Emir's Cup 2023: Sen Mustapha Hints At Collaboration With Sen Nwoko On Training Athletes At SUN

 

NICHOLAS UWERUNONYE

Senator Representing Kwara Central, Saliu Mustapha (Turakin of Ilorin), has stated that he has struck up partnership with Ned Nwoko, a fellow senator at the Senate on how elite sports development can be enhanced for his constituency through the Sports University of Nigeria, (SUN) Delta State.

Sen Nwoko is the proprietor, SUN, first of such specialised universities in Nigeria and Sen Mustapha hopes to mainstream talented Kwara athletes into the institution to enhance their global competitiveness.

The Turaki of Ilorin made this disclosure during an interview with the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) on the sidelines of the just concluded Emir's Cup competition in Ilorin on Saturday.

The Emir's Cup attracted top sports, academic and political dignitaries to the Kwara State Stadium, Ilorin on Saturday.

"In our legislative sessions we have taken sports as a way of advertising the nation. Anybody having talent in sports is a potential sport ambassador of the country.

"That is why Sen. Ned Nwoko established the first sports university in Nigeria. I am partnering with him to make sure that people from Kware looking to make more out of sports, we send them to the school," Sen Mustapha said.

The senator also singled out the State Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for praise for creating a wonderful environment for sports to thrive in the state while also commending the organisers of the Emir's Cup for reaching out to him to be part of the glamourous event.

"I must first and foremost thank the State Government for providing a conducive environment for sports to thrive. 

"Here, I must specially thank the state governor, Mallam AbdulRazaq. Secondly, I must commend the organisers of this tournament. I met with them briefly before this tournament and they gave me their plans and everything and I told them that for me, they are welcome, anyday in any help I can do to support in any small ways the growth of sports," he said.

Also speaking on Saturday, Mall. Idris Abdulahi Musa, aka Thuraya, chairman, Kwara State Football Association, FA, said that the success of the Emir's Cup shouldn't have come as a surprise to people given that Kwara state has been a major hub of grassroots sports development in the country.

He also singled out Alhaji Owolabi Abdullahi Wopa Agbaji, main organiser of the competition stating that his pedigree as grassroots sports developer has never been a fluke.

"Kwara has always been the home of football, exploiting young talents. There has never been any youth soccer game that Kwara hasn't exceled, talk of Under 13, Under 15, and the Ramat Cup, so many. 

"So it has been so for a long time. Today I am happy to see what is happening here, even though I expected it.

"Today, Wopa has taken the lead as local council FA chairman and he has done exceedingly well," he said.

But, Wopa, on his part was modest in his accepting of all the praises heaped on him over success of the event by insisting that he didn't quite meet all his targets. 

"We weren't able to meet all our targets. When we started this for instance, we planned to make a lot of money with which to do charity works. 

"We wanted to do palliatives for the poor and indigent in society. Unfortunately we couldn't get enough money. Secondly we promised a robust prize money for the winners. but unfortunately that will not happen. 

"Though there is money for the winners, first, second and third, what we had in mind was quite massive. We were thinking of the like of  one million naira for the winners of the trophy, N750, 000 for second prize and N500, 000 for the third prize. 

"But now, we couldn't achieve N500, 000. Let me make a confession, I put all my money into it simply because I needed to convince people that not all people who organise tournaments do it for money. We also wanted to do it for charity. Ofcourse, I also wanted to do it to celebrate His Royal Highness because he is a wonderful man," he said.