Ekiti State Begins Preparations For National Sports Festival

The Chairman of the Ekiti State Sports Council, Dr. Isaac Ayodele has said that the state would put all necessary machinery in place to make sure that the athletes are well-prepared for the National Sports Festival scheduled for Edo State.

Ayodele who made this known during a meeting with directors at sports council, organizers and sporting associations, noted that the state would need to do things differently to ensure a better showing at the forth coming National Sports Festival.

He described Governor Kayode Fayemi as a man of honour who is very passionate about sports and the general well-being of youths in the state.

The Chairman explained that part of his mandate as Chairman of the State Sports Council is to develop Sports in the State, and he described the competition as a yard stick with which the Sports Council of Ekiti State can measure its progress.

According to him, ‘‘the ban on individual and combat sports has been lifted at the national level, and we should prepare accordingly. To succeed, we must do things differently and this is a call to our organizers, sporting associations and coaches to make sure that their sports succeed at the competition’’.

Ayodele noted that, even though a date has not been fixed, it doesn’t mean that the State athletes should not prepare for the competition. He charged the coaches and the athletes, to put their best foot forward and make sure they train hard to achieve success while also making sure that the State wins more medals.

He also stated that all hands should be on deck and everyone should work together to bring success to the state.

The Chairman stressed the importance of preparing well for the competition by quoting the American author, Zig Ziglar, who said “success occurs when opportunity meets preparation”.

Ayodele stressed that sports has become a veritable tool for youth development globally, emphasizing that tapping into the potentials offered by sports would curb youth restiveness, boost unity and provide employment opportunities.