Pupils Hail Sports Council Over ‘Catch ‘Em Young’ Event

Pupils who participated in the just concluded Lagos State Sports Council holiday programme tagged ‘Catch Them Young’ at Rowe Park, Yaba, has commended the organisers for exposing them to the nitty gritty of sports excellence.

The programme, which was designed to regenerate school sports in the state, featured 11 team sports like Basketball, Handball, Volleyball, Taekwondo, Table Tennis, Wrestling with at least 400 athletes participated in the three-day event.

Some of the athletes who spoke on the programme said the event gave them the chance to acquaint themselves with the rudiments of sports they feature in.

Sulaiman Agunnoye, said: “Basketball is a sport which I admire to play but I don’t have the chance to train to acquire necessary skills. The holiday programme gave me the opportunity to meet new friends as well as to make a future in the

sport which is fast developing in the state.”

The Permanent Secretary, Deputy Governor Office, Adekunle Ajanaku, commended the management of the Sports Council headed by Agboola Dabiri for organising the programme. He advised students to engage in sporting activities without losing focus on their studies.

Ajanaku encouraged the Sports Council not to relent in its efforts in organising series of sports programmes to keep the youth away from social vices and also to discover budden talents, especially at a time when the state is preparing to host National Sports Festival in 2012.

Chairman of the Sports Council, Dabiri, assured that the council would not fail in its responsibilities to keep sporting activities alive in the state.

Agboola explained that some of the athletes who took part in the event might not feature in the next Sports Festival, but assured that the best among them would be encouraged to continue training at the Sports Council with the support of their coaches.

A Badminton coach, Maria Omoneyin, saw some of the athletes as future stars who are likely to take over from the established badminton players in the next couple of years, while Abiodun Oyewuwo, head coach of Lagos State Gymnastic Association, said the event came at a time when the association needs a large number of gymnasts who would be taught the latest techniques in the game.