Hours to the commencement of the 6th National Youth Games in Ilorin, Kwara State, north-central Nigeria, athletes of Team Lagos are beaming with confidence that they are in the tournament to win a majority of the gold medals at state.
Lagos with 260 well-motivated athletes will be competing in 33 sports at the games with the majority of the events holding at the permanent site of the University of Ilorin.
While speaking with a cross-section of Team Lagos athletes in Ilorin, the majority of the athletes disclosed that their ambition is to win gold medals at the U-15 National Youth Games.
A Team Lagos Table Tennis player, Matthew Kuti who is national cadet champion hinted that he is very well motivated to win three gold medals in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles events.
“I am here in Ilorin not to play but to win three gold medals in the singles doubles and mixed doubles.
“With rigorous training before and during the closed camping and with God on my side, I am motivated to win gold medals in the table tennis event,” he said.
Okajare Sunmisola, a tennis player said she has prepared for the National Youth Games to win three gold medals, in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
” I am very ambitious and my target here in Ilorin is to win 3 gold medals.
“I have been training so hard for this Games and I believe I can win gold medals and I want to say it loud that I am proud to be representing Lagos State in this competition”
Two Team Lagos track and field athletes, Iyere Iwiriebor and Ire Oluwabunmi disclosed that their ambition is to break the record in their events.
To Iyere Iwiriebor, “I want to break records in 400m, 4×400 and mixed relay events.
“Honestly, I have been training so hard before and during the camping for this tournament.
“Although the training is stressful, I have to cope with that because my ambition is to win a gold medal and as well break records”.
Also, Oluwabunmi Israel who is running 100m, 400m, 4x100m and mixed relay for girls said that she is in Ilorin for the purpose to win gold medals for Lagos State.
“We came for a purpose and I am here in Ilorin to win not one but two or three gold medals for Lagos State.
“I have trained so hard before coming to Ilorin and I am very optimistic that God would crown my efforts by winning gold medals,” she said.
Dominion Utukpe , Team Lagos squash player who won a gold medal at the 5th edition of the National Youth Games stated that he has trained very hard with the sole aim of winning the singles event in Squash back to back.
“I won the single gold medal at the last National Youth Games and I am here again to win it back to back.
“I started playing squash three years ago and my aspiration is to become national, Africa and world champion in the game of squash”.
“Thanks to Lagos State Government for given me the platform to exhibit my talent,” he said.
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