Sportspro News, the foremost sports promotion and management agency has joined other well meaning Nigerians to celebrate Pa J.B Ladipo, the first Chairman of Kwara State Sports Council on the occasion of his 95th birthday.
Speaking at the presentation of Sportspro Merit Award medal to the man who conceived the idea of Kwara State Stadium Complex, the CEO and Publsiher of Sportspro News, Bayour Issah said it is imperative to celebrate the nonagenarian giving his contributions to the development of sports in Kwara state.
“Gold, Silver and Diamond we don’t have, but we have decided to appreciate your unquantifiable efforts as a trail blazer for sports in Kwara state in this little way as we pray to Almighty God to grant you more sound health and wealth”, the veteran sportscaster said.
In his remarks, the longest serving Chairman of the Kwara State Sports Council appreciated the crew for their wonderful gesture.
“I feel pretty happy that I see today, primarily because I had been sick quite sometime and the illness tended to strengthen my existence, and I thank God that His mercy and the prayers of his people has sustained me”, the icon of sports said.
While reflecting on the evolution of sports in the state, Pa. Ladipo charged the government to strengthen institutions saddled with the responsibility of promoting sports as a way of consolidating the past achievements.
He recalled that the organization of youth sports in the past produced the likes of Hameed Adio, an Olympian, Joe Lasisi, Iyabo Akinwale, Busari Ishola and host of others for Kwara state.
The Academicals those days were the target platform for National team to scout for talents, hence the need to review the priority of school sports in order to discover more athletes that will bring honour to the state.
The first FIFA badged Referee in Northern Nigeria also expressed the need for government to unify the sports section of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Sports in the state noting that the clash of dispositions between the two agency has hugely negated an effective sports drive.
Speaking about the conception of the Kwara State Stadium complex which was commissioned in 1977, he said the project was conceived to serve as an ultimate destination for sports men and women, with the concentration of all sporting activities and facilities factored in the plan.
Even though he expressed regret at the present status of the complex which he said is one third of the model that was conceived, he opined that much still need to be done in order to achieve a sustainable growth for sports.
A graduate of Shoreditch Technical Institute in London would later walked Sportspro News crew through his journey of life.
