The Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), has restated its commitment to sharpening its students’ talents apart from being excellent in their academic career.
The director of sports of the private institution, Processor Gboyega Babalola, who stated this said it was the reason the founder of the institution, Aare Afe Babalola has invested over N500,000,000 in the construction of an Olympic-size Swimming Pool in the University.
Babalola who spoke during the 5th edition of a basketball tournament christened: ‘Ball Up’, held at the institution, said the building of the swimming pool, to be completed in the next few months, is one of the contribution of the legal icon to the development of sports in the state and the country at large.
He said, “Today is the fifth anniversary of a Basketball competition we call Ball Up. The reason for this competition is to have Basketball lovers all around the World know that there is actually a basketball competition that goes on in Afe Babalola University.
“There are a lot of students here, there are a lot of potentials. We had Basketball players that actually joined the National team last year.
“I’m the Director of Sports here in ABUAD, it’s not by mistake. I make sure that every student has an interest in one sport or the other. When I was younger, my father had an interest in sports. He actually bought us several pieces of equipment, to encourage us in Sports.
“Baba supports sports wholeheartedly, one of the things Afe Babalola is doing right now is the Olympic-size swimming pool which he has spent over 500,000,000 to build which will be ready in the next couple of months. That is one of his investments in sports.”
The director, who noted that the university prioritizes basketball among the sports it is developing youths’ potential in, said they do this through different contests and activities and exhibit the basketball skills of the students.
As a way of encouraging and motivating the students participating in the event, he said, “We have the dunk contest, the first place for men’s category will get N300,000; the second place will get N250,000 while the third place will get N150,000. For the women’s category, we have N200,000; N100,000 and N50,000 respectively.”
Babalola said they the university is ensuring that every ABUAD student has interest in one sport or the other while efforts were being intensified to make the basketball competition and other sporting activities in the university known in the state and the country.
Aare Afe Babalola had at a sport event last year said, “As you are aware, swimming alone provides more medals than any other event. This (the swimming pool under construction) will provide all of you the opportunity to train and hopefully participate in swimming in Olympics and obtain international awards.
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