Ogun Mind Games Kicks Off Tomorrow

 

ABEOKUTA - Ogun State government will on Thursday kick off the maiden edition of the mind games across the twenty (20) local governments areas of the State.

The Commissioner for Youths and Sports in the state, Dr. Oluwadare Kehinde disclosed this on Wednesday at a press conference held at the Ministry of Youths and Sports.

According to Dr. Oluwadare, the games festival will kick start from Ijebu Ode local government and move around all other local governments in the state with over 300 athletes to participate.

The Commissioner explained that, the participants would compete in Chess, Opon-Ayo and Draught games.

He added that, the mind games is part of the objectives of ISEYA agenda of Ogun state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.

According to him, the mind games is to discover talents and nurture them to stardom in preparation for the next year's National Sports Festival.

 "Government of His Excellency, Prince (Dr.) Dapo Abiodun MFR regards Youth engagement and empowerment as one of his prime objectives. The ISEYA Agenda has clearly spelt out series of sporting events and activities in ensuring that Ogun State takes the lead in sporting events.

"The sterling performances by Ogun Athletes in the just concluded Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics as well as the 20th National Sports Festival are indestructible evidence of our giant strides in Sports. Our aim is to discover budding talents and nurture them to global space."

He added that the games is to ensure the youths in the state have analytical mind.

"This competition is designed not just as a grassroot sports to discover budding talents in Chess, Opon - Ayo, & Draught but also as a way to ensure that Ogun Youths have analytical mind and a well -defined and highly sophisticated thought pattern which can unlock any potential." he added

On her own part, the Ogun state Director of sports Mrs. Folakemi Iyabo Rotimi revealed that the game is to discover raw talents in the game which will prepare them for national and international standard.

She said, "We engage in grassroots program and which will allow us to nurture athletes to represent the state and the country in the coming future.

Meanwhile, the chairman Technical Committee of the game, Prince Tunji Onatolu revealed that the game is to allow the rural people to understand sports.

According to him, "In preparation of the state to discover talents to represent the state at national sports festival was the brain of this mind game, to allow the rural people understand what is called sports and to ensure the sports council to discover new talents that could be nurture for the National sports festival, this is to compete with Delta and Edo states.

Meanwhile, the winners at local government level will go home with cash reward.