Sport  |  Football  

Shaibu to lead Team Edo’s football side against Borno

By Christian Okpara and Samuel Ifetoye, Benin City |   08 April 2021   |   4:15 am  

Opeyori thanks Lagos for Badminton gold
Edo State Deputy Governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, is primed to make his debut in the football event of the on-going Edo 2020 National Sports Festival tomorrow. The game is against Borno State.

Comrade Shaibu, who was advised by his doctors to skip yesterday’s game against Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, which ended 2-1 in favour of the hosts because of his tight routine, is the captain of the Edo football team.

The match will hold at the University of Benin sports centre.

Shaibu, who is a registered player for Bendel Insurance Football Club, believes that playing for the state’s team would help to galvanise the youths of the state to making good use of their talents.

He said, “I worked till early this morning and only went to bed around 3.00 a.m., so, my doctor advised that I should rest and skip the game.

“I must exercise on the treadmill and do other work outs for at least two hours daily to be fit for the challenges of the game.

“It is not just the passion, but also to create awareness for children and make them to look forward to being able to use their talents well,” he said.

The state’s women team also won their game yesterday, beating Kaduna 3-0.

Meanwhile, gold medalists in the badminton team event, Anuoluwapo Opeyori and Godwin Olufia, have thanked Lagos State government for the opportunity given them to showcase their talents at various sports meets recently.

Opeyori, who is a product of the Lagos State Sports Commission grassroots sports development programme, said the Commission’s investment on them has been yielding results with the number of laurels he and his teammate have won together for the state.

“We did it at the last National Sports Festival in Abuja, and yet again we have done it in Edo, where we won gold again. This golden outing did not come on a platter of gold. It was as a result of hard work and rigorous training. We thank the Lagos State government for giving us the opportunity and we are proud to be representing the state.

“We are both products of Lagos State Sports Commission grassroots developmental programmes. We hope to win another gold medal in the doubles event,” he stated.

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