Modupe Babalola, wife of renowned legal icon, Afe Babalola (SAN), has urged more youths in Nigeria to show more interest in sporting activities.

She stated that this accounted for why she instituted the ” Yeye Aare Babalola Athletics Sports Festival (YABAS/YAMBAF) 15 years ago .

She spoke on Sunday at the 2025th edition of the festival held at the Afe Babalola University, Ado EkitI (ABUAD) Stadium.

At the grand finale of the competition,  athletes drawn from various invited secondary schools and tertiary institutions, competed in different sporting activities, and those that excelled received different  prizes.

Mrs Babalola said  the festival was aimed at  discovering  talents among youths in the state and keeping them away from social vices.

She added that sportsmen and women discovered in the previous editions were now excelling in Nigeria and beyond.

She described sports development and growth as one of the ways through which potential of Nigerian youths could be developed for more economic gains and prosperity.

According to her, sports, if pursued vigorously by talented ones, is a veritable weapon that can be effectively used to fight poverty.

She said sports is also a part of life, noting that everybody needed  it to keep the body healthy and functional.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Elisabeta Olarinde, who delivered a goodwill message, commended her for sponsoring the competition in the past 15 years.

She said the sporting tournament had helped in fostering unity and cohesion among the students in the university and among other schools in the state.

(NAN)

ARIS/CHOM