16th September, 2010
Traditional Sports, rekindled to give recreational ambience to Lagosians, has made its debut on Lagos Island.
Before a motley crowd at Campos Square, a socio-cultural and sporting centre at the heart of Brazilian quarters in Lagos Island, the popular Ayo Olopon, Cards and Draughts came calling as dignitaries on Saturday braved the chilly weather to watch the exciting games.
The competition was packaged by the Life Sports Limited in conjunction with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) on Grassroots Sports Development under the auspices of Lagos State Traditional Sports Association.
Not deterred by the scanty crowd, the games went on smoothly as officials from the Grassroots Sports Development office graced the occasion.
In the cards game finals, Olayiwola Akanji from Adeniji-Adele Taxi Park defeated Mustapha Omotolani 2-0 and won the sum of N10,000 and a gold medal, while Mustapha received a cash prize of N7,500 and silver medal for his effort. The two third-placed winners, Yinka Olayiwola and Isah Oshodi from Epetedo Area, won N2,500 each and were also decorated with bronze medals.
In  Ayo Olopon, which dragged for long before a winner emerged, Yinka Olayiwola, eventually came tops, beating also fit-fighting foe, Ikudaisi Mustapha, to the second place to win a gold medal and cash prize of N10,000. The second place winner Mustapha went home with a silver medal and the sum of N7,500, while third place winners, Adeneye Oshinfusan and Lanre Lasisi, received N2,500 each with bronze medals.
In the Draughts final, which took more time than others, the battle between Goriola Ishola and Gilbert Godfrey was an energy-sapping encounter as both entertained with sublime Draughts savvy that kept the fans on the edge of their seats for most of the time.
It was a titanic battle of brain and brawn, but brain overcame, as the methodical Goriola Ishola galloped to glory, winning 2-1 after an excruciating duel. He went home with N10,000 cash prize and a gold medal, while his gutsy opponent, Gilbert, received a silver medal plus N7,500, leaving third place winners, Shehu Saliu and Abdul-Rasak Tofa to contend with cash prize of N2,500 each and bronze medals.
At the end of the game, Alhaji Nurudeen Aladaba, sibling of sports icon “Adolf†Rasak Aladaba, a socialite in political and sports circles in Lagos Island, was full of joy as he showered encomiums on Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) for deeming it fit to re-introduce traditional games after many years of its sojourn in oblivion.
