PACE Sports & Entertainment Marketing and Stanbic IBTC in a partnership bid towards driving youth sports development have commemorated a maiden edition of the International Day of University Sports (IDUS)in Nigeria.
The International Day of University Sport (IDUS), an annual celebration of collegiate sports on September 20 is powered by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and officially endorsed by the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organisation (UNESCO).
According to the organisers of the Higher Institution Football League (HiFL), this year’s commemoration is first–of–its–kind in Nigeria as part of efforts to enliven and continue to drive the development of university sports.
The commemoration with an official campaign theme aptly tagged #PlaySafe is also as part of efforts to spread the word on the essence of prioritizing and maintaining health and safety guidelines in the Covid-19 pandemic era.
In a recent statement to commemorate this year’s celebration, Director, PACE Sports, and Entertainment Marketing, Sola Fijabi, upheld that the significance of the commemoration and its importance in promoting the growth of varsity sports all over the world cannot be overstated.
“Our commitment to growing and developing the collegiate game in Nigeria is unflagging and in collaboration with our partners, we are proud to deliver Nigeria’s first-ever International Day of University Sport celebration, recognizing the uniqueness of the present clime as we entreat everyone to continue to #PlaySafe as we mark #IDUS2020.
Fijabi noted that as organizers of the prestigious varsity football league, the team is committed to continuing to provide a platform for Nigerian student-athletes to enliven their dreams.
“Since the establishment of the HiFL initiative in 2018, one of its aims was to create more awareness of University sports in Nigeria and we are glad to see that collegiate sports is indeed alive and thriving like never before, Fijabi concluded.
Head of Global Markets at Stanbic IBTC, Sam Ocheho, said: “It gladdens our heart at Stanbic to be part of celebrating the International Day of University Sport in Nigeria. This commemoration is not the usual celebration so as a key forerunner in the development of University sports in Nigeria especially football, we have taken it upon ourselves to spread the message of hope for the actualisation of our dreams for youth development as well as University sports in the country”.