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Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has affirmed his administration’s commitment to providing necessary support for sports development, especially at the grassroots level, in order to ‘catch them young’.
The Governor made thos promise at the formal presentation of the overall trophy and medals won by the Ondo Team, who came first out of the 36 states and the FCT at the just-concluded maiden edition of the Basic Education School Sports (BESS) Competition in Abuja.
The trophy was presented by the state Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Hon. Laolu Akindolire, at the Government House Grounds.
The team won 31 medals comprising nine gold, 15 silver, and seven bronze medals at the national competition.
Aiyedatiwa, who poured encomium on the award-winning team, described them as the “Lucky boys and girls,” and good ambassadors of the state even at this level.
The Governor congratulated the history making pupils for writing their names in gold and for making the state proud by winning the maiden edition of the BESS Competition in Nigeria.
The Governor, who could not hide his joy at the performance of the pupils at the national level, which he described as part of the trajectory of the aura his name carries, commended the trainers and the management of the Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (ODSUBEB), under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Victor Olabimtan, for their contributions towards the success of the team.
Emphasising the importance of sporting activities in the development of a child, the Governor enjoined teachers and administrators in the education sector to devote quality time to both cognitive and psychomotor aspects of child development.
Governor Aiyedatiwa promised that, at an appropriate time, the state government would do the needful to appreciate the award-winning team and their handlers for making the state proud.
The Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Hon Akindolire, attributed the outstanding feat achieved by the pupils to the conducive environment provided by the Ondo State Government.
He commended the Governor for his passion for all-round development of the state, especially the education sector, adding that such commitments have continued to manifest positively in the development of the sector and the performance of students.
Also, the ODSUBEB boss, Olabimtan, said the team had earlier made the state proud by coming first at the South-West regional version of the same competition in Ado-Ekiti early this year.
Olabimtan told the Governor that none of the pupils presented for any of the games in the competition was disqualified on account of age cheating, as was the case with several states, showing that this performance was well-deserved and not a fluke.
He used the opportunity to thank the Governor for his many supports for the development of the basic education sector in the state, the payment of the Board’s matching grants on time to access the 2024 UBEC Fund, and the funds used to prepare the athletes for the championship.
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