The ‘Play Against Drug’ Basketball Championship will dunk off on Thursday, April 24, at the indoor hall of the Ondo State Sports Complex, Akure, according to the Proprietor of Hope Basketball Academy, Oluwatosin Olajubutu.
Disclosing this to newsmen in Akure, Olajubutu disclosed that the much awaited U-17 championship for boys and girls in the South West zone is targeted at educating youth on the dangers of drugs and substance abuse through sports.
“We have been able to identify sport most especially basketball as the best avenue to advocate for the need to abstain from drugs and we need all and sundry to join us in this campaign.”
The competition will take place between the April 24 and May 1.
“It is not about winning at all costs but to pass a strong message and debrief our youth against drug abuse. The championship is targeted at the female and male basketball players. The current statistics have shown that the number of teenagers in psychiatric hospitals is increasing on a daily basis as a result of drug abuse.”
Olajubutu explained that combining sports with advocacy would bring a lot of teenagers out of the menace through awareness and shared knowledge about drug abuse.
