A group, Bright Stars Association, has advocated for the recognition of Draft as a national sports in Nigeria.
The group made the appeal after hosting a Draft championship in Alagbole, one of the Ogun border communities to Lagos on December 24.
The championship commenced on December 22 with preliminary and knockout stages which ended on the night of Christmas Eve with Donald Olaleye and Zamzam, playing at the finals. Olaleye later won the game that stretched several rounds.
Speaking on the reason for the group and the championship, Olaleye said: “Primarily it is for unification, to bring various people and become one, to appreciate our value as a people. The game of Draft for instance, people get the misconception that it is for Okada riders or people that have no jobs. But if you see our group here, we have so many people of value, we have professors, masters degree holders, captains of industries and managers of companies.”
On the benefits of Draft, Olaleye said it’s a game of calculation and strategy that can benefit people in businesses and other endeavours.
He said: “Draft is a game that involves calculation. For instance, as a manager of a company, the ideas we have in Draft, which is, if I move this, you move this, that gives you the strategy of how to maneuver issues.
He said Draft helps people to value every right steps made in life because that is what could lead to becoming ‘king.’
He said: “In the game, there is what we call king. The king is the masterpiece that can move without being bound by the normal rules that affect other seeds. So, the king is like the chief strategist that can move from here to there. So, it helps you to value every little move you make in life. You know it’s a step by step game. So, the moment a seed can move from one end to the other end, it becomes the king. So, it helps you to value growth in life so that you don’t need to rush in life. You just follow the steps to becoming a King.”
Olaleye also added that Draft can be medicinal.
He said: “ One of the major benefits of Draft is that it is like a soothing medicine for depression. If you come here (the meeting points of the Draft players), the way we play the game, we laugh together, even if you have so many worries, you tend to forget about the burden.”
He encouraged well meaning individuals and the government to promote the game into becoming a national sport.