30,000 Athletes For Lagos Sports Festival

No fewer than 30,000 athletes are to participate in the Lagos Sports Festival billed to hold in five centres, according to the Chairman of the State Sports Council, Agboola Dabiri.

Addressing newsmen last week in Lagos, Dabiri said the festival was aimed at exposing the youth in the state to the abundant opportunities available in sports.

He said the 18-day fiesta, holding from today to April 30, would hold at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Campos Square, the University of Lagos and the Yaba College of  Technology.

The chairman said 17 events would feature in the preliminaries of the fiesta while 18 would be held in the main events.

Dabiri reiterated government’s policy of  improving the lives of youths  through participation in sports.

“The present administration under the leadership of Gov. Babatunde Fashola is committed to the improvement of the lives of our youths through sports by taking sports to the grassroots.

“The State Government had been able to host successfully three editions of the sports fiesta since it was revived in 2005.

“ The festival has continued to be the rallying point for young and budding stars whose talents the state government through the festival is trying to harness.    

“It is the policy of the present administration to invest in the discovery of budding talents, nurture them and expose them to the world,’’Dabiri said.

He said senior secondary school students would take part in the junior category while athletes from the local government areas would take part in the senior category.

Boxing, judo, karate, taekwondo, wrestling, kick-boxing, basketball, football, handball, hockey and volleyball will feature in the festival.

Others are athletics, chess, cycling, darts, gymnastics, swimming, weightlifting, power lifting, table tennis, tennis, badminton and Kung-fu, Dabiri added.