We Can Boast Of Prospective Champions In Weightlifting – Director General Lagos Sports Commission

The Director General, Lagos State Sports Commission, Gafaar, has expressed optimism that the up and coming weightlifters have the potentials to make the State proud at future competitions.

Speaking at a day-two, Lagos Southwest Weightlifting Open Championship at the Rowe Park Sports Centre,Yaba, Lagos, Gafaar said, “With what we have seen today and what we saw yesterday, it shows that we are getting better and better”.

He said the championship was designed to prepare the athletes for the future tournaments.

“Coming from the association that produced Commonwealth and World Champion in the 55kg category, I can tell you that we have the potentials.

“We have lifters and prospective Commonwealth champions in the 46, 53 and 55kg Categories. Nigeria should expect better things from Lagos,” he said.

Gafaar reiterated that the state will continue to make the training facilities better for the athletes, adding that the cardinal focus of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu is to provide facilities for sports development.

“He (Sanwo-Olu) wants Lagos athletes and Lagosians to see sports as one of the easiest ways to take our children to a better tomorrow”

He admonished the rising stars to shun drugs, stay focused and get determined to make a better tomorrow for themselves, Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole.

The Chairman, Lagos State Weightlifting Association, Kunle Komolafe stated, “l am quite impressed with the turn out and performances of the athletes; It shows that everybody can testify that we are getting there”.

He noted that the association is trying to see how they can put the athletes in camp for further training and monitoring because the National Sports Festival is round the corner.

“We intend to run programmes on a regular basis to ensure we have the best athletes, not just for the state, but those that will represent Nigeria”.