 honoured by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) for his support to education sector realises the nexus between quality education and successful athletes did not hesitate to direct the Chief of Staff, Government House, Alh. Abdulwahab Babatunde to collect the academic papers of the athletes who have all applied into the University of Ilorin for 2015/2016 academic session with a view to making them secure admission in the state, as a mark of honour and reward as well as platform to making them continue to represent the state in subsequent championships.
Additionally, the Sports loving Governor announced the donation of N250,000 each to the athletes and a handsome amount to the Coach of the athletes, Abiodun Adeyemi with a promise to enrol the handler at the National Sports Institute, Lagos to make him a certified Coach. This is equally an honour to the Coach which will ultimately spur other coaches to give best training and tactics to the athletes to enable them excel in championships.
This and similar efforts will encourage athletes to show more commitment to the state and discourage athletes resident in Kwara from representing other states of the federation in national and international championships. No doubt, the reward is an indication that whoever brings an honour to Kwara State will be acknowledged.
Thus, rewarding the deserving athletes without delay will continue to serve as impetus for them to go extra mile in winning laurels for the state. In fact, acknowledgement alone without monetary benefit atimes is a moral booster. This could be done by government and non governmental officials to spur them to do more for the state and Nigeria as a whole.
It is therefore imperative to state that investment in sport is huge and only government cannot shoulder it. Hence, communities, wealthy individuals and corporate organisations should investment more in sporting activities as business ventures and means of engaging the youths in productive engagements.
Bye and large, all and sundries must encourage athletes to remain focus on their unique abilities and interests on particular aspect of sports with comparative advantage in order to continue to put Kwara on global map and return the state to its glorious past in sports. Efforts must not also be spared to sustain and improve the culture of discovering new talents and in track and field events to become world beaters while athletes in other sporting events must all times be encouraged to do the state proud.
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