Nigerian born former US number 2 squash champion, Moses Olubo, has described the spanking new Squash Court in Kwara State Stadium in Ilorin as one out of top four best of such facility in the world, commending Governor Abdulrahaman Abdulrazak for undertaking the project.
The facility is one of courts of a game cluster of Table Tennis, Tennis and Squash at the stadium.
“I have seen so many courts in the US, Poland, Egypt and Pakistan, but I can tell you that what you have in Kwara belongs to the best four, globally,” explained Olubo who has lived the last 36 years of his life in the US where he won numerous squash opens in DC, Miami, Heuston, Omaha and in all together 36 states in the US.
Before living for the US, he was a Nigerian Champion, winning Milo Squash Open and many others like The Elephant Cement Open, Bendel Open, Aba Open Kano Open Enugu Open and many more.
Lamenting the poor fortunes of the game over the years after military government who appear to have a better record of promoting the game, Olubo said that the state government’s effort in Ilorin we go a long way to shore up the squash playing culture, pushing up Nigeria’s to number one in Africa that Egypt currently occupies.
“But the governor through the sports commission must begin organizing local competition,” he added.
Squash made it back into the Paris Olympics 2024 but for demonstration purpose only. Competition in the game begins by 2028.
“There is so much to be done between now and 2028 to put Nigeria and Kwara in the global map as far as squash is concerned.
“The state must first create seasonal circuits for the game to maintain the facility and grow talents.
“Efforts must be made to court partners and sponsors for squash,” he added.
