Oke lauds Oyo Golf Association for building first Range within stadium

From left, President, Oyo State Golf Association, Mr Moses Ojo; Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Barrister Yomi Oke and General Manager, Oyo State Sports Council, Mr Gboyega Makinde, during the commissioning of Golf Range at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan, on Wednesday. PHOTO: OLAWALE OLANIYAN

Oyo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Barrister Yomi Oke has lauded the landmark achievement by the Oyo State Golf Association in building arguably the first Golf Range sited within the stadium in Nigeria.

He made the remarks on Wednesday while commissioning the golf practising Range at the Lekan Salami Stadium, Ibadan.

The project is designed to introduce golf as a sport to secondary schools in the state and beginners.

“We need to go back to the basics – ‘catch them young’ because what we are witnessing today is first of its kind in the country and it is a testimony to the fact that Oyo State is a Pace Setter state.

“I must commend what the golf association has put down here, I’m not surprised by this noble project by the Moses Ojo-led association. He is a good golfer and this lends credence to the vibrancy of the golf association in the state.

“Most people believe golf is for the elite, but with what is on the ground, the younger ones will have knowledge about the game with the availability of this Range,” he said.

Earlier in his remarks, Moses Ojo said the establishment of Range was unique in the history of Nigerian golf.

“Ranges are only sited at Golf Clubs but we have seized the initiative to site our practising Range within the stadium. I have gone round the country and I must say what we are commissioning today is unique because we are the first to try this innovation in the country.

“We noticed that the game of golf is not accessible to the youth and that was why we initiated the idea of introducing golf to teenagers that would first bring them to the stadium range to learn the rudiments of the game before they grow to join golf clubs.

“Our focus is the grass roots, so many youths are being recruited into various sports but we believe when golf takes off, we would have so many youngsters who would come to Adamasingba here to embrace the game,” Ojo said.

Also, Acting General Manager, Oyo State Sports Council, Mr Gboyega Makinde, said the project remains a sporting legacy in the state adding that, “we must be proud of it”.