Dotun Adeboye, Abeokuta
The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has applauded the decision of a sport enthusiast, financier and owner of betnaija, the largest sport betting company in Nigeria, Mr Kunle Soname to invest in sports in the state.
Prince Abiodun who made this known in his office, while hosting the owner of the sport betting company, assured the sport enthusiast of governments support, adding that his coming home would inspire other sons and daughters to also follow his path.
” We want to assure you that our state will give you all the cooperation that you indeed deserve, you are a stakeholder, you are a son of the soil,if we encourage you, if we create an enabling environment for our own son to invest in the state, you will be an example to those who are not our sons to come and invest here,” he said.
The governor opined that that he had challenged the sport enthusiast to come and invest in the state by rebranding an redefining sport in the state, adding that he believed he could also help with the state owned football team that was currently struggling.
” We want you to come and help us rebrand our sports in Ogun state, particularly the football aspect of our sports, I want you to come and help us rebrand it, come and help us redefine it.
” You have invested in a football team in Europe and yet we have a football team in Ogun State struggling, so today, Mr. Soname is here, I have put it on him that he will come and help us see how we can now define how sport is played in Ogun State,” he said.
Abiodun also disclosed that the sport commission to be set up to rebrand and redesign sport in the state would be headed by the sport enthusiast, adding that the necessary laws would be visited to help in its formation.
” We are going to ensure that we create an Ogun state sport commission, we will look at the necessary laws and ensure that the laws assist us in creating a sport commission, I have asked Mr Soname to be the chairman of the commission when it is in place and he has graciously accepted,” he said.
In his remark, Mr. Kunle Soname noted that he would partner the state in terms of grassroot development of sports, adding that he would also invite his friends to come and invest in Ogun state sports.
” We are going to partner the state in terns of grassroot sports development, we will be putting our resources into grassroot sports development for the state, not just sport, we have seen that the drive of these administration is about public private sector participation and we are actually going to try to bring our friends, not only from Nigeria, but all over the world to come here an invest in the state because of the confidence that we have in these government,” he said.
On the upcoming match that could decide the faith of the state owned football outfit, Gateway United, Soname said that the only thing that could be done was to pray things goes well for the team, adding that sporting excellence couldn’t be achieved overnight.
He opined that for sustainable success in football, development must start from the grassroot, adding that his own idea of sport development was to start from the grassroot.
