Veteran Squash Player Canvasses Use Of Sports To Keep Youths Out Of Crime
By Princess Simon (Bureau Chief North Central, in Minna)
One of the ways to end joblessness rural urban drift and to keep the youths away from all forms of crime and criminalities is to encourage them to venture into different sporting activities.
Parents and guardians in Niger state have been encouraged to make good use of the long holidays by registering their wards to participate in the monthly Squash league in the spirit of catching them young, keeping them gainfully engaged in order to keep them away from evil thoughts.
Medical practitioner cum veteran Squash player, Dr. Tosin Akinkoye made the declaration over the weekend, adding that sports not only serve as unifying factor for every tribe, religion and political interests, some health challenges are eliminated or reduced to the barest minimal through sports and aerobics engagements.
Dr. Tosin who is the sponsor of the 3rd edition of Minna Squash league, spoke in an interview shortly after the finals of the monthly event which took place at the Minna Sports Club, David Mark road, over the weekend.
Tosin said the call for sponsorship of sporting events has become necessary in order to use sports as one of the strategies to curtail youth’s involvement in drugs abuse and other negative vices in the country.
Also speaking, the Vice President African Squash Federation (ASF), representing the West and Central Africa Squash Federation, Alhaji Adamu Erena commended the sponsors of the event for making the needed sacrifice to safeguard the lives of future leaders.
Erena who had served as the Chairman NSSA years back expressed optimism that state players will bounce back from point of oblivion to take it’s right place in Squash national ranking.
The Chairman Niger State Squash Association (NSSA), Mrs. Taiwo Akinkoye had earlier encouraged all those that did not win any prize to work harder ahead of next month’s championship.
Our correspondent reports that Gideon Ibrahim retained his overall winner position for the male category, after beating Sampson Alabi who came second.
Hephzibah and Mercy Afokhai won the 3rd position prize in the semi finals, while Kayasa Gloria beat Esther Paul to clinch the 1st position in the female category. NNL.
