By Yinka Latona
Agege Stadium, Ijaiye Ogba in Lagos was the venue of this year’s finale of the football competition in commemoration of the Eledumare Festival organised by Olokun Festival Foundation. The venue was filled to capacity as many talented youths used the opportunity to showcase their soccer skills.

It was indeed an interesting encounter between the finalists Alimosho and Orile Agege Local Government Areas as they greatly thrilled the teeming spectators. It could be said that both teams were good but Alimosho eventually had the upper hand, out-scoring their opponents 4-1 and clinching the much-coveted trophy.

Chief Promoter of the festival, Otunba Gani Adams and other important dignitaries were on hand to cheer the young talents.

Otunba Adams said the Olokun Festival Foundation was aimed at promoting African culture and language. “The main objective of the foundation is to promote the culture of Africa and to sustain our heritage. This is the fourth edition and this year’s programme is titled Eledumare Festival and we have 21 programmes.

This year’s would be more elaborate because it is the Almighty God’s festival. This time around we want to promote the name of the founder of the whole world and heaven, the omniscience and omnipresence,” he said.

Adams also stated that sporting activities remained one of the major highlights of the annual festival due to the need to encourage young talents and make them become more useful to the society. “There is no way we could have the programmes without including sporting activities.

We have people with talents but due to lack of support, they have not been able to display them. That is why we are using this opportunity to organise sporting competitions. We always hold football competition because that is the only way we could create solid contacts with the young people and make them happy.

About 70 percent of those that participated in the sporting activities are not members of OPC or the Olokun Festival Foundation. The players made their days through their participation in the competition. If that is done always, youths would be busier and happier, As a result, they would not have the time to engage in violence and other criminal acts. So, the sporting activities are processes of bringing youths together and to reduce violence.”