By Yusuf Mutiu Olaitan
If we’re kick-starting this journey together, I pray you shall always score every goal you’re given!
The column, “Talk sports with Sturaro” can never come into fruition – not to talk of recording any success story if you – readers, spectators, and fans – leave it to me. You’re all welcome on board!
Let’s kick off the game for this week!
Like Hale end in London, Melwood in Liverpool, Castilla in Madrid, La Masia in Catalona, Government High School, Adeta has over the years produced a lot of super-inspiring football talents. Some of them making it as far as representing the Nigeria Super Eagles; others represented the age grade National football team. Majority of them played -and still are playing- in the Nigerian Professional Football league.
I need not bore the readers with how Government High School, Adeta came into existence. It’s not unconnected to the vision and good thought of the father of the present Governor of Kwara State. It’s an open secret. Everyone knows.
With that, anyone, anywhere is safe to say that Government High School is an integral part of the life of Kwara state Governor. Over the years, the local football pitch situated in the compound of the school has welcomed the feet of the best of the best footballers in and outside Ilorin. The football pitch which has been the training ground for International football Academy for more than three decades is arguably the best local pitch in Ilorin.
Few of the footballers who have had a feel of what this historical pitch looks like include but are not limited to; Former Super Eagle’s goalie Dele Ayenugba, who is now plying his trade with Kwara United football club. Plateau United Forward, Abdulrahman Bashir played for International football Academy while he was still in the grassroots, looking for what would be a change of destiny before Abubakar Bukola Saraki ABS F.C, formerly known as Bukola Babes came calling. Taiwo Awoniyi who was a part of the title-winning U-17 FIFA championship in UAE in the year 2013 was a regular player on Government High School turf in the Mid -2000s. And many more!
This pitch till 2019 when Kwarans voted massively for Mallam Abdulrasaq Abdulrahman was busily churning out massive talents across the city – and state. The new Governor, who in his campaign promised the state to improve the Education sector, started with renovations of schools across the state. GHS, may be due to the history it has, or maybe because the school was lucky was among the selected schools to be renovated. To the surprise of us, the renovation kicked off immediately. We were all surprised. But that was why we voted him – to attend to what is necessary.
Sincerely, I for one, was very happy. For I thought the renovation will have a positive effect on the pitch. As a sportsman, athlete, and an aspiring sports journalist —- the football pitch was my priority immediately I learned of the renovation. It’s only normal that whenever and wherever a renovation is going on, there must be adequate monitoring on the site. And that was what we have at GHS. The pitch was a no-go area for any athlete —- this could only mean one thing, the team that have adopted the pitch should find a new training ground. I wouldn’t know how the team felt about that development, but I think they must be happy. At least, they were only going to vacate the place till the renovation is done. Hope!
Alas, for more than a year, the pitch remains a no-go area. Which obviously translates to the fact that the GHS pitch which we knew to be a passage for football stars is blocked – for whatever reason I wouldn’t know. There were lots of grapevines about the renovation, non which is enough to justify the unnecessary blockage of the “passage of football stars!”
I may not know so many things about the renovation and the stage of the completion. Yet, the fact that the premises is opened for several activities sans sports is worrying. I know this administration to be a very active promoter of sports. However, the blockage of our “passage for football stars” is not so good — it’s not good at all.
For all I care, the Kwara stadium is not enough to house the talents in this state. And as such, the state government should encourage our teeming athletes by opening various football pitches across the town – which GHS pitch should be at the top of the list at the moment.
To our ever-sporty Governor, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, please for the sake of humanity, and our collective future, kindly open the GHS football pitch. By not doing that, I’m utterly sorry to tell you that abundant of talents are out there doing what they aren’t supposed to be doing due to the embargo on the GHS football pitch. And the career of those guys will hang on your neck if things go well – and vice versa. I pray the latter doesn’t happen. Someone say Amen! The solution isn’t our Amens. The Governor should open our “passage for football stars!”
