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By Abiodun Nejo, Ado Ekiti.
National Assembly member, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has charged government at all levels and private investors to invest more in the promotion of sports and recreational activities, especially among the youths.
The senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District said youths would become more resourceful, creative, self-motivated and socially responsible if they were productively engaged in a worthy vocation like sports.
The All Progressives Congress senator, who spoke at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, Ado Ekiti during the final match of the MOB Ekiti Central Unity Cup, which he sponsors yearly, expressed confidence that many female and male football stars would emerge from the 2023 edition of the competition.
Bamidele said, “I have consistently taken interest in the sponsorship of football competitions and other activities in Ekiti State and those efforts have yielded good results. Some of the gallant products of our previous football competitions have become local and international football stars today.
“These include Babatunde Bello (now in Egypt), Alimi Sunday (now in Turkey), Sikemi Adisa (Ekiti United), Wale Makanjuola (Ekiti United) and Seyi Akinyemi (Ekiti United).
“I will continue to encourage and sponsor them until they become great sources of pride to us in Ekiti State,” Bamidele said.
Meanwhile, Irepodun-Ifelodun FC emerged the winners in the male category of the Unity Cup, which cuts across the five Local Government Areas in Ekiti Central Senatorial District, and were awarded the cash prize of N1m after defeating Ado Ekiti FC 3-1.
Runners-up Ado Ekiti F.C received N750,000, while Are FC emerged second runner up in the competition with cash prize of N500,000
In the female category, winners MOB Queens, second-place Triple W FC and third-place Golden Queens also got N1m, N750,000 and N500,000 respectively.
Bamidele, who promised to send players of the top three teams in both male and female categories to a training programme with an empowerment package of N50,000 each, reiterated his commitment to empowering youths through various initiatives, including training programmes with a view to making the youths diversify their energy.
