It was a happy moment for the winners of the traditional Ayo Olopon competition, one of the high points of the 36th Lisabi Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State as Eagle Aromatic Schnapps, the main festival partner, provided the winners with various cash prizes. and yesterday’s gift.
Eagle Aromatic Schnapps, Nigeria’s original prayer drink and cultural heritage brand from the stable of Intercontinental Distillers Limited (IDL), is the sponsor of the Ayo Olopon game in addition to being the main festival partner.
The Lisabi Festival is a historic festival and cultural heritage event celebrated annually by the Egba people of Ogun State in honor of the legendary Lisabi, the hero of the Egba liberation struggle from the dominance of the old Oyo Kingdom.
As a sponsor of the traditional Ayo game, Eagle Schnapps gave cash and many prizes to the first, second and third male and female winners to excel in the competition.
In the male category, the first prize went to Johnson Adeoye; second prize, was for Rasheed Akanbi, while Seun Aiyedun won third place. For the female category, Aderonke Lawal won the first prize; the second prize was won by Fatimot Adeniyi, while the third prize went to Salimat Adeokun.
Apart from the cash prizes, the winners also get various gifts including branded items.
Presenting cash prizes and prizes to the winners, the Category Manager, Intercontinental Distillers Limited, Mr. ‘Tofunmi Opaleye, commended them for showing good skills and agility in the brain-teasing local game, while noting some of the important benefits of Ayo. Olopon includes the ability to think quickly on the spot, take the right decision and make the right move when it’s most important, and the spirit to work.
“I congratulate all the winners for your achievements. This achievement will surely motivate you to achieve greater things in life. Ayo Olopon is a game that entertains the mind and brain, so it is a game that promotes a positive mindset. It inspires the ability to think quickly on the spot, take the right decision and make the right move when it matters most. It increases the spirit of what can be done and increases the players’ endurance to see things through to the end,” he said.
Opaleye, assisted by the Regional Sales Manager, IDL, Mr. Oladele Adeyemi, also encouraged those who did not make the list of winners to see their participation in the competition as an opportunity to improve their skills, and assured that next year’s edition of the game will be bigger.
In this event, the Chairman of the Lisabi Festival Education Committee, Mr. Abiodun Soetan, confirmed that Ayo Olopon, which is usually called a game for intellectuals, is a good recreational sport with various benefits including promoting mental health.
He urged the youth to take interest in the game by learning how to play it while charging not to allow modernity to destroy the rich cultural heritage.
Another prize-awarded competition is the local traditional wrestling known as Ijakadi. The winners also received various amounts of cash and prizes from other sponsors and Lisabi Festival organizers.
Dignitaries present at the prize presentation ceremony included Alake from Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo; Agura of Gbagura, Oba Saburi Babajide Bakre; Asipa from Egbaland, Chief AbdulRasheed Raji, and Baaroyin from Egbaland, Chief Lai Labode.
The Lisabi Festival provided an unforgettable spectacle for many Egba sons and daughters from home and across the continent, as well as supporters from far and near to enjoy the rich cultural heritage of the Egba people. The main activities for this year’s event include the traditional libation at Lisabi’s ancestral shrine, which is performed with the original prayer drink; Eagle Aromatic Schnapps. gun booming in the historic Olumo Rock, Ayo Olopon competition, local wrestling (Ijakadi) competition, unity seminar, and musical performances by various guest artists and others.
The Ruler of Alake and Paramount of Egbaland, His Highness, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, Okukenu IV, is the chief host of the Lisabi Festival, with the support of senior chiefs, other chiefs, and sons and daughters of the ancient kingdom. The festival attracts many revelers including locals, local and international tourists and culture enthusiasts.