Ibile Games 2015 Awards: Lagos Pours Encomium On Ex Olympian, Olowu.

For giving back through the awards for the best long jump athletes, the Lagos state government has commended former athlete and Nigeria team captain to the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games, Alhaji Karim Babalola Olowu, OON for instituting the annual awards.

The K.A.B Olowu Awards which will be given to the best three long jump athletes in Lagos State saw the first set of recipients honored during the prize giving ceremony for outstanding performance at the recently concluded Lagos State Secondary Schools Sports Festival tagged IBILE Games 2015.

Speaking at the ceremony held at the Sports Bar‎, inside the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, the Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Barrister Wahid Enitan Oshodi represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Sports, Mr Sowedo Oluseyi Whenu, described the gesture of the legendary long jumper as a way to encourage upcoming athletes to give their best at all times.

Whenu said the award has ensured that the name of Alhaji K.A.B Olowu has been etched in history while the Olympian who represented Nigeria at the British Empire Games in 1950 and two Olympic Games in 1952 and 1956 as well as three Commonwealth Games where he won two silver medals, ‎is still alive.

"He's a role model for us all and we appreciate his magnanimity for donating trophies and cash awards for the first, second and third annual best long juimp athletes. This, he has promised to be doing every year and even when he is ripe enough and no more, his family will continue the legacy. There is no doubt that he has written his name in gold," Whenu said.

The K.A.B Olowu award was given to Kake Tope, a student of Federal ‎College of Science and Technology, Yaba who leaped 6.26 metre at the Lagos Secondary Schools Sports Festival. Tope who was represented at the award ceremony by his coach,  Adu also got the sum of N100,000 from Alhaji Olowu.

Second placed Idowu Timelehin of International School, Akoka, Lagos with the jump of 6.21 metre was rewarded with N75,000, while Agbo Olisa of White Sands Schools, Lekki with the record, 6.19 metre received N50,000.

Equipment and facilities in various sports were given to the six outstanding schools at the 2015 Ibile Games; three in junior secondary school category and three in the senior secondary school category.