Former Chairman of the Ondo State Football Agency, Otunba Akinsola Akinbobola, has pledged to restore the good old days of sporting glory in the state.
Akinbobola said Ondo State was blessed with brilliant football administrators and athletes, as well as some of the best coaches in the country.
The former Senior Special Adviser to Dr Olusegun Mimiko on Sports & who also was a board member of the Nigeria Premier League in Abuja stated this while receiving the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Golden Sports Icon Award in Akure, the state capital.
The Ondo SWAN 50 Sports Icons Award is part of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of Ondo State.
Akinbobola expressed his delight at receiving the prestigious SWAN award, describing the honour as a recognition of the little he has done so far and a call to do even more.
He commended the association for recognising coaches, administrators, athletes and other stakeholders who had made the state proud over the past 50 years.
“I’m very glad to be one of the recipients of this great award from the people of my constituency. I’m part of the great association, and the award is a ginger spurring me to do more for the state and the nation.
“By God’s grace and His will, I will bring back the good old days of sporting glory to our dear state in no distant time.
“Sports is a very wide sector which, if well managed and explored, can become the biggest employer of labour in our state.
“I promise you that the opportunity will arise, and there will be massive investment in the sector because doing so mean, youths will be taken off the streets, level of social vices will drastically reduce and the young boys and girls will become useful to themselves and the state at large.”
Among those recognised at the event were former Governor of Ondo State, Dr Olusegun Mimiko; former Deputy Governor of the state, Ambassador Oluwateru; former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League, Gbenga Elegbeleye; pioneer Secretary of the Agency, Otunba Dele Ologbese; Chairman of the Ondo State Football Association, Otunba Dele Ajayi; and Prince Dapo Ajibade.
Former athletes and coaches, including Seun Ogunkoya, Adura Olalehin, Odunayo Adekuoroye, Godfrey Oboabona, Joe Aribo, Rasheedat Ajibade, Lawrence Adegbehingbe, Chukwuma Akabueze, Dotun Omoniyi, former Captain of Suor Falcons, Kikelomo Ajayi and Joshua Ogunbiyi, were also honoured.
Institutions and organisations, including OSRC Media Group, the Ondo State Printing and Publishing Corporation (OSPPC), publisher of The Hope Newspaper, the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), and Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), also received awards.
Past chairmen of the association were also honoured.
Speaking at the event, SWAN National President, Mr Isaiah Benjamin, commended the Ondo State chapter for recognising individuals who had contributed to the growth of sports in the state over the past five decades.
Benjamin, who was represented by SWAN Vice-President, South-West, Mr Ayodeji Ogunsakin, described the Ondo chapter as one of the most vibrant in the country.
“I urge the state chairman and his executives to continue the good work they are doing. We are very proud of Ondo State,” he said.
The SWAN Chairman in Ondo State, Segun Giwa, said the awards were designed to preserve the history of sports in the state and recognise those whose sacrifices and achievements had contributed to its development.
Giwa said many of the state’s sporting heroes achieved success despite inadequate facilities and limited resources.
He urged the government to provide functional sporting facilities, competent coaches, regular competitions, welfare packages and medical support for athletes, while strengthening sports associations at the grassroots.
“As Ondo State celebrates 50 years of creation, SWAN felt strongly that the story of Ondo at 50 would be incomplete without properly documenting and celebrating the contribution of sports to the development and identity of the state,” Giwa said.
He noted that athletes, coaches, administrators, officials, journalists, families and other stakeholders had played important roles in building the state’s sporting heritage.
Giwa also commended the state government for its efforts to reposition the State Sports Council, particularly the appointment of a new board and plans to restructure the council and improve the welfare of athletes and coaches.
Representing Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, his Chief Press Secretary, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, said the government would partner with SWAN to promote sporting activities in the state.
Adeniyan said the awards provided another opportunity to celebrate people who had contributed to the development of Ondo State.
The chairman of the occasion and Executive Chairman of the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), Prince Olabiyi Olaleye Poroye, congratulated the awardees and praised SWAN for recognising their contributions.
Poroye, who was represented by OSOPADEC Executive Director, Projects, Dr Olujimi Kufo, said sports could be used to promote youth development, social integration, employment and economic empowerment.
He said OSOPADEC would focus on identifying and nurturing young talents, supporting grassroots sports and exploring the links between sports, tourism and the Blue Economy, particularly in riverine and coastal communities.
Poroye urged the government, private sector, sports associations and the media to create an enabling environment for athletes and called on the awardees to mentor younger talents.