Sports
Parents Hail Sports Summer Camp In Lagos
The third phase of the Lagos Sports Summer Camp ended yesterday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium with parents relishing the experience enjoyed by their wards during seven days camping, which afforded them prospects of learning sports and skills of their choice.
The camp is a centre for children between ages nine and 14 to learn sports and other skills during the long vacation while still facing their education. It is organised by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s office and facilitated by the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC).
Tidesports source gathered that at the third phase in Surulere, sports learnt included taekwondo, table tennis, basketball among others and the skills taught were art and craft, tie and makeup, hairdressing, hat making, how to make power bank and power bank battery among others.
A parent, Mr. Kasumu Isiaka Oladipo, who spoke on the camp, thanked the governor for the initiative.
“I monitored live all the activities that took place at the summer camp on the Lagos State government’s website.
“There I watched how the children were taught how to make power bank among others skills and also the basics of martial art and some other sporting activities. I want to say that I am impressed with what I saw.
“I think the state has done well for this noble idea and I want to say thank you to Governor Sanwo-Olu for approving it. Also, I want to thank the Lagos State Sports Commission for their effort in making sure that it was well organised,” he said.
To another parent, Mrs. Omolara Ogunowo, she said she knows that the lives of some of the children, including her child, would never be the same again.
“I am very happy that my child was among the campers at this year’s Lagos Sports Summer Camp. By taking part in this summer camp, I am sure my son is going back home a very different person after what learnt here. And I also know that many of the children here would have learnt how to be self independent without their parents being around them,” Ogunowo said.
Some of the children at the Surulerecentre also shared their experience with Newsmen during the week, while also expressing their delights over what they were taught and the impact it will have on them.
To Jimoh Esther from lkorodu, she said the seven days camping afforded her to learn how to be self-independent. “I want to say that I have learnt a skill that will make me a self independent child with less dependence on my parents. I am happy that I have the opportunity to be among the participants at this very educative and informative gathering”.
An excited Salami Halima Ayomide from Ketu-Epe spoke on how she will be going home a very different person because of the skills she was taught in hat making and power bank.
“I would have missed what I have learnt here if not that I was here at the camp. I was also exposed to taekwondo, which has boosted my interest in sport now. For all of these, I want to say thank you to the Lagos State government for this opportunity.
Also one of the campers, Abang Henry Odey from Ajegunle said he enjoyed all the activities such as live skills, movie night and dancing competitions he was exposed to during the camping, saying, “I want to say I enjoyed every bit of the activities offered us at the Surulerecentre of the Lagos Sports Summer Camp in Teslim Balogun”.
Meanwhile on her role, one of the facilitators, Johanna Adeyileka, who spoke with the children on etiquette and morals, said the summer camp initiative was a noble one that will help mold the character of the children.
“What I discussed with the children where morals and etiquette and how to respect each other; being responsible for their own action and to respect themselves which is a very important aspect for them being in the society.
“We spoke about what they should and shouldn’t do. What etiquette is and not and the children responded so well. I also spoke to them about respecting one another, not being rude, to be clean and tidy and observe hygiene at all times,” she stated.
It will be recalled that the second edition of the Lagos Sports Summer began with the first phase in Badagry, while the second phase was held in Ikorodu before the third phase, which ended yesterday in Surulere at the TeslimBalogun Stadium.
All the end of three-phase camping, children were kitted, given certificate of participation, souvenirs and some other gift items.
Isaako All Stars FC of Opuoko and Khana Khana AllStars Football all in Local Government Area of Rivers State will tomorrow engage in a friendly football match at Opuoko Mini Stadium.
Chatting with Tidesports in a telephone interview yesterday the Chairman of Khana All Stars Saro Tap-le said that the encounter is not going to be an easy game in spite it is an AllStars game.
He express his side readiness for the encounter stating that the opportunity as come for them to showcase their talents.
However, the chairman explained that AllStars game is not about winning but the excitement, love, unity and friendship it creates is more important.
” Tomorrow game is not going to be an easy one despite is a AllStars game. We are going there in a full force to do what we know how to do best and to showcase our talents.
“As Chairman of Khana All Stars I believes we have an edge over the Isaako All Stars be we are training so hard for the encounter” Tap-le said.
Also speaking the Chairman of Isaako All Stars Mina Zaasi Iloori sees the match as an opportunity to build relationships.
” My brother it is an AllStars friendly game I think winning is not important but the paramount thing is the relationship we are going to create among both teams and my community at large
” We are training hard because of the encounter because I will not be in my house and somebody will rob soap in my eyes.
” As I speak with you we are just coming from back training ground to ensure all my players are fit for the match.
” I am using this medium to call on football fans to come en mass to Opuoko Mini Stadium tomorrow and enjoy the best of round leather game.
I promise the game will be an exciting display of football talents and sportsmanship”, Iloori said.
Kiadum Edookor
Thierry Henry has called for the return of the away goals rule in the aftermath of the bombastic Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona.
The visitors at the Estadio Olimpic Lluis Companys came within milimeters of clinching the first leg of the final-four clash after former Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan netted late in the second-half.
But the linesman was quick to raise his flag, and semi-automated offside ruled out what would have been a thrilling conclusion to the high-octane 3-3 draw.
The hosts came from behind twice to share the spoils, chasing Inter Milan from the first minute of the game after Marcus Thuram stunned the Barcelona faithful into silence with his neatly flicked goal.
Denzel Dumfries doubled Inter’s lead 20 minutes later, but it took just three more for the Blaugrana to finally get on the scoresheet courtesy of a moment of magic from teenage starlet Lamine Yamal.
Ferran Torres drew Barcelona level ahead of the break, but Lamal was forced to play catch-up again in the second-half after Dumfries scored his second.
In light of the impressive effort from Inter, Henry wondered if the team should have got more from the fixture ahead of the second-leg at the San Siro.
‘I know it’s been like that for a very time, and we have to accept it,’ Henry said of the removal of the away goals rule, ‘But off air I was talking to Jamie (Carragher), and I was like, “how can you score three goals away from home and you don’t have an advantage?”
‘Away goals for me were massive, you score three goals away and you still don’t have an advantage 0-0 at home,’ Henry shrugged.
UEFA took the decision to scrap the rule which gave goals scored away from home the ability to act as a tiebreaker in the case of level scorelines ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Current FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger claimed during his time as Arsenal manager in 2015 that the away goals rule ‘encouraged the team at home not to attack’ and that ‘the weight of the away goal (was) too big today’.
Without the rules, the tie at San Siro will go to extra time and penalties to decide which teams books their spot in the Champions League final.
But based on Wednesday evening’s performance, Henry seemed to give Inter a fighting chance against the newly minted Copa del Rey champions.
The 2025 London Marathon set a new world record for the number of finishers despite hot conditions on Sunday for its 45th edition.
A total of 56,640 runners crossed the finish line at the end of the 26.2-mile route, Guinness World Records has confirmed.
The number surpassed the previous record of 55,646 set by the New York Marathon in November.
Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, said he hoped the high number of finishers inspired people to apply for the 2026 race ballot.
“The London Marathon was already the most popular in terms of ballot entries, with 840,318 people applying for the 2025 race,” he said.
“It is also the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event with more than £1.3bn raised for charity since 1981.”
The number of people applying for the ballot to enter this year’s race broke the world record of 578,304 for the 2024 edition.
Of UK applicants 49% were female, while there was a 105% increase in applications from people aged between 20-29.
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa surged to victory in the elite women’s race in a world record for a women’s only field, while Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe triumphed in the men’s event.