Ogun 2024: Kwara’s historic Gold medalist eyes National cycling team invite
Ashiribo Olalekan, who secured the first gold medal for Team Kwara at the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival in Ogun State, has expressed his desire to represent Nigeria at international competition.
Speaking to journalists shortly after his victory on Thursday, where he won gold medal in the 200 metre sprints event, Olalekan, who expressed delight at his achievement, revealed that the major drive behind his success lies in the training he’s received from the team’s coach.
He said “I am very happy to have delivered the very first gold medal for Kwara. Cycling in Kwara has been developing for a while now, and we want it to skyrocket as high as possible. “
Olalekan revealed that the major driving force behind his achievement lies in the effort of their coach, who has been motivating all the athletes to go for the best.
“The motivation has been the guide and zeal of the Coach leading the team, for a while now, we have been trying to get the very best medal in the ‘Nigerian Olympics’ and it’s been the same zeal that’s been driving the athletes who have been putting in the best all this while”
He continued “I would like to be called to the National camp soon, and we can be able to compete with our counterparts in the other African countries, and probably may be in the world championship- if we can get a gold in that ,it will be a very good one”
The young cyclists further expressed his desire to win more medals for the state at the ongoing festival, noting that the Kwara cyclist team has the prospect to bring more honours to the state.
“I know we can still do more ,we have about five more events, and all we want is just gold – we can always deliver gold all the way” he stated.
As of Thursday evening, Kwara has won five medals in total across all the sporting events – with a gold in cycling, a silver and two bronze medals in Wushu Kungfu, and a bronze in Dart.
Team Kwara are also guaranteed of a podium finish in Squash event where two of its athletes, Rofiat Abdulazeez and Isaac Blessing, will slug it out in an women’s singles event.
