Lagos Promises To Give Physically Challenged Athletes Sense Of Belonging In Sports

The Director Sports Development, Lagos State Sports Commission,Mr.Moses Kolawole reiterated that Sports for the Physically challenged would continue to get the nod of the commission as people living with disability are encouraged to take to sports.

He made the statement at the Volleyball Court, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos, while receiving some equipment donated to the Lagos State sitting volleyball team by the Chairman, Legacy Volleyball Club,Kayode Oladele, who is also a member of the Lagos State Volleyball Association.

Kolawole said the state encouraged sports for the physically challenged as “there is ability in the disability”.

He further stated that the State Government believed in the people living with disability, adding that they are very relevant in the society and the state will continue to engage and encourage them when it comes to sporting activities.

“We don’t discriminate whether, they are able or disable,we believed everyone of them are the same.

“Lagos State Sports Commission is ready to go out the way to support them (para-athletes) to win laurels when it comes to sitting Volleyball”.

While presenting the equipment, Kayode Oladele said the movement is to promote sitting volleyball.

He said they realised that there’s a section of the volleyball that has been neglected, which is the sitting volleyball.

He said” They have skills in them that they can tap into, that’s why we are encouraging them to go into sports.

Keeping them busy with sports, they have their dreams coming true as well,and to send a message that sports is not only for the able-bodied, it’s also for the disable people.

Coordinator, Volleyball Association, Uthman Ola Okunnu, stated that it is an innovation in Lagos because the state must go with the trend.

“This is about the first time we are going to have it in the state.They have just donated some equipment to the Lagos sitting Volleyball team,and from the exhibition game a solid team will emerge and represent the state in the future tournaments”Okunnu stated.
“We will try as much as possible to woo Physically challenged people who have interest in the volleyball and take them through the rudiments of the game”.