MAMMOTH CROWD STORM VENUE OF FIRST IBARAPA SPORTS FESTIVAL IN IBARAPA ORGANISED BY DOMINIC AKINJIDE

The first edition of Ibarapa Sports Festival was organised by Dominic Akinjide Fagbemi Foundation (DAFF), The Sports Festival is in honour of Dominic Akinjide’s father, Chief Noah Fagbemi who died 2 years ago.

The much talked about sports festival had started in Igboora on February 26, 2022 with football matches and athletics, followed by Ayo Olopon and Draft.

According to nationalinsight.com No fewer than 16 football teams from Oyo State, Ogun, Lagos and Edo participated in the popular sports competitions.

Dominic Akinjide Fagbemi Foundation (DAFF) is a non-governmental and non-political organization aimed at projecting Ibarapa region to the world by identifying talents and making people of the region achieve their full potential through series of initiatives ranging from sports, education, scholarships, seminars etc.

However, a large crowd of spectators besieged Igboora High School playground on Sunday, alongside dignitaries, to watch the last day of the epoch-making event.

Under football category, the third place match for females took place early hours of Sunday where Pheonix Queens from Lagos State, beat their counterparts, Fortress Ladies from Edo 2 goals to nil.

The final of the football match took place at the noon hours of Sunday, March 6, 2022 where Young Talent 99 FA thrashed SGH Amazon 4 goals to nil to lift the trophy.

Excited by the initiative and the performance of the players, the Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Hon. Seun Fakorede said “in a bid to constitute Oyo State female football team, 5 best performing players will be part of the state team.”

Fakorede said the present administration in Oyo State led by Engr. Seyi Makinde was committed to identifying talents among the youth and that Ibarapa sports festival could serve as a terrace to achieve that.

However, community developers, opinion leaders and social media commentators in the region have continued to extend their appreciation to the founder of Dominic Akinjide Fagbemi Foundation, Dominic Akinjide for the initiative they described first of its kind in Ibarapa land.

According to Mr. Akinyemi Akintayo who is a lecturer and advocate of good governance, “Ibarapa Sports Festival is an enviable innovation and blessing to us in Ibarapa. I have to suspend my engagements for the day to witness the unique sports festival.”

“Jide Dominic Fagbemi has been able to convincingly challenged our political office holders and bigwigs in Ibarapa that charity begins at home and no amount invested in humanitarian services is a waste.”

“Congratulations to us in Ibarapa for giving us Jide, God will continue to guide his missions and bless him. Personally, I am so proud of him,” he said.

Akintayo also suggested that subsequent outings should be among indegenous female football teams in Ibarapa. This, according to him, will further explore many talents in Ibarapa land.

He, however, called on all well-to-do individuals, including political office holders in the region to emulate Dominic’s selfless way of life.

Lead consultant, Folawale Services Consult and 2023 Ibarapa Central/North House of Assembly Hopeful, Hon. Tokunbo Adewale Toriola, has also lauded Dominic Akinjide Fagbemi on the first Ibarapa Sports Festival he tagged unprecedented and novel.

Answering questions from the news men on Monday, Tokunbo said “the festival has really established the fact that we are family and we need each other and it shows that we have responsibility to one another for peace and happiness of others.”

“Kudos to Akinjide and DAFF team for a well coordinated programme. We definitely need more of this to keep our bond of togetherness,” he said.

Mr. Owolabi Samod Kehinde who is the Coordinator of the all-important sports festival, on Monday, expressed gratitude to those who made it to Igboora High School venue of the sports competition.

According to him, “our aim is to promote and educate our girls in Ibarapa land and Oyo State at large through sports.

“We really appreciate our local government Chairman, Hon. Adedoyin Adeoye, Hon. Tokunbo Adewale Toriola (Toks), for his unflinching support all the time and many other individuals from near and far.

Kehinde, however, reiterated that his principal, Dominic Akinjide Fagbemi “is committed to creating a platform where Ibarapa Indigenes, in respective of their gender, can mingle with sports professionals from other states of the federation thereby putting Ibarapa region on the map.”

However, under football category, Young Talent 99 FA won the sum of two hundred and fifty thousand naira (N250,000), SGH Amazon being the first runner-up, received the cash prize of two hundred thousand naira (200,000), Pheonix Queens (second runner-up) was given the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand naira (N150,000), while Fortress Ladies (third runner-up) went home with the sum of sixty thousand naira (N60,000).

For athletics (100- meter girls).

First position: Habeeb Bidemi from emerged first

Cash Prize: N35,000

Second position: Kanyinsola O.

Cash Prize: (N25,000)

Third position: Shogunle Taiwo

Cash prize: (N15,000)

Fourth position: Ayokunmi from Ayete

Cash prize: (N10,000)

For 200-meter girls:

First position: Habeeb Bidemi from Eruwa, Ibarapa East Local Government. (She emerged first twice in this competition).

Cash prize: (N35,000)

Second position: Ola Olaronke from Lagos State

Cash prize: (N25,000)

Third position: Shogunle Taiwo from Igboora, Ibarapa Central Local Government Area.

Cash prize: (N15,000)

Fourth position: Folashade A. From Igboora.

Cash prize: (N10,000)

100-meter for boys:

First position: Akala Khameel from Igboora

Cash prize: (N35,000)

Second position: Adesola Yusuf from Ogun State

Cash prize: (N25,000)

Third position: Afolabi Ayomide from Igboora

Cash price: (N15,000)

Fourth position: Ayokunmi from Ayete

Cash prize: (N10,000)

First position: Afolabi Ayomide from Igboora.

Cash prize: (N35,000)

Second position: Adesola Yusuf from Ogun State.

Cash prize: (N25,000)

Third position: Akala Khameel from Igboora

Cash price: (N15,000)

Fourth position: Makanjuola Lateef from Ayete

Cash price: (N10,000)

For Draught:

Adesina Samod from Ayete, Sodiq A. From Ayete and Ousu Koku from Tapa emerged first, second, third and were given the sum of N35,000, N25,000 and N15,000 respectively.

For Ayo Olopon

Adebayo Afeez from Ayete, Seyi Adewuyi Toriola from Igboora, Sodiq A. From Tapa and Muda Lawal from Igboora came first, second, third and fourth. They received the sum of N35,000, N25,000, N15,000 and N10,000 respectively.

The most promising talent award of the competition went to both Shogunle Taiwo and Shogunle Kehinde from Igboora High School, Igboora.

Most upcoming team of the competition was also won by Igboora High School Ladies football club.

At the end of the match, the 5 female players were selected as promised by the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Hon. Seun Fakorede.

They were: Orji Beatrice (Igboora), Afolashade Adebayo (Igboora), Ola olaronke (Sango Ota), Jumai A (Igando). Franca Azonto (Lagos). They are expected to join the about to be constituted Oyo State football team.

The event had in attendance, the representatives of the state government, Special Adviser on Sports, Hon. Kazeem Bolarinwa, Hon. Seun Fakorede, Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, traditional rulers, Hon. Adedoyin Adeoye, Ibarapa Central Local Government Chairman, Hon. Tokunbo Adewale Toriola, Lead consultant, Folawale Services Consult and 2023 Ibarapa Central/North House of Assembly Hopeful, Mr. Akinyemi Akintayo, Councillors from different wards in the region and a host of others.

Remembering the death of his father 2 years after, the founder of the foundation and his team also visited Olugbon Medical Center in Igboora, where cash donations were made to patients in their respective wards.