Bashorun Kayode Bankole is the Vice-Chairman, Kwara State Football Association. In this interview with MIKE ADEYEMI, he speaks on his emergence as Vice Chairman as well as the urgent need to rekindle grassroots football development in the state. Excerpts:
What would you say led to your emergence as the new Vice-Chairman, Kwara FA?
First of all, I want to give Glory to God who made it possible. At the same time, I will tell you that it’s a function of my contribution to Kwara State sports development.
As a former Special Adviser on Sports, I contributed immensely during my time to the promotion of Kwara United.
Because as at that time, Kwara United was relegated to the lowest division. With the help of God and the support of the management of Kwara United then, we were able to lift Kwara United and get them promoted despite all odds.
What is your mission towards growth of Kwara FA?
As you know, I’m the Vice-Chairman. The first responsibility for me is to support the Chairman, Thuraya to take football to greater height.
And one of the things we want to do is grassroots development. If you are aware, as soon as we were sworn-in, we took some steps which is poles apart from what the immediate administration did.
The first thing we did was to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with a kits manufacturing company.
When we came back, we started planing the U-15 football Governor Cup. And the reason for this is not far fetch.
As part of our plans, we want to develop football at the grassroots level, at the same time, we want to discover young talented players across the nooks and crannies of the state.
So, we have plans to actually rejig football at the grassroots. That is our major plan.
Are you saying it’s a new dawn for Kwara FA?
Of course, it’s really a new dawn for Kwara Football Association.
What we are doing now is that we have gone round virtually to all the 16 Local Governments of the state, meeting all the stakeholders, the council heads and the traditional heads of various Local Governments.
All in a bid to intimate them of our programmes and plans so that they too can at their own level support football development at the grassroots.
Would you subscribe to the idea that each local government in the state should have a stadium?
I think that is a way forward. By the time we have stadium in each Local Government , the first thing we are promoting is grassroots development.
Because people would have facilities to train at the Local Government level, and that will help us to develop talents.
There is nothing as good as that. It’s a very good development if the government can look into that.
Are there plans before the Kwara FA to form synergy with the Kwara State Government towards sports development?
Yes. One of the steps towards that is the U-15 Governor Cup staged to mark the 100 days of this present administration in government.
And between me and you, it going to be fully sponsored by Kwara FA to support the government. And by that I’m very sure it would bring about growth in football development in the state.
Through football, youth development can be enhanced and most of the youths that are involved in drug abuse will be from it discouraged from it, sports can actually take it away from them. That is one of our plans.
Are you of the opinion that the present sports facilities in the state should be overhauled?
Yes of course! The renovation of Kwara State Stadium is long overdue. And I’m very sure that this present government will do us favour by renovating the stadium.
