Ekiti State Head of Service, Mrs. Peju Babafemi has assured the Ekiti State Football Association and its cadet teams’ management committees of her support and that of the Ekiti State Civil Service ahead of the 2021 football season.
This was made known when the Ekiti State FA cadet teams’ management committees led by the Ekiti FA chairman Mr. Bayo Olanlege paid a courtesy visit to Mrs. Babafemi in her office and also to appreciate her tremendous support for the association.
Mrs. Babafemi expressed great delight with the Ekiti FA’s drive for grassroots football development, stressing that sports, especially football play some important roles in the growth of children, but have been under-explored in this clime.
According to her “this is the right time for the FA to put in its bests for development of football in Ekiti. It is understandable that many are not aware of how important sports is to the development of a growing child, and the environment may not look pleasant now, but what you’re doing is more of pioneering work, you’re setting a landmark, your efforts as the FA chairman and your board are acknowledged.”
The FA chairman Bayo Olanlege highlighted some of the programmes of the FA cadet teams management committees to include identifying and nurturing of standout young male and female football stars expected to be scouted during the various youth football competitions lined up, some of which includes the proposed Principals Cup, late oba Ademola Ajakaiye U-13 football tournament among others.
In her own remarks, the coordinator of the U-16 female team of the Ekiti State Football Association, Ekiti Queen Bees, Miss Olutomi Adeoye who decried the negligence suffered by female football, pleaded with Mrs. Babafemi to use her office to further drive home the acceptance of the well-rounded benefits of female participation in football among Ekiti communities.
