The Ayo Olopon season of the 2022 edition of the annual Iwude Ijesa Festival has come and gone, but history has been made as the three – time winner in the ancient game; Jonathan Idowu has been dispossessed of the position, losing it to Mr. Abimbola Adetunji, a Lagos based first time participant at the contest.
The 2022 edition of the Falomo family sponsored game took place at the newly completed permanent Secretariat of the Iwude Ijesa Festival at Okemese, Adimula Palace square on Thursday.
16 participants, men and women across various parts of Ijesaland took part at the game that started at about 12 noon and it witnessed the presence traditional leaders, chiefs, groups and spectators who came from all walks of life.
At the end of the keenly contested competition that lasted over six hours, Mr. Adetunji Abimbola won the star prize of N120,000 naira, Mr. Jonathan Idowu went home with 20,000 naira as the first runner up, while Chief Akanbi Aliu came the third and went away with 10,000 Naira.
Speaking at, 2022 Ayo Olopon the patriarch of the Falomo family that sponsors the game annually, Chief Olu Falomo, Loofosan of Ilesa, stated that the 2022 edition sponsorship of the game is dedicated to the memory of late Isaiah Abiola Falomo who incidentally presented the star prize to the 2021 winner of the game but who passed on 24th May, 2022.
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Furthermore, Chief Falomo explained that it is in the memory of late Abiola Falomo and in celebration of his life and legacy he left behind that the star prize was raised from N30,000 to N100,000.
Impressed by the performance of Abimbola Adetunji and in support of the Falomo family, the Arapate of Ilesa, High Chief Oluwagbenga Fadunsin Igbaroola also added a sum of N20,000 to the star prize.
The program also featured cultural display by the Osun cultural group and humorous jokes by renowned Ijesa comedians.
More photos: (All credit- Arewa Taiwo)
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