The Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development in Ekiti State, Hon. Michael Awopetu on behalf of the State Government presented cheques to medal winning athletes to the National Sports Festival, Edo 2020 on Thursday.
Recalled that the Governor Kayode Fayemi led administration few months ago promised to reward the medal winning athletes with cash prizes after their heroics in Edo State.
The Ekiti State contingent to National Sports Festival won 2 gold, 3 silver and 8 bronze medal to finish in the 23rd position out of the 36 States and the FCT in the medals table.
Presenting the cheques to the athletes at the boardroom of the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, Ado-Ekiti, Awopetu commended the Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi for fulfilling his promise to the athletes.
“Today (yesterday), I congratulate some of you who have gone to the National Sports Festival and have done the State proud,” said Awopetu.
“Mr Governor (Kayode Fayemi) is disireous of rewarding those that have done the State proud in other to encouraged those that will participate in future sporting programes.
“The unwavering committment of Mr Governor to sports development, he signed the State Sports Development Trust Fund because he wants to give more money to the State so that we can perform better in whatever sports engagement we are into,” Awopetu maintained.
Hon. Awopetu thanked the governor for his unflinching and continous support towards developing and taking sports to the zenith in the State.
The Gold medalists got 300, 000 naira while the Silver and Bronze medalists took home 250,000 and 200,000 naira respectively. The coaches and organizing secretaries were also not left out of the financial reward.
Bamidele Ajayi, an Ekiti born athlete who won 4×400 Relay Mixed Gold at the World U-20 Athletics Championship in Kenya, Nairobi was also rewarded with the sum 300,000 naira.
Hon. Michael Awopetu
