Lagos Set For Gov’s Boat Race

Lagos State Rowing Association has concluded arrangements to organise the 1st Lagos State Governor’s Boat Race Championship.

The one-day tournament will take place at Ijede Waterfront on Saturday, 26 February, 2011.

The competition is organised with the support from the Office of the Senior Special Assistant on Grassroots Sports Development to Governor Raji Fashola headed by Prince Wale Oladunjoye.

According to the spokesman of the association, Mr. Deji Balogun, athletes will fight for honour in at least 24 races where handsome prizes would be given to the first three winners. He also disclosed that overall winning trophies will be given to first to third place winners at the end of the grassroots competition.

Chairman of the association, Mr. Pat Egbele, said races expected to be competed for include 250m, 500m, and 1000m in both male and female categories.

“The competition will also be decided in the lightweight race where athletes are expected to have a maximum weight of 72kg and heavyweight (72kg plus) for the male category. In the female categories, we expected the maximum weight of 68kg for the lightweight race and 68kg plus in the heavyweight,” he said.

Egbele disclosed that the association has been receiving entries from athletes from local governments in the riverine areas of the state.

“Participants will come from Badagry, Amuwo Odofin, Yaba, Ijede, Apapa and Ikorodu. I want to commend the support we have received from the chairman of Ijede Local Council Development Area, LCDA, Hon. Adefarasin Saheed Hassan, who has promised to ensure that the boat race is successfully organised,” said Egbele.