…Rewards 2024 National Festival medalists
By Muyideen Aliyu, Ilorin.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Friday settled the Two Hundred and One Million Naira (N201m) sign-on fees debt, after sixteen years, for the Kwara United Football Club of Ilorin.
AbdulRazaq stated this while hosting the athletes who represented the state at the 2024 National Sports Festival, rewarding them with cash gifts and certificates of recognition.
Gold medalists got N1m each, while the silver and bronze medalists got N500,000 and N300,000 respectively. The coaching crew also got cash rewards.
Kwara won six gold, 11 silver, and 12 bronze medals at the sports festival, which was held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
At the reception held at the state banquet hall, Governor AbdulRazaq announced the immediate settlement of a backlog of N201m sign-on fees for Kwara United coaches and players — a debt that dates back some 16 years ago.
“For us, these athletes are our heroes and heroines in their own right. With six gold, 11 silver, and 12 bronze medals, these athletes have made us proud, and we are proud of their efforts, exploits, and above all, patriotism,” he said.
“We have organised this to acknowledge, celebrate, and reassure these athletes and future champions that the state and its people appreciate them and will continue to honour their commitments to our state.
“Nothing can compensate for your efforts, but history will remember how you deployed your talents and energy to bring honour to our state. History bears witness that this administration has done a lot to reposition the state in all spheres, highlighting some of the sporting facilities that now wear a new look.”
He said the administration had invested in sports as a strategic purpose to make the state the number one hub for raising talents and deploying the same for national development and shared prosperity.
“Within the last six years, we have upgraded several of our sporting facilities and built new ones, including the indoor sports hall, table tennis area, Olympic-size swimming pool, and eight-winged squash courts. Some of these facilities are unique to Kwara State in Nigeria and on the African continent,” he added.
“We have also tried to put our teams in top shape. These efforts are paying off already as the recent historic victory of the Kwara United Football Club shows. Beyond the unprecedented infrastructure upgrade, we have also doubled down on the welfare of athletes and officials.
“Today, I’m glad to announce the full payment of the outstanding N201m sign-on fees for Kwara United coaches and players, which dates back to 16 years ago. This again underscores our commitment to the welfare of all, including our athletes and coaches.”
The Chairman, State Sports Commission, Coach Bolakale Magaji, said the achievements could not have been possible without the support of the Governor, saying, “Because you believe in us, you assisted us to build our facilities with the renovation of some, while others were constructed anew. That is not enough. Before, a lot of our athletes had been rotting at home, but now there is hardly a month that an association (in sports) is not being represented within and outside Nigeria,” he said.