The Executive Governor of Ekiti State, His Excellency Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Habibat Adubiaro, attended an awards ceremony for Ekiti state athletes and coaches at Lady Jibowu Hall, Government House grounds in Ado-Ekiti yesterday.
During the event, the Governor reaffirmed his dedication to sports development in the state and encouraged athletes and sports enthusiasts to continue making Ekiti proud both locally and nationally.
Several athletes who excelled and won medals for the state received financial rewards in the form of cheques as a token of appreciation and motivation to continue their efforts.
Notable attendees included the Governor’s Technical Advisor on sports development, Dr. Mrs. Olusola Osetoba; the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on sports, Hon. Kola Owoseni; and the Ekiti State Sports Chairman, Hon. Sunday Ola, among others.
In her speech, Professor Adubiaro expressed gratitude to the athletes for their contributions to Ekiti’s pride and praised Governor Oyebanji for his support and promotion of sports development in the state.
She highlighted various initiatives undertaken by the governor, including the renovation of the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, the construction of the Ekiti State Indoor Sports Hall, new administrative blocks, events aimed at fostering grassroots sports participation, as well as the involvement of athletes in national and international competitions.
Dr. Osetoba, in her address, credited the athletes’ achievements to the hard work, dedication, and focus of Governor Oyebanji on sports development in the state.
She also noted the state’s impressive sports accomplishments for the year, including bringing home the highest number of medals from the National Sports Festival: 2 gold, 3 silver, and 13 bronze medals, while young athletes secured 3 gold, 4 silver, and 5 bronze medals.
In handball, some female players from Ekiti were part of the team that qualified Nigeria for the World Cup in Algeria.
Additionally, two young football stars from Ekiti also excelled in Burkina Faso during the WAFU-B Qualifiers last November.
Another Ekiti-born tennis player won a bronze medal in Angola, while the Ekiti hockey and handball teams continue to perform well in the Nigeria Premiership.
Dr. Osetoba also highlighted the significant progress of the two state-owned football teams, Ekiti United and Ekiti Queens FC, in the NNL and NWFL.
Comrade Akin-Ajayi Oluwaseyi on behalf of all the athletes expressed gratitude to Governor Oyebanji for his love, kindness, and support in advancing sports development in the state. He also assured that they would strive to achieve more for the state in future national and international sports events.
He thanked Dr. Osetoba for her steadfast support and commitment to promoting grassroots development in the state, highlighting her as a key contributor to the progress of sports in Ekiti state.
The event concluded with the presentation of cheques to the athletes and their coaches, which was carried out by the SSG on behalf of the Governor.
