Swimming, football talents shine at CSL Games

Young swimming and football talents displayed impressive skills at the inaugural CSL Junior School Games hosted by CitySports Africa, with Supreme Education Foundation School emerging as football champions.

The groundbreaking event, held on Saturday in Lagos, brought together six leading schools, including Pershing Hills Elementary School, Prior Preparatory School, Supreme Education Foundation, British International Junior School, The Learning Place, and Hampton Preparatory School.

Supreme Education Foundation School defeated Prior Preparatory School 3-1 in the football final to claim the title, whilst British International Junior School finished third after beating The Learning Place 2-1 in the third-place match.

Pershing Hills Elementary School secured fifth place with a 1-0 victory over Hampton Preparatory School.

The swimming competition also proved highly competitive, with participants showcasing their talents across various categories.

Speaking on the success of the event, CEO CitySports Africa, Shola Opaleye, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to building platforms that nurture talent and promote sportsmanship.

“The maiden CSL Junior School Games is the beginning of a movement that places values above victories. Watching these children compete with courage, cheer for one another, and embrace the true spirit of sportsmanship has been deeply inspiring,” Opaleye said.

“Through the CSL Challenger theme, our vision is to raise a generation of young athletes who understand that leadership, respect, and teamwork matter just as much as winning. This event reflects our broader mission at CitySports Africa to impact 10 million youths by 2035, reaching at least 1 million each year with opportunities that inspire growth, build character, and shape future leaders.”

Bolanle Adewale, Executive Director of The Learning Place, commended the initiative whilst emphasising the importance of participation over winning.

“This is the first time we are hosting the tournament, and the reason for this is that we believe the children should develop the theme of collaboration. We believe that it’s an opportunity for them to get the exposure that’s needed for resilience, to compete and collaborate with their counterparts,” Adewale said.

“It’s not necessarily about winning. It’s more about collaborating, in my opinion. I say to the children that they never lose. When you do not win, you have learnt. You have learned how to do it better, so never feel like it’s the end of the world.

“Every child today has been a winner, in my opinion. The fact that they could participate at all, come out and be a part of it, is priceless. We commend City Sports Africa specifically for these junior school games because without them, we couldn’t have put this together.”

Coach Samson Davies, whose Supreme Education Foundation School team won the football title, praised his players’ commitment and performance, saying, “The kids have been fantastic. We have been training every day because of this competition, and we are also preparing for the African School Games and other competitions.

“This is just the first one out of the few competitions we are preparing for the last quarter of this year, and we hope to win all. In this final, they played really fantastically well, and I’m proud of them.”

Farit Surakat, who scored in the final and was his team’s best player of the tournament, expressed his delight at winning the competition.

“I feel very good about the competition playing against the other kids, and I had a good tournament. My favourite game was the final because we won the competition,” the midfielder, who idolises AC Milan star Luka Modric, said.

The event, proudly supported by FBNQuest Merchant Bank and Lagoon Hospitals, highlighted the IAmACSLChallenger theme, a movement dedicated to erasing the ‘win at all costs’ mentality while empowering young athletes to rise as true leaders both on and off the field.

Parents, coaches, and supporters commended the initiative for creating a safe, inclusive, and inspiring environment for children to express themselves through sports.

CitySports Africa is a leading grassroots sports development organisation dedicated to empowering young athletes across the continent through structured competitions, training programmes, and international opportunities.

Through initiatives like the CitySports League and the Global Sports Program, the organisation continues to champion youth talent, sportsmanship, and the values of leadership, teamwork, and integrity.