From John Adeleye, Ado-Ekiti
The management of the Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) at the weekend disclosed that the Olympic standard swimming pool being constructed by the institution would be commissioned and be put to use soon.
The ABUAD Director of Sports, Professor Gboyega Babalola who stated this at Basketball Talent hunt organized for students of the university at the weekend, restated that when commissioned, the swimming pool would be used to prepare athletes from ABUAD, Ekiti State in particular and Nigeria in general for international events.
Babalola, who noted regrettably that the country has not been doing well in swimming pool and Basketball events, said that ABUAD is investing in those sporting activities to harness the potential of Nigerian athletes to be able to win swimming medals at international sporting events such as the Olympics.
He said that many talents have been discovered in Basket Ball within the five years the events started ABUAD, saying that many of them, if given the opportunity, could represent the country in major international events.
The ABUAD Director of Sport said the ultimate goal of the management of the institution is that no student should pass through ABUAD without learning at least one sporting activity or the other.
He described the Founder of ABUAD, Chief Afe Babalola SAN as a great lover of sports which explained why he has committed over N500 million into the Olympics size swimming pool to help the country win medals at sporting events.
“This is the fifth edition of the Basketball talent hunt and within this period, we have discovered many talents and we are still hunting for more. In ABUAD we take sports very seriously the way we also take academic activities seriously. Our goal is to produce a complete graduate that can show more than passing interest in sports.”
Professor Babalola announced that outstanding athletes at the Basketball Talent hunt would go home with various cash prizes for both female and male athletes from the institution.
However, according to him, the beneficiaries must not only excel in sports but must be outstanding in his or her academic pursuit as well.
End.
