No fewer than 84 players drawn from 15 states will be participating in the maiden edition of the LMK Under-15 Badminton Championship in Ilorin.
The competition’s local organising committee (LOC) was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Kwara State Stadium Complex in Ilorin.
Speaking during the inauguration, Executive Chairman of Kwara State Sports Commission, Bola Mogaji, commended the Chief Executive Officer of LMK Sports Kit Outfit, Abdulfatai Salaudeen, for sponsoring the tournament.
Mogaji noted that the tournament would complement the efforts of the state government in the development of sports at the grassroots.
The Chairman of Kwara State Badminton Association, Suleiman Warrah, while inaugurating the LOC expressed his confidence in the member's ability to deliver a worthy event.
”These are men of proven integrity and capacity,” he said.
Salaudeen, while speaking, noted that the idea of the championship was borne out of his desire to give back to society.
“I thank everyone for supporting me from the time we started planning for this event till this moment.
“This competition is just my own little way of giving back to society and also trying as much as possible to discover more talents that will represent the state and country in the nearest future”. Salaudeen who is a former badminton player said.
Speaking after the LOC’s inauguration, the committee’s Chairman and a former Kwara Director of Sports, Tunde Kazeem, pledged that the championship would be memorable and reflect the international standard.
Kazeem, who is also the Technical Director of the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), praised Mogaji for providing an enabling environment for the tournament.
“This is especially in the provision of hostel accommodation for the participating players and the Indoor Sports Hall for the games,” he said.
The championship which will begin on Thursday and end on Saturday will involve singles and doubles matches in both the male and female categories.
Apart from cash prizes totalling about two million Naira, there would also be prizes in the form of playing equipment for winners at the championship.