ASA Sports Week Lights Up Rowe Park, As Lagos Holds Traditional Sports Interclub Tourney
The Lagos State Traditional Sports Association under the auspices of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), is organising a five-day event to continue to engender the indigenous games amongst the youth in the state.
The sporting activities will also feature workshops for coaches and other technical personnel, from 6th to 10th December 2021 at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Rowe Park, Yaba, Lagos.
Speaking at the press conference to unveil the championship, tagged “ASA SPORTS WEEK” the Chairperson, Lagos State Traditional Sports Association, Abiola Lawal said that sports is a unifying agent that brings everyone together regardless of ethnicity, faith, gender, race and promotes a healthy and positive rivalry.
She said: “The Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Sports Commission takes seriously sporting events, hence forming an integral part of Mr Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s administration “THEMES” agenda for a greater Lagos.
“This programme is scheduled to showcase all the Five sporting events, namely; Ayo Olopon, Kokowa (Traditional Wrestling), Dambe (Traditional Boxing), Langa (Traditional Hopping) and Abula (Traditional Volleyball), but have a special bat invented by the former President Elias Yusuf”.
Abiola further stated that organizing the auspicious event is also to showcase the activities to Lagosians that traditional sports are still in vogue and it is a profitable career game that adds value to Nigerian sporting events home and abroad if given adequate supports. It will also assist in reducing and curbing juvenile crimes, thereby creating a sane and civil society for socio-economic development in the state.
“ASA SPORTS WEEK Championship would engender the development of the games by harnessing and developing the potentials of the newly discovered athletes,” said Abiola.
She also commended the management of the Lagos State Sports Commission, under the leadership of the Chairman, Sola Aiyepeku and the Director-General, Oluwatoyin Gafaar, for the huge support and successful implementation of the year edition of ASA SPORTS WEEK.
The winner of each sport will be awarded medals with cash gifts to encourage them to put in more effort ahead of the subsequent events.