SPORTS PERSONALITY: Many Kwara disables have been raised to stardom – Pa Fabiyi

Pa Adebisi Fabiyi is an Octogenarian and the Founder, Hope Games for the Disabled. In this interview with MIKE ADEYEMI, he speaks about the rationale behind Disabled Games as well as how many Disables have been raised to stardom in Kwara. Excerpts:
What informed your interest in Hope Games for disabled?
My involvement in sports span back 1982 when Hope Game for disabled was birthed. And since then, I have been motivated by the physically impared people like the blind, the deaf and other handicapped in the state.
The aim for the game is meant to encourage them so that they too can be part and parcel of the society in Kwara State, though the student cut across Nigeria.
The Hope Games for the disabled had since 1982, followed a pattern of holding the annual sports festival for the school, with the first day, usually on Friday, featuring  Acrobatic display, other forms of entertainment by the students, a Football match between the school for the deaf, and their counterpart “normal” school in town at Kwara State Stadium, free for all interested spectators.
It is followed by with Saturday Inter-House Athletics compettiion among the houses namely, Governor’s House ,Principal’s House, Emir’s House and PTA’s House, in the school.
Has your mission and purpose of promoting sports among the disabled achieved over time?
Yes. It has been fully achieved. I thank God. My involvement has to large extend created a forum for these physically impared to lime-light.
We have student like Muri who was discovered through this competition who is now based in London. He is a wheel chair Table-Tennis player and many of them like that across the globe doing exceedingly well.
This laudable humanitarian programme celebrated its Silver Jubilee in a grand style in year 2006, but after 27 years of successful programme, only one Chief Executive of the State had ever graced the occasion of the Hope Games, though the Government had given some measures of support all along.
How much has staging Hope Games for the handicapped gauge your foundation since inception?
In fact, there is no year that the competition will not gauge us over a million naira.
Because apart from the fact that we kited all these athletes, we also made available dishes and the logistics. They are always given launch on the day of the tournament including all the staff and officials. So also we did for invited schools from other able colleges in relay race.
The Hope Games for the Disabled Persons became widely popular in 1992, when Adebisi Fabiyi was sixty years old.
Has it be anytime the Kwara State Government come to your aid toward helping these disabled?
No. It was only during the military regime that the then administrators attended the fiestas. But none of the civilian governor bothered to know what we are doing there.
My appeal to the government is that each time an individual is doing something like this, I think they should be supported and be encouraged.
For this year, we are expecting the Deputy Governor of Kwara State to grace the football event with us and other dignitaries across the state. The Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mall Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman is the Special Guest of Honor on the final day for athletics.
Are you saying empathically that Hope Games for disabled has raised many Kwara disables to Stardom?
Yes indeed. They are very many. Adebisi Fabiyi foundation has really discovered many disabled athletes in Kwara State and they are doing well all over the world. By this,  I think the mission and vision for the initiative has been achieved and we are indeed grateful to God.