The Oyo State Government, in collaboration with iCue League through the State Agency for Youth Development, hosted young professional pool players from different states in a pool Champions League tournament filled with skills and excitement.
The league, with a total of 24 players, boasted excitement from the preliminary rounds to the third place and final match, which took place at the Billiard section of the Ibadan Recreation Club 1902.
Present at the event are dignitaries from the Oyo State Government, The Chairman, of Oyo State Agency for Youth Development, Prince Falana Adebowale Adebayo; The Executive Adviser to the Governor of Oyo State on Youth and Sports, Honourable Seun Fakorede; The President of Ibadan Recreation Club 1902, Mr Olaitan Akinola; The Chairman of IRC 1902 Billiard section, Engr. Mbim Okutiyang: The captain of the section, esteemed members of the club,b, and other pool players.
The event was set in motion with the third place best of 3 match due to the size of the billiard table, featuring two skillful players from Ogun State, Akin Owodunni (a.k.a Neymar) and Oderinde Olamilekan (a.k.a Natural) who has lots of professional medals to his name.
Natural started the game with his usual stoic presentation, disorganizing Neymar into believing he had the game at hand until he smashed the killing cue to get the win. Securing the third place prize with a (2-0) win.
The stage was set for the final game between Joseph Adejuyigbe (a.k.a Joe) and Ogundoju Olumide Abidemi (a.k.a Wyza), with both players itching to display their skills to the delight of the spectators.
With the Oyo State Government playing a role in the success of the pool champions league, the Chairman of Oyo State Agency for Youth Development, Prince Falana Adebowale Adebayo, expressed his excitement at the success of the tournament.
According to him “the Governor, His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde has given a mandate that every talent in the state does not waste; I’m excited to see Wyza winning this because he is from Oyo State and people came around from different southwest states. It’s is an excitement for me that the host state took the trophy.”
Speaking on the agency’s plan for other unpopular sports in the state, Prince Adebowale said “We have the executive adviser to the governor on sports here present and I can assure you that since it is not my field, I can work directly with them and make recommendations on certain areas and we are working together as a team. The person in charge is capable and so many sports development will come up very soon, and I can assure you that within a short period, we will hit the goal that we are looking for.”
Equally, the Executive adviser to the Governor on Sports, Asiwaju Seun Fakorede promised to make the next edition of the tournament more glamours, and exciting than this, stressing that the winner would go home with three Million Naira (#3,000,000), the second will bag Two million naira (#2,000,000) and the third position with One Million Naira (#1,000,000), respectively.
He, however, speaks on the benefit of the pool Champions League to the State development in transforming the economy through the world of Sports.
Highlighting plans for the iCue League, Mr Odita said, “The pool champions league is gone. It can come once or twice a year, but right now, iCue League is looking to partner with many people that want to do custom or sponsored tournaments with iCue League planning and organizing tournaments.”
The top three winners of the Oyo State Pool Champions League went home with mouth-watering cash prizes; the second runner-up got a cash prize of 300,000 thousand nairas; the first runner-up got 500,000 nairas while the winner got a grand cash prize of One Million Naira (#1,000,000) naira.
