The Founder of the Hammed Ayinla Foundation, a non-governmental organisation based in Ilorin, Dr Ahmed Ayinla, has called for the immortalisation of the late Alhaji Yusuf Salami, founder of Al-Yusuf Salami Rocks Football Club, by naming an edifice after him in the George Innih Stadium Complex, Ilorin, or associating him with a major annual national sporting event such as the Federation Cup.

Dr Ayinla, a former provost of the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, made the call on Friday while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the foundation's third annual public award ceremony held at the Taiwo Awoniyi Media Centre, Ilorin.

Those honoured with sports awards of excellence at the event were renowned sports journalist Mr Bayour Issah (Mr Sports), former Kwara State commissioner for sports Alhaji Hameed Adio (OLY), Yakubu Ekundayo (Captain Dayo), Baba Alli (Magaji Ikolaba), Alhaji Abdulkadir Tosho Alanamu, Coach Issa Saliman (also known as Lanky), Rashid Badmus (Baye), Alhaji Adebayo Yusuf Salami Sarumi, and the Kwara United Supporters Football Club.

Fielding questions from journalists, Dr Ayinla said his foundation decided to honour the awardees in recognition of their contributions to sports and national development while alive. He said sports, particularly football, remain the most effective means of unifying Nigerians regardless of their ethnic, religious or political inclinations, adding that those who have dedicated their time, energy and lives to the development of the sector deserved to be singled out for honour.

The don said Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq's dedication of the first ever Challenge Cup victory won by the state's football club, Kwara United, to the late Salami was not enough. He said an edifice should be named after him in the George Innih Stadium or the Challenge Cup competition as a way of immortalising the late soccer legend.

Speaking on behalf of the awardees, former commissioner for sports Alhaji Hameed Adio recalled with nostalgia how he and other sports enthusiasts worked and served the country with the spirit of patriotism.

"Those days we were doing it because of interest not money, it was about the pride in wearing that national colours of Green, White, Green out millions of People", he said.

Adio thanked the organisers of the event for rewarding excellence.