The organisers of the annual Above 50 football tournament in an impressive ceremony held on Sunday, at the Ostra Hotel, Alausa, Ikeja unveiled a Mini-Olympics Logo to kick start the holding of other sports alongside football in this year’s competition meant for former national and international footballers.
Performing the unveiling ceremony alongside Olympics gold medalist, Chioma Ajunwa-Oparah ( MON) President of Above 50 Football, Ambassador, Dr Edward Olutoke, noted that the successful hosting of the maiden edition of the championship last year encouraged him to include other sports in order to give senior citizens who were not retired footballers opportunity to exercise, recreate, network and keep fit, promising Nigerians that the event will be action filled when the tournament officially kicks off in October this year.
“You know this is an Olympic season all over the world and for us to come up with this wonderful initiative is commendable and I’m excited with the large turnout of people in this unveiling ceremony especially the ex-internationals who graced the occasion,” Olutoke who also doubles as President of Ikeja Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture said.
“The original concept of the competition is to make old age fanciful and something people will be looking forward to. You know that nobody wants to grow old because when you grow old there’s the possibility of you being sent to Old People’s Home and so it’s important that when you retire you join some group of people to exercise, network and learn how to make money.
“With this, we can pull ourselves together, create new life for ourselves through connections so that we don’t just die like chickens.”
According to Olutoke, five sports will be competed for; football, table tennis, boxing, Handball and squash.
In his remarks, Chairman of the technical Committee of the game, Dr Rafiu Ladipo, while commending Ambassador Olutoke for the wonderful initiative which it’s maiden edition touched the lives of many former footballers noted that all logistics for a successful hosting of this year’s championship have been put in place, promising that it will be a seamless championship.