Lagos Intensifies Preparations, As National Youth Games Gets Closer

ADEMOLA VINCENT ADEDOYIN

The management of Lagos State Sports Commission says it would leave nothing to chance to ensure that athletes of Team Lagos are well prepared for the forthcoming National Youth Games which holds in Ilorin, Kwara State, north-central Nigeria next month.

P.M EXPRESS reports that the 2021 National Youth Games, the 6th edition, holds from 10-19 October at the Sports Complex of the University of Ilorin. The last edition in 2019 was won by Team Delta after they garnered 104 medals comprising 41 gold, 32 silver and 31 bronze medals. Youthful Team Lagos came second with 72 medals of 22 gold, 36 silver and 14 bronze medals, while Bayelsa came third with 45 medals made up of 17 gold, 6 silver and 22 bronze medals.

Team Lagos are however beaming with confidence with the determination to overtake Delta. The Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr. Oluwatoyin Gafaar expressed the confidence in a chat with P.M. EXPRESS that Lagos is ever ready to reclaim the number one status as the ‘Centre of Excellence’ of Nigerian sports.

“We won’t rest on our oars until we get to where we belong. As you can see a lot of activities are happening in Lagos. For the National Youth Games, preparation is in top gear. Sports associations are currently conducting series of trials to select their athletes after which we will put the lucky ones in a closed camp for the Games. All this will be done between now and the end of September.

“Our outing at the last zonal elimination in Ibadan have shown that we are going to Ilorin to show our strength. We will surely surpass the record we made at the last Games this time around,” he said.

P.M. EXPRESS can report that both Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere and Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Rowe Park, Yaba are beehives of activities with various sports associations organizing trials and screenings for the U-15 athletes ahead of the Youth Games. Boxing, Darts, Chess, Volleyball, weightlifting, taekwondo.