…as Ekiti para-powerlifting fetches first NSF
- By Demola Atobaba, Ado-Ekiti
The long wait for a Gold medal at the National Sports Festival for Team Ekiti ended on Friday when an athlete living with disability named Christianah Adetolu won the first gold medal for Ekiti State in Para-powerlifting.
The much anticipated gold medal was widely celebrated by athletes and officials in Ogun State as well as Sports enthusiasts and stakeholders at home and in the diaspora.
Though Ekiti State has won 5 bronze and 1 silver medals before Friday, but the gold was brought lots of succour and joy to the hearts of the teeming Sports people especially the leader of Team Ekiti at the festival, Dr Olusola Osetoba (Technical Advisor on Sports Development to governor Biodun Oyebanji)
As the first gold medal is being celebrated aloud, a group of retired Sportsmen and women who are either from Ekiti State, lived or passed through Ekiti State resident abroad have joined in the celebration of the precious gold medal .
The group known as Ekiti Sports People In Diaspora (ESPD) which has members from various overseas countries assured of their full support for Team Ekiti in its quest to do the State proud through Sports.
Speaking with a member of the Ekiti State Sports Development Trust Fund who is also Chairman of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Ekiti State, Qozeem Oladapo, the ESPD members promised to raise funds among themselves to motivate anyone who wins Gold medal for Ekiti State at the ongoing National Sports Festival.
Though the amount to be given as cash reward was not categorically mentioned , the group said the gesture is simply aimed at complementing government’s Sports development efforts .
The Ekiti Sports People In Diaspora (ESPD) charged the athletes to put in their very best to ensure that Ekiti State finishes impressively on the medals table at the end of the ongoing 22nd Sports Festival.
For winning the first gold medal for Ekiti State after Day 6 of the National Sports Festival, one of the members of the ESPD has immediately requested and credited the personal account of the gold medalist, Christianah Adetolu with 100k (One Hundred Thousand Naira) to serve as motivation for her and others to go extra miles at giving the State more gold medals.
The Sports veterans which included former National and African champions in different Sports who said they are closely following with delight the development of Sports in Ekiti State promised to maintain close contacts with the home fronts forthwith in a bid to contribute their quota in term of moral, financial and expertise.
