Over 500 students from schools across the 57 local government and local council development area of lagos State participated in a one day United athletics series 

The series put together by Culture Rush  in collaboration with school Games , LASUBEB and the lagos State sports commission was to discover talents in the track and field event for both lagos State and the country at large 

The series which took place at the sports Center of the University of Lagos saw participants compete in 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, 4×400 meters relay and long jump in the boys and girls category

Organiser of the championship

Adeyemi Egbeoluwa says the decision to embark on the event was for early discovery of talents at the grassroots level who would be nurtured to take over from the ageing ones even as he commended the Lagos State Sports Commission and the State’s Universal  Basic Education Board ( SUBEB) for their support.

He explained that there’s  plan to have an U-14, U-15 and U-16 categories and to also  establish an academy where the selected children will be camped and trained to become world  beaters in athletics.

He expressed happiness with the spirit of sportsmanship and enthusiasm expressed by the children even as he promised to leverage on the successes recorded to move athletics forward at the grassroots level.

My decision to organise the championship is based on the fact that we pay attention to athletes in secondary schools institutions of Higher Learning while in the actual fact we are suppose to start from the primary schools in order to correct the link and discover these athletes early enough to nurture them to stardom as is done in other climes.

” What you’re witnessing today is the U-13 version because we want to catch them very early. We also plan to have an U-14, U-15 and U-16 series and there’s no going back on our plan to make Lagos State the hub of athletics not only in Nigeria but the entire West African sub- region”, he stressed 

In her remark, Director School Sports Lagos State Dr. Mrs Oluyomi Oluwasanmi said the championship is in line with the state’s plan of ensuring that students combine education with sports , promising  that it will be sustained as it will lead to further grassroots sports development in the state.

Education Secretary of Lagos Island Local Government Area, Tijani Tajudeen as well as a board member of Lagos State Universal Education Board, Hon, Babatunde Adewale Jimoh in their separate remarks described the championship as a good initiative capable of helping in the development of athletics at the grassroots level , noting that they will continue to support it 

Some of the children  commended the organiser for the noble initiative which they said gave them opportunity to compete with other students from all parts of the state with an appeal  to make it an annual event 

At the end of the day, certificates and medals were awarded to the winners

Chief Operating Office,COO, of the Nigeria Esports Federation, Damilola Pedro, says eSports has the capacity to lead the Sports Economy drive of the country as the Sports made history with its demonstration at the 22nd National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games.

” Today at the National Sports Festival Gateway Games 2024, we are not just adding another game, we are making a very bold statement. 

” Esports is taking the stage. And with it, so is the voice of an entire generation that has long been ignored, misunderstood, and underestimated”. 

” Because the numbers don’t lie and so let me set the facts. The video game industry is worth over $180 billion, larger than the film and music industry combined”. 

” Over 3.3 billion people play games globally, with Africa projected to house the fastest-growing gaming population, and Nigeria being at the forefront of that conversation, with the projection of having the highest deposit of gamers in Africa and in the world come 2027, being the third-largest projection”. 

” In 2023 alone, the Esports Tournament paid out over $350 million.Nigeria, with its population of over 70% youth, is not just ripe for this moment, we are the movement. Esports is a discipline, esports is data, esports is strategy, esports is communication, leadership, and performance under pressure”.

” At a time when unemployment is rising, and youth potential is being exported or wasted, we have in our hands an industry that can employ, educate, empower, without needing a single drop of oil. 

” What this moment means for us as an industry, and for us as a federation, under the able leadership of our president, Messiah Mekori, this demonstration of esports at the National Sports Festival is not just a showcase, it is our validation”.

The ESports Federation COO however appealed to the media to partner the Federation to push out the right messages to the public in order to set the right perspective for the realisation of the full potential of the Sports.

” This is our call to the media and to the nation, to our journalists, our storytellers, the cultural interpreters, we need you, not just to cover this, but to help the nation understand the importance of this, because how you report this moment will shape how millions of parents, teachers, investors, and decision makers see us”.

She also urged every stakeholder and players in the Sports ecosystem to come onboard and join the train rather than wait to play catch-up tomorrow.

” To every stakeholder reading this, partner with us now, or play catch up later. To every skeptic, watch closely. We are not here to prove ourselves, we are here to take our place. This is not a hobby, this is a revolution. This is what the future of work means, and our children are ready, our young adults are ready, and they’re preparing themselves for the next industrial revolution”.

She however salutes the Federal Government and the team of the National Sports Commission, NSC, led by Chairman Mallam Shehu Dikko and the Director General Hon. Bukola Olopade, for their visionary, modern and innovative leadership.

” We have to thank the leadership of the National Sports Commission, the Federal Government, and what they have done for our industry today, accepting and driving the adoption of video games and competitive video games at the national level. 

” We do not take this for granted. We’re very grateful to the leadership of the National Sports Commission, especially to the Director-General of Sports, who has continuously championed our cause and continuously been our biggest salesman. We will do you proud at the Esports Olympics, we will do you proud at the Esports World Cup, we will do you proud at all the different championships”.

The President of the eSports Federation of Nigeria  Messiah Makori said the entire eSports family is very proud of this historic feat to be part of the Sports Festival and said he has no doubt that this will mark the beginning of bigger achievements for the Country’s sports.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially unveiled a new trophy for the CAF Champions League

The new silverware was presented during a ceremony held in Johannesburg on Thursday, ahead of the highly anticipated semifinal clash between Mamelodi Sundowns and FC Pyramids.

The previous trophy, introduced in 2007, has been retired after 18 years of use.

Egyptian giants Al Ahly were the last club to lift it, having secured the title last season. However, they failed to reach the final this year.

The winner of the two-legged tie between Sundowns and Pyramids will become the first team to be awarded the newly designed trophy.