By Editor
The opening of maiden edition of Ayo Olopon Sweden Global Tourism festival began yesterday in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital amidst pomp and funfair.
The two-day event organised by Ayo Olopon Sweden Global Tourism festival in collaboration with Ekiti State Bureau of Touurism Development was put together to resuscitate and popularize the age long traditional game from extinction into a world class standard.
The event, richly garlanded by command performance of cultural dance troupe, the palm wine Drinkers Club and exhibition of traditional Ekiti arts saw contestants mostly youths and young adults displaying their dexterity in the local game.
Also, a high powered representatives of Ekiti State government led by DG Bureau of Touurism Development, Amb Wale Ojo-Lanre, DG, Bureau of Local Content, Dr Lekan Ijidale, Prince Adetola Ademola, Chairman, Ekiti State Mineral Resources Development Agency and S.A to the Governor on Youth Development, Amb. Olu-Ajayi Maxwell Olusegun graced the occasion to give support to the initiative.
On the impacts of Ayo Olopon to tourism, Amb. Wale Ojo-Lanre while addressing newsmen at the event said; “Anywhere they are playing Ayo game, it attracts a lot of people either from the village or the city and anything that lures people from their abode to another place either for education, entertainment, games, fashion and conferences is tourism”
Speaking further, the DG said Ekiti has different types of traditional games such as Ayo Olopon and the other one is arin which caught the attention of a group of Nigerians living in Sweden who showed interest in revitalizing and digitalizing the game.
“I have to thank the Ayo Olopon Sweden Global concern for their commitment at reviving, revitalizing and re-energizing Ayo Olopon as you can see the large turn out of people both young and old who want to know more about the game”
Stressing the moral importance of Ayo Olopon to the players, Wale Ojo-Lanre said; “Dulards cannot play Ayo Olopon because it evokes critical thinking, it evokes collaboration and it evokes counting. This is where I want to thank the organizers of this event and also give special thanks to the Governor of Ekiti State who believes that we must do everything humanly possible at revitalizing some of our traditional games from going into extinction”
Earlier, the DG Bureau of Local Content, Dr Lekan Ijidale in his opening remarks described the initiative as laudable saying that Ayo Olopon is as old as the ages past.
According to him: “Ayo Olopon has been with us since many centuries ago as a major source of entertainment for our ancestors. To me, promoting Ayo Olopon is part of what we need to do as government and as Bureau of Local Content because it’s a celebration of our cultural heritage”
On the amount of government support for the initiative, the DG explained that government is in full support of any initiative aimed at promoting Ekiti cultural values as one of the main pillars of Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji’s administration.
Declaring the event open, Prince Adetola Ademola who described himself as a veteran in Ayo Olopon game spoke of his efforts at promoting the game since 2012 when he sponsored some youths from Ekiti State to National Sports Festival in Lagos as they came home with medals.
He enjoined the participants to look beyond the entertainment aspect of Ayo Olopon game but as a means of providing secured future for them even as he cited examples of some Ekiti indigenes who have secured permanent employment in the state civil service by winning medals during National Sports Festival for the State.
At the end of the thrilling encounter 16 contestants including a female player locked on two apiece for the league session while 8 players who emerged winners will proceed to final stage on Saturday
