Dikko tasks Nigeria Squash Federation to set sights on Olympic Medals
Oru Leonard
The National Sports Commission Chairman, Mallam Shehu Dikko, has expressed his delight with the recent achievements of the Nigeria Squash Federation. The Federation has made significant strides since its return from a ban on non-contact sports, with notable successes in the Namibian Squash Open Championship.
This contained in a press release signed by Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Kehinde Ajayi on Thursday.
Ayomide Oladipupo emerged as the champion in the Namibia Open Division ‘A’ for men, while Gabriel Olufunmilayo took home the bronze medal in the BDO tournament. The U19 age category also made a strong impression, winning several medals and causing upsets in their matches.
Mallam Shehu Dikko assured the Vice President and the Federation team of moral and financial support, emphasizing the importance of hard work and dedication during a courtesy visit by the Federation in his office at the Moshood Abiola International Stadium Abuja.
He also pointed out the need for effective communication and promotion, stating that “sports are all about promotion” and that “no one will take you seriously if you don’t provide what you do to the public.”
The Chairman reiterated the Commission’s commitment to supporting the Federation, including exploring opportunities for sponsorship and collaboration with other Federations.
The NSC Chief also encouraged the Federation to work closely with the Press to project their activities and achievements.
Speaking earlier, Vice President Mr Mailafia praised the game of Squash that has evolved over the last few decades and has led to the Sport being admitted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as one of the Olympic Sports to be played come2028 Olympic games to be hosted in Los Angeles, United State of America. This news gave the Federation great joy as it made a concerted effort to bring the Federation from category “C” to an Olympic sports category “A” as the Commission divided the different Sports into categories A-D.
The Vice President went ahead to enumerate the achievements of the Federation. Nigeria Squash Federation has been making giant strides internationally, with Adegoke Obaopemipo becoming the first Nigerian to win the PSA Challenger.
Kehinde Samuel also emerged victorious at the University of Victoria, Canada, while Ms Salome Iyeh made history as the first female Referee from Nigeria to officiate at the British Junior Open.
As the Federation continues to make strides, the National Sports Commission remains committed to providing support and guidance to help them achieve their goals, including winning Olympic medals in Squash.
Cover Photo Credit: Britanica
