Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, yesterday vowed to use more resources to develop sports talents in the state.
Ahmed disclosed in Ilorin yesterday while reacting to the Man-of-the-Tournament award won by Flying Eagles star, Taiwo Awoniyi, at the end of the Glo Super 4 Tournament in Abuja that many more of such talents abound in the state and would be helped to achieve their dreams.
Awoniyi, an indigene of Kwara State benefited from the state’s talent hunts programme for the youth to become the sought-after-footballer he is today.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Abdulwahab Oba, the Kwara Governor stressed that Awoniyi would be given all the needed supports to enable him reach the zenith of his chosen career like Argentine football star, Lionel Messi.
“We monitored the recently concluded Super 4 Invitational Tournament in Abuja, especially the performance of Awoniyi, a Kwara indigene who featured for the Flying Eagles that defeated all the Premier League clubs that participated at the tournament before pulling a draw with the national Under-23 team handled by Samson Siasia.
“The feat made by the Flying Eagles to win the tournament was great. In Kwara, we have a rich history of producing great sportsmen and women especially, the youth. We are poised to continue in this as we believe that sports worldwide today have gone beyond mere entertainment,” observed Ahmed.
He added, “We are watching Awoniyi and in constant touch with him because he will be a light bearer of the state’s footballers in no distance future. We will do everything within our powers to make him succeed and thus set him on a pedestal that would make other youths in the state to emulate his industry and good character.”
Ahmed, in continuation of his campaign for a re-election on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), said, the state’s Sports Complex in Ilorin recently renovated by the government, has the capacity to host 16 different events simultaneously.
He promised that his government would organise more youth completions, especially to resuscitate the school and Local Government Areas (LGAs) sports competition under the public private partnership.
“If Kwara had in the past produced footballers like Rashid Yekini, Moses Otolorin, table tennis star like Atanda Musa, sprints stars like Ahmeed Adio and Fatima Yusuf and any others, we can produce more world beaters even under this government due to the interest in and commitment we have towards talents discoveries”.
He urged other youths in the state, not to be used as political thugs as God did not create anyone without his ability to contribute his quota “to the development of his town, LGA, state, country and the world.” – Thisday.
