- By Demola Atobaba, Ado-Ekiti
Concerned sport lover and National President of Federation of Okemesi Improvement Union (FIOU); Engr. Nathaniel Olaoye, has appealed to well-meaning philanthropist indigenes of the town, home and diaspora to key into sports development by complementing the efforts of the leadership of the town in developing the youths and sports sector.
He gave this charge during an exclusive interview with TopNews Crew at the popular Fabunmi Memorial High School playing field in Okemesi-Ekiti, the official venue of the 2023 Okemesi Inter-Street Football Competition organized by the Okemesi Youth Forum (OYF).
Expressing delight at the performances of the participants in some of the encounters against their counterparts from other compounds in the ongoing competition, Engr Olaoye commended both the organizers and officials of the game for the good tactics injected into the annual event so far.
It would be recalled that the Ekiti State House of Assembly about a month ago passed the bill for the establishment of the Ekiti Sports Commission to ensure that sports gets adequate attention its deserves and also serves as a springboard for empowerment and not as a leisure only.
While appreciating the Okemesi Youth Forum’s giant strides at taken sporting activities to next level, the FOIU National President restated his readiness to always continue to give maximum support to all the youth programmes especially sports and make it a reorganized brand in sports and an instrument to empower Okemesi upcoming stars economically and socially.
He called on well-meaning indigenes of Okemesi home and abroad to invest meaningfully into sports sector, noting that government can not do it alone. He advised the participants of the annual competition to brace up in their performances ahead as the tournament progressing to third place and final stage.
Engr. Olaoye observed that the performance of each team representing their streets or compounds has not that bad, but need to get improve in the remaining outings ahead of the final. He said what the youth of Okemesi has done today is very amazing, as their contributions is a good example for all and sundries to emulate by giving back to the society who raised them.”
Olaoye urged players, coaches, administrators and other officials of the competition to always work together in synergy as a team in order to realize the town’s ambition of making Agboona Football Club a number one male football club in Ekiti and Nigeria in general.
