DAWN reiterates commitment to sport development

The Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) has reiterated its commitment to the growth and development of Sports in the Southwest zone of the country.

The Acting Director General, DAWN Commission, Oluseye Oyeleye while speaking at the Agege Stadium during the final of the maiden Western Nigeria Pre Season Football Tourney said the commission’s determination to ensure not only youth empowerment in the zone but to bring back the glory of sport to the zone necessitated its full partnership with Western Nigeria Football Forum for the preseason tourney.

According to him,”it is no more news that the zone is not doing well at national level in terms of sporting activities and this has been a source of worry to major stakeholders in the zone. As a result of this, we decided to start with this which has produced some talents that we are going to push to the national teams, “he said.

Adeleye continued ”you will recall that in the past this zone dominated the national team with likes of late Mudashiru Lawal, Segun Odegbami, Felix Owolabi, Mutiu Adepiju, Ike Shorunmu, Peter Rufai among others but now, hardly will you see a player from this zone in the lineup of Nigeria national teams  and we are poised to change this. With this project it is achievable and we are not unto football alone as plans for other sports is in the pipeline, “he said.

He informed that the next edition of the South West Preseason will see various state governors of the participating teams behind their teams as the tournament has the blessings of the governors.

The Chairman South West Football Forum Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi commended the Commission for effort towards staging a befitting tourney adding that the pre-season tourney had been able to achieve its aim of discovering talent and also preach unity among the teams in the zone.