16 varsities for pastor Adeboye’s birthday celebration games

As part of activities lined up for the 74th birthday ceremony of the General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, over 300 students from 16 universities will take part in a mini sports festival organized by the Redeemer’s Sports Directorate.

Pastor Adeboye will clock 74 on March 2, and the Director of Sports, Redeemer’s Sports Directorate (RCCG), Paul Bankole, said in Lagos yesterday that all arrangement had been put in place for the birthday anniversary celebration games, which will hold on February 29th through March 5th.

Bankole said that the directorate is in collaboration with the Nigerian University Games Association (NUGA) and the Nigerian Olympic Committee (NOC), for the games.

The 16 universities are the Redeemer’s University (RUN), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Bayero University, Kano (BUK), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Benson Idahosa University, BIU, Benin, University of Lagos (UNILAG), University of Ibadan (UI), Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Ondo State, Niger Delta university, Wilberforce Island, University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Federal University of Technology, Owerri; Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna, University of Benin, UNIBEN and Lagos State University, LASU.

Bankole added that over the decade, the Redeemer’s sports directorate in partnership with some state governments had organized activities including the U-20 National table tennis championship, the national dove golden belt boxing-male and female championship, cycling, mini-marathon, skating and football competitions.

The six days event will see 300 students and 70 officials compete in volleyball and Futsal competitions.

He revealed that Pastor Adeboye was an active player in both football and volley in his school days. “He continued playing volleyball, when he relocated to the University of Ife during the Biafra war, and it is also on record that he participated in the NUGA games at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and won a gold in volleyball. He also continued playing volleyball when he was admitted into the university of Lagos, for his Master’s degree and eventually became the volleyball coach of UNILAG,” Bankole stated.