Lagos Inaugurates New Boards of Sports Associations With Mandate To Organise At Least Two Events Per Quarter

The newly reconstituted Boards of the Lagos State Sports Associations were inaugurated during a brief ceremony on Wenesday, at the Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.

The Oaths were administered by Mrs. Titilayo Bashorun, representative of the Director Legal Drafting , Ministry of Justice.

Three new associations were added to the existing 40 Sports Associations in the state bringing the total to 43 with a total number of 277 members as part of the government’s plan to reposition Lagos as the hub of sports and focus more on the girl child.

The new Sports Associations added are Monopoly, (added to Scrabble to form the Lagos State Scrabble and Monopoly Association), Lagos State Netball Association, Lagos State E-sports Association and the Cheerleading Association.

Some Chairmen of the Sports Associations retained their positions, namely, Athletics, Handball, Basketball, Taekwondo, Hockey, Gymnastics, Golf, Deaf Sports and Cricket, while the Lagos State Football Association adheres to FIFA Election Statutes to decide fresh members .

It will be recalled that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu approved the dissolution of the former Boards in order to rejig and reposition the activities of all the Sports Associations in Lagos, in line with the vision to become the Sports hub not only in Nigeria but Africa .

Speaking at the inauguration, the Director General, Lagos State Sports Commission, Oluwatoyin Gafaar, said that the new Sports Associations boards members were carefully selected to develop, drive, and sustain sports in Lagos State.

He assured that the Lagos State Sports Commission would give all the necessary support to make their assignment of developing sports at the grassroots in Lagos State a success, adding that he lis expecting a tremendous improvement in all aspects from all association chairmen.

In his remarks, the Executive Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Sola Aiyepeku, disclosed that the new Sports Association board members were painstakingly selected to refocus and change the face of sports in Lagos State.

“We are glad to welcome you all and hope to have a better relationship,” he said.

He opined that a perception about government being the sole financier of sporting events had to change, urging the new Sports Associations to work independently of government to source private sector financing and sponsorships to enable them to meet the target of holding/ organising at least two sporting events each per quarter.

He also charged all Association Chairmen to come up with a detailed plan for each Association in order to drive the Commission better.

“We want to make sure that sports in Lagos is alive”, Aiyepeku said.

The Honorable Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Barrister Segun Dawodu urged the newly reconstituted boards to do more to take sports to the next in Lagos State.

” You have a lot of work to do collectively to come up with series of sustainable sports programs”.

“We know you can,” he said.

Responding on behalf of the new boards of Sports Associations, Mrs. Abimbola Lawal, Chairperson, Lagos State Traditional Sports Association who is also member of the Board of Lagos State Sports Commission assured that all the sports associations would do their best to meet up with the mandate given by the State Sports Commission.