TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
THE Ministry of Youths and Sports in Osun State has approved 28 sporting activities for the forthcoming sports festival.
A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the Osun Sports Council, Mrs Funmilayo Moradeyo, on Wednesday, disclosed that preparations were ongoing for the sports fiesta billed for August, this year.
According to the release, the State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Yemi Lawal, approved the 28 games.
The event will cut across the nooks and crannies of the state.
The approved games include: Football, volleyball, basketball, handball, hockey, cricket, table tennis, chess, Ayo Olopon, draught, scrabble, boxing, taekwondo and kick-boxing.
Others are para-powerlifting, konfu, karate, judo, wrestling, swimming, athletics, badminton, squash, cycling, tennis, weightlifting, golf and para-athletics.
The statement disclosed that the commissioner met with the Sports Council staff, coaches and local government sports coordinators and noted that the fiesta would feature youths aged between 15 and 29.
“It is high time we started to develop sports from the grassroot. The age limit of the athletes that can can feature in the sports fiesta will be 15-29, this is the age limit for the youths in Osun State, according to the new Osun Youth policy,” the statement quoted Lawal as saying.
The Commissioner added that when the youths are encouraged, they would win medals for the state. Lawal promised scholarship and state employment for the best talented and hard working athletes in the various games approved for the event.
Lawal then commended Governor Gboyega Oyetola for creating the enabling environment for the youths in the state as well as approving the state sports festival, the first of its kind since the creation of the state.
The General Manager of the Sports Council, Rotimi Dunmoye, performed the official presentation of sports coordinators to the commissioner and charged them to work hard to justify the gesture of the state government.
