Association Canvasses Support For Traditional Sports

Vice-Chairman, Lagos State Traditional Sports Association, Abiola Lawal, has urged corporate organisations and philanthropists to renew their commitment to the development of the sports nationwide.

Lawal told newsmen in Lagos that their support would help to revive traditional sports and make them more attractive for budding talents.

Traditional sports include Kokowa (Traditional Wrestling), Dambe (Kickboxing), Abula (Tennis), Langa and Ayo.

“We want to use this medium to appreciate the support from the authorities but we need more assistance this year because we are proposing to increase our activities.

“The idea is to engage existing athletes with competitions as well as create an enabling environment for potential athletes to develop their skills through participation in competitions,’’ she said.

Lawal appealed to various corporate organisations to give positive response to proposals from the body soliciting their support as it would enable them to organise competitions later in the year.

She said that with regular competitions, athletes would be fit for the 19th National Sports Festival in Calabar, Cross River between November 23 and December 7.

“We are looking forward to the sports festival and we need competitions to prepare for it so that we can be the best and the team to beat in traditional sports event.

“We have realised that the government cannot do it alone. This is the reason why we are soliciting support from the general public,” she said

Traditional sports and games are part of the intangible heritage and a symbol of the cultural diversity of societies.

According to Lawal, UNESCO is driven to protect and promote these sports to advance community spirit, bring peoples together and instilling a sense of pride in societies’ cultural roots.

She advised the governments to make the sports part of the secondary school curriculum to enable young people to patronise them.