Lagos Inter-Clubs Tourney: Judo, Swimming, Volleyball Ready

Baring any unforeseen circumstance, Lagos Judo, Swimming and Volleyball Associations will flag their quarterly Inter-Clubs Championship this month.

The talent discovery programme is facilitated and packaged by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant on Grassroots Sports Development to Governor Fashola, with active collaboration of the Ministry of Sports and Social Development, Sports Council and all the sports associations in the state.

P.M.Sports reliably gathered from the chairmen of the three associations that immediately they received letters notifying them of the Inter-Clubs Championship, they have put machinery in motion to ensure that the associations kick start the tournament this month without delay.

The chairmen lauded the initiative of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola for approving the take off of the quarterly championship in the state.

Chairman of the Judo Association, Mutiu Are, said the championship is the best thing to ever happen to the state’s sports associations, which boards were recently inaugurated by the Commissioner for Sports, Wahid Enitan Oshodi.

“I was not surprise with the approval given to this competition by Governor Fashola. He is a sports loving governor, who believes in youth empowerment through sports. I’m so glad that Governor Fashola has given us a veritable platform to invest in the future of sports in Lagos.

“Judo is ever ready for the Inter-Clubs Championship. We are planning to kick start our own competition this month by the grace of God,” he said.

To the chairman of Swimming Association, Rev. Samuel Jesimel, the championship will be used to bring back the lost glory of swimming in the state. He said: “Lagos was the best in swimming in the 70s and 80s, “but the sport has witnessed a dark period in the past few years. We’ll come back strong, especially with this talent discovery programme, which will give us the opportunity to groom budding talents,” he said.

Rev. Jesimel believes that with the quarterly championships and good monetary rewards for the athletes, he sees the runaway athletes returning to Lagos.

“Let me use this medium to appreciate Governor Fashola, the Commissioner for Sports, Enitan Oshodi and the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Grassroots Sports Development to the Governor, Prince Oladunjoye, for this laudable programme to bring out the best not only in the athletes, but the officials and the sports administrators,” he said.

Chairman of Volleyball Association, Martins Owolabi, said his association has concluded all arrangement to hold an Inter-Clubs Championship before the end of this month., He added that the initiative will add value to sports in Lagos State.

—Sunday Akintoye