An Ogun State Indigene and German Table Tennis Champion, Adedapo Akiode, the CEO of Hoffnung Sports Foundation (HSF) has been conferred with the Award of the Best Performing Sports Foundation in Nigeria by the Society for Promotion of Sports Initiative at the 2024 Nigerian Sports National Merit Award held in Abuja on Friday 25th October, 2024
Akiode, a former Nigeria International Table Tennis Champion, and now Sports Technocrat, was awarded alongside Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Godswill Akpabio CON, President of the Senate, the immediate past Minister for Sports Development, Senator John Enoh, RT. HON. COMRADE PHILIP SHAIBU, Former Deputy Governor of Edo State, amongst several other eminent personalities.
In 2022, and ahead of the National Sports Festival, Hoffnung Sports Foundation donated Sporting Equipment to the Ogun State Government. Some of the sports equipment donated included Customized Ogun Jerseys, Tennis Rackets, Table Tennis Kits, and Lawn Tennis Kits, among others.
The Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi, who received the donation on behalf of the state contingents, commended the Foundation for the support, saying, “The gesture was a rare one, as only a few people think of what they can contribute to governance rather than wait on the government for everything”.
Talabi, who described the charitable contributions as a move that would encourage more people to support the government on its “Building Our Future Together” agenda, noted that such support had inspired the present government in its determination to facilitate more youth development programmes in the State.
Highlight of the event was the full adoption of Ogunkunle Ishau, OFR, a class four Nigerian table tennis player who won a bronze medal in the singles event of Table Tennis at the Paralympic Games, ending Nigeria’s 24-year medal drought.
This, amongst many more, is one of the Charitable activities of Hoffnung Sports Foundation.
According to the member of the Main Organizing Committee of the Award, Mr. Vincent O. Michael, the Award is in recognition of HSF’s pivotal and unprecedented role in the uplift and development of Sports in Nigeria.
The Founder & CEO of Hoffnung Sports Foundation, Mr Adedapo Akiode, while receiving the honour, acknowledged that the award will not make the Foundation rest on its oars but will spur them to do more in the overall development of Sports in Ogun State in particular and Nigeria as a whole.
