The General Manager of the Oyo State Sports Council, Mrs. Olubisi Adegoke, has hosted the Chairman of the Oyo State Aquatic Association, Dr. Akande Kazeem Babatunde, as part of efforts to strengthen collaboration with sports associations in the state.
The meeting formed part of Mrs. Adegoke’s familiarisation drive aimed at acquainting herself with the leadership and activities of various sports associations under the Oyo State Sports Council.
During the meeting, both sports administrators discussed the challenges confronting aquatic sports in the state and explored possible solutions to reposition the sport for greater development and competitiveness.
A major concern raised by Dr. Akande was the inadequate availability of swimming pools for athletes to train. He explained that the shortage of suitable training facilities has continued to affect the preparation and development of swimmers in the state.
In response, suggestions were made on the possibility of partnering with institutions and organisations that have swimming facilities, with a view to establishing mutually beneficial arrangements that would give athletes greater access to facilities for regular training.
The discussions also focused on the need to strengthen preparations for upcoming national competitions, particularly the National Intermediate Games, which will be hosted in Lagos in the coming period. Both parties stressed the importance of ensuring that Oyo State fields a well-prepared and competitive aquatic team capable of securing good representation at the competition.
Attention was equally given to the forthcoming National Sports Festival scheduled to take place in Enugu in November. The stakeholders agreed that early preparation, adequate training facilities and effective collaboration would be critical to improving the state’s performance at the festival.
Dr. Akande expressed confidence in the competence and administrative capacity of Mrs. Adegoke, describing her as a seasoned sports administrator with extensive experience within the Oyo State sports system.
He noted that Mrs. Adegoke has spent virtually her entire professional career in the sports sector since joining the Oyo State Civil Service. According to him, she has served in several sensitive capacities within the Oyo State Ministry of Youth and Sports before her redeployment to the Oyo State Sports Council as general manager.
Dr. Akande said her wealth of experience and understanding of the state’s sports structure would be valuable in addressing some of the challenges facing sports development, including aquatic sports.
The meeting was described as a positive step towards strengthening the relationship between the Sports Council and the Aquatic Association, with both sides expressing optimism that sustained cooperation would help move swimming and other aquatic sports in Oyo State to the next level.
Accompanying Dr. Akande on the familiarisation visit were Dr. Adegunju Tayo and Mr. Olanrewaju Agiri.
Packaged by Oludotun Ajibola
