Rotary District 9112 kicks off RosFest 2027, outlines 6-months sports fiesta …As Abidoye Madueke-Onwo, Irabor harp on health benefits of sports
Rotary District 9112 has officially flagged off activities for the Rotary Sports Festival (RoSFest) 2027, a six-month fitness and fellowship fiesta designed to keep Rotarians mentally and physically sound to carry out humanitarian service.
The District Governor, Rotarian Olayioye Abidoye, who unveiled the programme at a media parley in Lagos at the weekend, said sports is critical to Rotary’s mission of service to humanity.
“When you participate in sports, you are mentally sound, you are physically sound and your health is in the right frame to do service and to function in your family. We Rotarians who have dedicated our lives to serving humanity must be fit mentally, physically and health-wise,” Abidoye said.
He disclosed that District 9112 currently has over 2,700 members across 96 Rotary Clubs, which he supervises.
Abidoye said RoSFest is “one way of taking care of those who take care of others”, adding that Rotary’s service continues alongside. He listed recent interventions to include donation of learning materials to Ojuwoye Inclusive Nursery and Primary School for children with visual and hearing impairments, observance of Disaster Relief Day, and screening of public primary school pupils for sight and hearing defects under the Legacy Programme to prevent mislabelling poor performance as dullness.
The DG also announced activities for World Polio Day on October 24, to raise awareness and funds to eradicate polio globally. According to him, only Afghanistan and Pakistan still harbour the wild polio virus, and as long as it exists anywhere, no country is safe.
The District Governor urged Rotarians to participate actively, quoting WHO’s definition of health: “Health is wealth. When you are not healthy, that is the only thing you think about. We can only mind other people’s business when we are healthy.”
Giving the breakdown, Chairman of RoSFest 2027 Committee, Past President Rotarian Chinyere Madueke-Onwo, said the festival is a six-month programme culminating in a grand finale in April.
According to her, club registration is ongoing and sports directors have been briefed.
“The qualifying games/tournaments will run from 31st January to 31st March 2027. On 2nd April, we will have the Opening Ceremony of RoSFest Week. On 8th April, we will hold the Golf Tournament at Ikoyi Club 1938, and on 11th April, the Grand Finale, Award and Prize-Giving Night,” she said.
She described Rotary’s work as a triangle: “We go make money, come solve problems and go home. So now we are trying to take care of our health to be able to do the good we do in the world.”
Madueke-Onwo explained that joining Rotary requires trustworthiness, humanitarian heart and willingness to give the 4Ts – Time, Treasure, Talent and Thinking.
Also speaking, Dr. Rotarian Augustine Irabor of Rotary Club of Ikoyi and member of RoSFest Committee, said the media parley was to announce dates and mobilize Rotarians and the public.
Irabor, who was among those honoured for their roles in the last edition for participating in football, tug of war and golf, said RoSFest awareness is growing.
“More people are aware of RoSFest. Last year was well organized, but we want to take it to a higher level,” he said, thanking sponsors, Rotarians and non-Rotarians who attended the launch.
RoSFest 2027 is expected to feature football, golf, tug of war, athletics and other sports, with the final celebration in April 2027 to honour winners and champions.
