Oguntebi Kehinde of Offa and Abdulwahab Abdullahi of Asa Local Government Areas over the weekend emerged winners of both Female and Male Singles of the 3rd Kwara First Lady, Ambassador (Dr) Mrs Olufolake AbdulRazaq U-14 table tennis championship decided at the Government Secondary School, Omu-Aran.
The grassroots table tennis development, instituted in honour of the First Lady of Kwara state is being organized by Grassroots Sports Association, also known as Adebay Sports International, under the Chairmanship of Comrade Dare Omowumi Adebayo.
Moses Blessing of Isin Local Government Area won silver in the Female Singles, while the duo of
Oguntebi Taiye (Offa) and Adeoti Ayomide (Oke-Ero) won the joint third prizes.
In the Male Singles, Olatunji Sodiq of Oyun Local Government Area won silver. Issa Gafar(Asa) and Dada Opeyemi (Isin) won joint third prizes.
In the Mixed Doubles event, the pair of Moses Blessing and Dada Opeyemi of Isin Local Government won gold, the pair Abolaji Sunday and Akande Mariam of Irepodun won silver, while Irepodun and Oyun won the joint third bronze.
The Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission, Mallam Bola Mogaji, while praising the efforts of the organizers for complementing government’s efforts at developing youth and sports said that government will continue to partner reputable organizations in supporting the system.
He commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for creating and sustaining the needed atmosphere for youth and sports to strive in the state, and Her Excellency, Ambassador (Dr) Mrs Olufolake AbdulRazaq for creating the forum for talents to be discovered at the grassroots.
The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Lafia Aliyu Kora Sabi commended Her Excellency, Ambassador (Dr) Mrs Olufolake AbdulRazaq for the initiative, which he said, has boosted youth development activities at the grassroots.
The Chairman of the host Local Government, Irepodun, Jide Oyinloye thanked the organizers for considering the Local Government as hosts, and the wife of the Governor for taking the youth into consideration, by giving them the opportunity to discover and exhibit their talents.
The organizer, Comrade Dare Omowumi Adebayo of Grassroots Sports Association, also known as Adebay Sports International commended the First Lady and Founder of ‘Ajike People Support
He said that the competition was staged outside llorin for the first time as a way of bridging the gap and promoting our unity in diversity, which he says, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasak stood for since his assumption in office.
Comrade Adebayo said that in the second edition last year, the First Lady of Kwara State inaugurated 16 sets of standard Table Tennis Board and distributed to all the 16 Local Government Areas as a way of hunting for the budding talents at the grassroots, and as well stimulate mass participation of youth from the nooks and crannies of the state.
He commended the Commissioner Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Community Development; Chairman LOC and wife of the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, the 16 Local Government Area Chairmen, the Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission, Management and staff of Government Secondary School, Omu-Aran, Old Boys Association of the school and others for their support.
For the first time in the history of the competition, a calendar for the tournament was commissioned, which was viwed as a new innovation.
Her Excellency, Ambassador (Dr) Mrs Olufolake AbdulRazaq was recognized with an award of Excellence, for her outstanding support to grassroots sports development. Six other personalities also recognaised at the occasion are the Executive Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Commission, Mallam Bola Mogaji, Hon. Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon, Lafia Aliyu Kora Sabi, Commissioner for Youth Development, Hon.
Olabode George Towoju, the wife of the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Hajia Sa’adat Yakubu, ALGON Chairman, Prince Ashonibare Jide and Chairman Irepodun Local Government, Hon. Jide Oyinloye.
The 2023 edition of the competition has been scheduled for Kaiama Local Government Area of the state.
