One of the privileged students specially sponsored to this year’s Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA 2024), Awwal Omotosho has declared that his major target during the week-long camp is to return home with a gold medal from the football event.
Omotosho acknowledged on Saturday after arriving in the camp that there will be many academic, interactive, social, scientific and cultural events, but stressed in a chat with sports247.ng that his main focus would be on winning the football competition.
He explained that his interest in the football contest is basically because his father played the round leather game to a large extent, and still serves as a goalkeeper during some recreational activities in the present time.
The amiable youngster, who is an SS2 student at Masterguide College, Egbeda, Lagos, added that he had a challenge with some colleagues in school that he would make them proud by returning with a gold medal at the end of RYLA Camp 2024 next Sunday, August 18th.
“We normally play football at our school during break time and sometimes after closing,” said Omotosho, who is at RYLA 2024 with one of his classmates, Olalekan Darasimi.
“We learnt that there will be a football competition at the camp and our schoolmates said we must win it, or they will mock us when we return.
“I also want to make my dad proud because I will be wearing his jersey with his name, Omotosho, on the back.
“He played alongside former national team defender, Celestine Babayaro as a kid in Kaduna, and he still participates as a goalkeeper during local government competitions when he represents his office.
“He was happy when I said that we would play football at RYLA Camp, and he said I must be in the winning team. I also want to be the competition’s best defender.”
Omotosho concluded by thanking Rotary Club of Ikeja-Alausa for sponsoring him and nine other students from four different schools to the camp and declared that he is already praying to be in the same football team with two of them.
“I came here with my classmate, Darasimi Olalekan, as well as three other boys sponsored by Rotary Club of Ikeja-Alausa.
“The other boys are Joe Olupitan, Damian Adeshina and Adeola Afolayan. They are all good players, and I pray that all of us will be in the same team so that we can win the cup.
“I also say thank you to Rotary Club of Ikeja-Alausa for sponsoring ten of us to this camp. I pray that God will continue blessing them,” Awwal supplicated.
RYLA 2024 chair, AG Ademola Olutusin specially welcomed the attendees aboard the ferry that took them into the camp from Liverpool jetty and assured them of a wonderful experience that will be full of various mental, physical, social and educative activities.
He also hinted that many popular public figures, actors and professionals would be invited to take the attendees through various lectures that would benefit each participant in years to come.
The camp, which is located at Sea School, off Creek Road, Apapa, Lagos, will be officially declared open this Sunday, with many personalities and celebrities expected in attendance.