BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Commissioner for Sports in Osun State, Kola Adewusi, has assured athletes from the state who would be participating in the National Youth Games slated to hold between September 20 and 30, 2023 of better welfare package at the event.
Adewusi, while bidding the young athletes numbering about 80 farewell to Asaba, capital of Delta State where the games would be held, urged them to be great ambassadors of the state and ensure that they win medals for the state.
Represented by his Special Adviser, Kolawole Adeyemi at the Osogbo Township Stadium, the venue of the meeting with the athletes, their coaches and sports personnel in the state, Adewusi asked the sports boys and girls to be security conscious where they would be camped and that they should restrict their movement to the games’ environment.
Adewusi, who doubles as the Deputy Governor of the state, while fielding questions from sports writers in the state, warned officials of Osun Sports Council against compromise as regards welfare of the athletes and charged them to be protective of the sports youths.
He told the athletes to report any acts by their coaches or officials that appear to be inimical to their welfare while in Asaba, threatening that erring officials would be sanctioned.
One of the athletes, Odunayo Shittu, who spoke on behalf of other athletes, assured the Commissioner that they would win medals and make Osun proud.
Shittu, a young girl and hockey athlete, said they had been prepared for the games, stressing that they would not lose focus of victory.
Meanwhile, after being motivated by the deputy governor, the 80 athletes left Osogbo for Asaba on Thursday morning to compete with their counterparts from the other states of the federation.
In a release earlier issued by the Chief Public Relations Officer of the state Sports Council, Funmilayo Moradeyo, the state representatives would be vying for honours in 21 games including athletics, basketball, boxing, chess, football, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, judo, karate and traditional sport (Ayo).
Others are para-athletics, para-table tennis, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling.
“The athletes and their coaches have vowed to leave no stone unturned while promising to sweep medals for the state,” the statement noted.
