Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi at the opening ceremony

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has said that the state government was set to resuscitate grassroots sports in the state. The Governor stated this while declaring open the 2012 Sports Festival at the Kayode Oluyemi Stadium in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday.

The Governor said the sports festival was another step by his administration to re-engineer the State in order to position it for excellence in the comity of states.

Dr. Fayemi stated that the event was also a hunting expedition for talented sport men and women for local and international tournaments, especially those who would represent the state at the forthcoming National Sports Festival in Lagos.

While noting that the state produced some members of the nation’s contingents at the just concluded 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London, the governor stated that his administration would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that sports facilities are upgraded to encourage more talented youths in sports.

Fayemi recalled that the Kayode Oluyemi Stadium was in bad shape before the advent of his administration but the administration embarked on a rehabilitation of the stadium complex to attract international meetings; saying that on completion, the stadium would have attained a standard that could be compared to the best facilities in the country.

He hinted that the state government is proposing a Sports Academy at Ikogosi Ekiti where talented young sports men and women would be trained to stardom; adding that the curriculum of the academy will be tailored in such a way that athletes who are students would be able to combine academics with their sporting activities.