The Edo Sports Commission inaugurated boards for 37 sporting associations on Thursday, a significant step aimed at enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of these organizations. This initiative follows the approval of Governor Monday Okpebholo.
The ceremony took place at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, where Amadin Enabulele, Executive Chairman of the commission, urged the newly appointed officials to focus on attracting sustainable sponsorship to elevate the state’s sports industry. He highlighted the issues of inactivity among some previous boards, criticizing chairmen who had not contributed to their associations’ progress.
“The new chairmen and members were selected based on their contributions to the growth of sports in the state,” Enabulele noted, emphasizing the need for these boards to operate smoothly and aim for the development of world-class athletes.
He further stressed the importance of securing funding, stating that “funding was crucial for sports programmes.”
In her remarks following the inauguration, Sabina Chikere, Executive Director of Sports Development and Operations, reinforced the call for the new boards to be result-oriented. “We want to project our associations to a high pedestal, to produce world-class athletes for the state,” she asserted.
The inauguration also retained several successful chairmen, including Dele Edokpayi of the Athletics Association, Uyi Akpata of the Cricket Association, Walter Imuodemhe of the Hockey Association, and Andrew Momodu of the Golf Association, among others. This move reflects the commission’s commitment to fostering leadership that can drive the growth of sports in Edo State.
