By Precious Owolabi, Ado-Ekiti

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The Chairman of Ekiti State Kickboxing Association, Mr Adekunle Ogidi has charged newly appointed members of the Association to join him in the task of popularising the sport and placing it on a strong pedestal in the State.

Ogidi who made the charge while inaugurating the new members of the Association in Ado-Ekiti, said apart from contributing to physical fitness and enhancing sound mental health, Kickboxing and sports generally hold immense benefits by contributing to personal growth and promoting discipline and perseverance among sports men and women.

He commended the Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, for the massive investment of his administration in the promotion of Sports and provision of World-class sports infrastructure.

Ogidi who is a renowned sports enthusiast in the state said the ongoing upgrading of facilities at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium, including the laying of synthetic football pitch and tartan tracks  and the ongoing construction of a 900-seater indoor sports hall by the Oyebanji led-administration would put the State on the National and Continental Sports map as the State would be able to host national and international competitions after the facilities are completed.

He called on the new members to see their appointment into the Association not only as a call to service, but also an avenue to make valuable contributions to sports development and humanity as a whole.

Ogidi urged members of the Association and coaches of the sports to join him in the quest to use Kickboxing which is a relatively new sports as a platform for talent identification and development noting that with proper guidance and direction, the bulk of raw talents in the State would be polished into World beaters in matter of time.

In her remarks, the Technical Adviser to Governor Oyebanji on Sports Development, Dr Olusola Osetoba described the inauguration of Members of the Kickboxing Association as a manifestation of the pledge of  the governor  to appoint only credible individuals who can transform the sports sector into key position on the State.

Osetoba described the chairman and other members of the Kickboxing association in Ekiti state as round pegs in round holes.

She said they were appointed based on their past contributions to sports development in the state, urging them to justify the confidence reposed in them.

Present at the inauguration were the Honorable Commissioner for Information, Rt. Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun; the Special Assistant to the Governor on Sports, Hon. Babatunde Adesanya, and many others.