The Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Ondo State Chapter, has urged the State Sports Council, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to commence early preparations for the forthcoming National Sports Festival in Enugu to improve the state’s performance on the medals table.
It would be recalled that the state had not been able to surpass the sixth position it reached during the “Eko 2012” festival in Lagos.
The association also appealed to the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Henry Omoyofunmi, and the General Manager of the Ondo State Sports Council, Evelyn Lebi, to prioritise the welfare of athletes and officials throughout the preparation and participation period.
The call was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the association’s congress held on Friday, July 10 at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Alagbaka, Akure.
The communiqué said early planning, adequate funding and improved welfare were critical to achieving a successful outing for Team Ondo at the festival.
SWAN also urged the management of Sunshine Stars FC and Sunshine Queens FC to begin preparations early for the forthcoming football season to secure immediate promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL), respectively.
The association expressed disappointment over the relegation of Sunshine Queens to the Nigeria Women Football League Championship for the third consecutive time, describing the development as unacceptable.
It called on the management of the Ondo State Football Agency to stabilise the technical crew of Sunshine Queens led by Tayo Onilude, citing the team’s impressive run in the President Federation Cup.
The association also urged the agency to strengthen the coaching set-up with capable administrative and backroom staff and retain the core of the squad, especially outstanding players, to facilitate the club’s immediate return to the top flight.
SWAN, however, commended Sunshine Queens for reaching the semi-finals of the 2025 President Federation Cup despite their league challenges, describing the achievement as commendable.
“The Congress applauded the remarkable performance of the Sunshine Stars U-19 team in both their league campaign and the President Federation Cup, where they defeated several NPFL clubs before reaching the Round of 16.
“The Congress appealed to the management of Sunshine Stars to keep the U-19 team together to ensure continuity, future success, and possible economic benefits through player development.
“It also urged the technical crew to promote outstanding players from the youth team to the senior side,” it noted.
The communiqué further urged the Ondo State Government, through the Ondo State Sports Council, to reactivate all sports associations by reconstituting their boards where necessary or engaging the existing leadership to revitalise sports development across the state.
It also called on the state government to appropriately reward athletes and officials who had brought honour to Ondo State through outstanding performances at national and international competitions.
The communiqué was issued at the end of the congress presided over by the SWAN State Chairman, Segun Giwa, and signed by the Chairman of the Drafting Committee, Bolu-Olu Esho, Secretary, Femi Atolagbe, Member, Tunde Lawal, and e-signed by the SWAN State Secretary, Joseph Adesuyan.
