As part of giving hope to the downtrodden, identify, support and nurture children of the less privilege in the society to the prominence in their respective undertaking through sporting activities, Kayrom Lee Group of Companies has unveiled a talent-hunt-outfit, RACBAR Academy to commemorate the annual International Day of Sports.
The epoch making event, which was attended by a first class traditional ruler, the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji with other important personalities including the Oyo State Commissioner for Sports, Yomi Oke, South West Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports, Femi Ajao, Director, Alliance Franche, Ibadan, Nickolas Michelon and representative of one of the leading network providers, MTN, Bajo Onafuwa held recently at 360 Innovation Building, New Garage, Ibadan.
The event also marked the presence of media representative and publisher of Parrot Xtra Magazine, Olayinka Agboola, Chairman, Amateur Boxing Association, Oyo State, Baron Akintunde and Chairman, Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBB of C), Gbenga Opaleye. The chairman of Aquatic Association in the state, Arc Muyiwa Ige was also prominently represented.
In a media briefing and unveiling to herald the operation of RACBAR Academy, the Chairman, Kayrom Lee Group of Companies, Ambassador Romoke Ayinde, disclosed that the rationale behind RACBAR Academy is to discover talents, provide quality training – to nurture to prominence with proper discipline to make them become good ambassadors of the family, state and Nigeria as a whole.
The Founder of Kayrom Lee Fitness and Gym Centre expressed that the academy involved all sporting activities including indoor and outdoor, where its name, RACBAR, which is the acronym of (Racket games, Ball games, Aquatic sports and Ring sports) was derived.
Ambassador Ayinde in her observation noted that RACBAR Academy has been designed with a blueprint and policy paper that will address issues of Age Cheat and Importance of Talent Hunt that have become a strong challenge in the development of sports not only in Nigeria, but Africa at large.
She added that in order to address issues of language barrier particularly in francophone countries that usually subjected many Nigerian players to slavery – she said that RACBAR Academy has entered into partnership with French speaking school in Ibadan, Alliance Françoise to take on the children in French language.
The Oyo State Sports Writers Association’s (SWAN) Matron, while clarifying the issue of age in the admission of children opined that there is no age limit in the admission of talents as the management has put in place every necessary machinery for every category to aid teaching and training irrespective of sport to be undertaken.
Ambassador Ayinde, while assuring on the sustainability of the academy and development of sports generally in the country, reiterated that the development of sports is an all inclusive affair that requires support from governments, corporate organizations and well-to-do individuals in the society, adding that everybody must be ready to contribute his quota to its development.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Sports, Yomi Oke explained that it is the responsibility of the government to create an enabling environment for corporate organizations and private individuals to develop sports, saying that government has no business in running sports.
He added that that is why the state government empowered sports associations to be able to carry on with the responsibilities of running sports in the state; the step which he said has been yielding results as indicated by outstanding performance recorded at recent various national sporting events.
The stakeholders in attendance commended the efforts of the Chairman, Kayrom Lee Group of Companies, Ambassador Romoke Ayinde for efforts in ensuring that sports at grassroots level is developed. They promised in their different capacities to support the initiative of Ambassador Ayinde by taking RACBAR Academy to a greater height.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali and Oludotun Ajibola
