Special Assistant to Oyo State Governor on Sports Development, Mr Tobi Oyewumi has said the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde is intent on empowering and developing the potentials of young people across the state.
The Governor’s aide said this while featuring of Saturday Breakfast Sports, a BCOS TV flagship sports programme on Saturday morning.
Answering questions from the programme’s anchor, Boluwaji Ogunmola, Mr Oyewumi revealed that Governor Makinde is poised to allow youths in the state actualise their dreams through provision of standard sporting facilities across the state, re-training of coaches and exposure of athletes to local and international competitions.
Revealing the involvement of the state government in the organization of a boxing bout coming up in Ibadan next week, Mr Oyewumi said the state government is supporting the promoters of the bout to send a message to youths in the state.
“This administration is bent on developing the youths in the state, using Ridwan Adekola, who is having an international boxing bout on the 27th of December, as a point of contact. This policy is aimed at giving youths in Oyo state hope that they can get a life they never dreamt of during Seyi Makinde administration. Without the support of the state government, this bout might not take place in the state”.
Speaking on the plans of the Government on developing sports in the state, the Special Assistant to the Oyo State Governor on Sports Development said the present administration through the Ministry of Youths and Sports is ensuring that there is a sporting activity every month to engage youths in the state and to discover new talents.
On the forthcoming GSM Tennis Competition holding later this month, Oyewumi said the competition is aimed at celebrating the sport loving Governor of Oyo state, Engineer Seyi Makinde and also to discover talents in the state that will represent the pacesetter state in future National and International competitions.
He further revealed that the Sports Ministry is working with National Institute for Sports to help in training and retraining of coaches in the state and also to ensure that veteran coaches in the state pass down their knowledge to younger generations.
“We are developing a template for sports development in the state, like standardising facilities, employing coaches who understand the nitty-gritty of grooming athletes for National and International competitions, raising sporting profiles and promoting sportsmen’s welfare”, Oyewumi said.
“Like they say, an idle hand is devil’s workshop, we youths are restless, we want to be engaged, a young person that goes to training 4-5hrs won’t have time to commit crime…. a lot of vices can be curbed through proper sports development. Once facilities are available, activities will follow”, he explained.
The maiden edition of Governor Seyi Makinde, Tennis Championship, which is in three categories – Junior Category for children under Sixteen years, the Pro Category and the Super Veteran Category, holds at the Ibadan Recreation Club, Sabo, from the 22nd to 24th December, 2020.
