Shafaudeen Patriots have emerged the winners of the 14th edition of Annual Rasool Under 18 Football Competition to commemorate the Annual Shafaudeen 36th International Convention (Shafaudeen Ishrat).
In a match decided at Wesley College of Science Football Pitch on last week, Shafaudeen Patriots defeated D-Pride FC three goals to nothing (3-0) to emerge winner of this year’s edition.
While in the third place match earlier decided, Faruq Arisekola FC also defeated Arafat FC to emerge second and third runner ups respectively.
In his address at the grand finale of the competition, Founder and Spiritual Head, Shafaudeen In Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabit Olagoke Ariyo charged stakeholders in sports sector across the country to use sports to solve problems of unemployment, secessionist threat and youth restiveness.
Prof. Ariyo Olagoke described sports as fertile resources to create employment opportunity, apart from its usefulness in uniting people irrespective of ethnic and religion inclination.
The Islamic cleric called on governments at all levels, corporate organizations as well as well-to-do Nigerians to shift their attention to the development of grassroot sports through sponsorship, effective management of stadia and other sporting facilities, organizing workshops and seminar and rejuvenation of inter secondary school sports competitions.
Prof. Olagoke while commending the anchor bodies of the competition, Ibadan/Ibarapa Football Coaches Zonal Council and Shafaudeen Sports Commission, urged all the participating players and coaches to internalize all lessons and knowledge acquired in the course of the competition to mould their characters in future sporting undertakings.
The Chairman of the occasion and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Bashir Olanrewaju, in his remark, commended the organizer of the competition for using his personal resources to promote youths through sporting activities.
Dr. Olanrewaju noted that the steps taken by Professor Olagoke in engaging youths in sporting activities will go a long way in reducing crime rate and other anti-social behaviours as well as assist in discovering of young and promising talents that will lift the face of sports not only in the state but in Nigeria too.
He urged all the participating teams to always be guided by discipline, peace and love upon which the tournament is founded.
The Rasool Cup Under 18 Competition, which had 32 teams represented across the length and breath of Oyo State, witnessed Olumide Balogun, Muideen Raji and Sarafadeen Ojuade as outstanding players of the tournament.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
