SPORTS PERSONALITY: Kwara has talented players, but govt needs to prioritise football devt – Afase

Alhaji Afase Babatunde Salihu is the Chairman of Gidado Football Academy, Ilorin. In this interview with MIKE ADEYEMI, he speaks extensively on how the new government can promote sports as well as the need to prioritise the needs of the state in the area of sports development. Excerpts:

Why did you pick interest in football at the expense of other sports? 
You see, people often time say inborn trait is far different from what is learnt.
Though, none of my parents played football. My passion for football started at the tender age of 10. I actively played football since childhood till now. I was born in Ile-Ife and came to Ilorin in 1979, and all this while I had been playing football. I don’t really have passion for other sports except football.
Did you at any time take up football as a career?
Yes. I played football at a local level with Lion Football Club of Jagun, Okelele, Ilorin. Some of my playmates includes, Abdullahi Ojomu, Safari among others.
What informed Gidado Football Academy? 
Gidado Academy came about shortly after I finished training at the Kwara State stadium one day. While exiting the stadium, I met some feeders players of Kwara United stranded and I enquired what happened. They replied that the team ought to be in Oyo for a match, but they were short of logistics. I had to give them money for the journey.
They came back after their outing to thank me, and there after I began to assist them financially. Later, the feeder team was handed to me in 2012.
What are the obstacles encountered in the course of tutoring these young players? 
We faced lots of challenges in the course of this journey. Prior to now, I didn’t believe that a parent could detest a particular child in the interest of others. I got to know this from the immediate past Kwara State Government. We as individuals opted to raise feeders team out of our interest for the game, and the then Kwara State Government stood up to be an obstacle to our cause. It’s quite unfortunate. We had no option than to stand resolute in our determination as against their resistance knowing fully well that, one day another government would come in that will appreciate what we are doing.
In a nutshell, it’s hard to run a Football Club in Kwara? 
We found it easy because we had a formidable crew in the system. We all came together with the same passion. The boys too were cooperating.
What led to the formation of Gidado Academy in the first place was that, I discovered that a lot of football talents abound in Kwara State. And if we fail to tap them, I strongly believe that God will ask about them from us.
As of today, we have the junior team,  and the senior team. Also, we have U-15 and U-17 sets. All these players in number are over 170.
Now imagine, had it been these large number of boys were not engaged productively -won’t they constitute nuisance to our society tomorrow?
All the players now believe that with their presence at Gidado Academy, their future is guaranteed. The club has represented Kwara State in about two or three football tournaments and we did well. Of recent, the club represented Kwara State at Dodomayana football competition in Lagos and we won.
How many trophies has the club won? 
We have won many trophies. Between last year till date, the club has won about three trophies. We were also at two finals. For a club to be representing the state at various competitions, it shows that Kwara has a good future. Kwara State did not have problem of good players, we just have to prioritise our needs.
Has there been a time the Kwara State Government assisted the Club? 
No! The last administration in the state did not help us. Rather, they compounded our problems.
What area of sports would you advise the new government to focus on? 
My advice for the new government is that, the best empowerment area any government can focus to bring about stream of profits is sports.
Sports project the values and dignity of any state to the outside world.
Kwara State badminton in particular has been best in the Nigeria in the last three to four years back now.
So, I want to charge the new government to promote sports so as to tackle restiveness among our youths.