Lagos Restates Commitment To Rejuvenate Grassroots Sports Development As Champions Emerge At Individual Boxing Club Championship

The Lagos Individual Boxing Club Championship has been concluded on Sunday at the Bishop Aggey playing ground, Ilassamaja, Mushin, Lagos.

Boxers from different boxing clubs in the state assembled for the week-long tourney designed to churn out more talents, eliminating juvenile delinquency and in preparations for the forthcoming “Gateway Games” in the neighbouring Ogun State.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Director General, Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, reiterated the commitment of the state in propagating grassroots sports development, noting that the commission would continously bringing initiative that will encourage the youths to take active part across different sporting areas.

He noted that the identified boxers will be presented to the sport association in state so that their talents can be properly nurtured to further shape their career in their choosing discipline.

“We realized that their is a need for us to further engage the community, particularly the young people in productive activities and also to help them harnessed their hidden sporting talents”, said Fatodu.

However, Abeeb Adekunle, who fought under the badge of Owonikoko Boxing Club, won a gold medal in the 80kg category, following his winning streak at the championship. Omotajo Semiu won a gold medal after dominating the 75kg weight category, while Lawal Ismail grabbed a gold medal in the 71kg.

Also, in the female weight categories, Adura Patience from Owonikoko Boxing Club, Divine Emmanuel, Owonikoko Boxing Club, and Jinadu Ikimat, Star Boxing Club, clinched gold medals in 70kg 86kg and 61kg respectively.

Director, Sports Development, LSSC, Nunayon Travih, stressed that the identified boxers at the championship would be monitored and guided to achieve their potential in the course of their discipline.

Travih added that with their ability and dexterity in the boxing ring they would be expose to proper guidance and routine training in order to continue to hone their skills.

Director, Technical Department, Usman Okunnu, posited that the championship is part of the lineup activities of the LSSC to put the state’s athletes in proper positions for the forthcoming national competitions and to also catch them young at the grassroots level.

He said apart from boxing there are other events like blind sports, cricket, softball among others coming up in different locations.