IFUMSA Health Week: The Opening Ceremony

By  Ifeoluwa Adegboyega 

The long anticipated IFUMSA ( Medical Students’ Association, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife) 35th Health week commenced on Saturday, 29th May 2021.  The theme of the health week is: “Gender-Based Violence”. 

The health week is a week filled with lots of amazing and fun filled activities. This is the association little (but not so little) way of engaging students in non academic part of the university life. The events of the week holds from the 29th of May to the 5th of June. Watch this space as OAU Peeps, a media partner of the week will be giving you a detailed report of the events of each day. 

The Health Week kicked off with the opening ceremony at Main-bowl, OAU Sports Complex. It was a sport event of a track event and a football match. The football match was between the Excelsiors warriors team and the Stalwarts lions team. 

The ceremony picked up around 4:00pm with the arrival of the sponsor, Wale Okediran and his wife. The program also hosted the presence of the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede who was a special guest at the ceremony. Other special guests like: DVC Admin - Prof Ajila, DVC Academics - Prof Bamire, Prof Agbakwuru, Retired Prof of Surgery, Prof Makinde, Obs & Gynaecology, and Prof Anyadike also graced the ceremony with their presence. 

The Aliyu twins, Pelumi and Joy took the first limelight with their victory in the track event. 

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To spice up the event, the Vice-Chancellor was called into the training pitch to launch the ball before the match started. 



The match started at 4:40 pm as the ball was interchanged between the Excelsiors warriors team and the Stalwarts lions. The back and forth attempt to kick the ball into the opponent’s goal post soon became intriguing and fun. 

In the first half of the tournament, Excelsiors warriors got an attempt to score but it averted by the defense of the Stalwarts lions.

At 5:06 pm, Stalwarts Lions got a free-kick against the opponent.  Spectators were wild with excitement and hope that it was going to be a win considering how close the ball was to the goal post. To the spectators’ disappointment, the goal was lost. 

Again, at 5:09 pm, the Excelsiors warriors team got another shot to lead and this time, the opportunity was not wasted. Mishaudeen kicked the ball into the opponent’s goal post, making the team lead by 1-0. 

The first half ended with a serious injury of one of the Excelsiors warriors’ team player, Noni and the team leading. 

After a break of freshening up and drilling, at 5:37 pm the second half commenced. The Excelsiors warriors, determined to stay atop the game got a corner kick. But the score remained the same as a goal was missed. 

Similarly, at 5:45 pm, Solomon, a Stalwarts Lions’ team player got an opportunity to equalize with the opponent. The crowd commended the effort of the brave player with a rapturous roar of exultation. 

The match became really eventful as Stalwarts Lions got another chance to score another goal and lead with a freekick at 5:56pm. The goal was made by Sheriff. 

After so many shots and raving efforts of the teams, the match ended at 6:11pm. The Stalwarts Lions won the match with a 2-1, making the crowd run wild with joy. Truly, in the game of football, it is not over until it is over. 

The Sponsor of the competition Wale Okediran and his wife were called upon to present the medals to the players of each team.

Solomon, the scorer of Stalwarts Lions was awarded The Player of the Tournament. 

 Finally, The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede was also honoured with the task of presenting the Trophy to the winners of the football match.