Kunle ADELABU
Three of the five swimmers from Ikorodu that represented Lagos State at the just concluded National Youth Games in Ilorin have been called to the national camp.
The three young swimmers won two gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze medals at the sporting games where the Lagos contingent finished second on the medals table.
THE IMPACT reporter, who has been following the training activities of members of the Ikorodu Swimmers Club in Majidun, Ikorodu, met with the swimmers recently in the company of Prince Akeem Olukunga, a member of the Governing Board, Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), after their return from the National Youth Games, and they shared their experiences during the exciting interview session.
While Adeju Favour won 2 gold medals, John Agnes won 3 silver medals and Simon Shadrack won a silver and a bronze.
Adeju Favour, a JSS 2 student of Ipakodo Junior Secondary School, who competed in 50m and 100m breast strokes and won gold medals in the two competitions, assured that she would make herself and the state proud at the national camp.
“ The just concluded national youth games was full of fun”, Favour stated.
“I feel happy and excited beating others to win the gold medals.
“I will keep on training at the national camp for the next games. I promise to make Ikorodu and Lagos State proud at the national camp”, she assured.
Simon Shadrack, also a JSS 2 student of Ipakodo Junior Secondary School, won a silver and a bronze in freestyle. He told our reporter that he’s looking forward to a good outing at the national camp.
“I feel elated and I feel like training everyday for the next competition.
“I am already looking forward to the national camp and I will start training as soon as I get in there so that I can improve on my performances”, Shadrack stated.
John Agnes, another JSS 2 student of Ipakodo Junior Secondary School , who won three silver medals, stated that the experience at the just concluded national youth games was fun and promised that she’s going to be a good ambassador of Lagos State at the national camp.
“The experience was fun and amazing” , she recounted.
“I am very sure that I will prove myself at the national camp and represent Ikorodu and Lagos State with honour. I promise Lagosians gold medals”, she said.
Coach Williams Monday, the coach of Ikorodu Swimming Club, who was full of praises for the young athletes, said that Ikorodu is capable of providing Olympians if necessary supports are given to the young swimmers.
“Five athletes from Ikorodu participated at the just concluded national youth games and I am very proud of them for representing us very well”, Coach Williams stated.
“The girl that won the 50 and 100 metres, Adeju Favour, came out with fantastic result at the just concluded games which shows that the trainings she got were not in vain and she just needed to showcase what she’s made of at tournament”.
He stated that the young athletes need supports from the government and private bodies in the areas of training facilities and regular competitions.
“We need equipment at our training venue and the state government can help in this regard by putting necessary facilities in place for us.I can assure you that we can produce Olympians from Ikorodu.
“I was very happy when I was told that the three athletes have been invited to the national camp. I have no doubt that they are going to make us proud”.
The coach also stated that the invitation of the three members of his team will challenge them to train harder.
“What we are going to be doing is to continue with our training sessions. I will work more on them so that they can do us proud at the national camp”, he stated.
Coach Williams also commended the Lagos State government for the treatment given to the members of the contingent that represented the state at the national youth games.
“The state government really tried in supporting our team at the just concluded national youth games. They showed them love, took good care of them and provided better accommodation for them. All these made them performed very well.
“The State government’s gesture was really encouraging” , he stated.
Meanwhile, Prince Akeem Olukunga has stated that plans are underway to host all the Ikorodu athletes in the Lagos contingent to the national youth games.
“Very soon, we shall be hosting our ambassadors from Ikorodu who were in the Lagos Team to the national youth games in Ilorin. Plans are already underway.
“It’s important that the entire division should welcome them back after representing us very well.
“Aside swimming, we also have some of our youths in the basketball team and other games”.
Prince Olukunga also hinted that about twenty sports associations that would be responsible for the development of selected games in the division would soon be constituted.
“As part of our plans to revive sports in the division, we have put in place an all-encompassing associations and we are planning to constitute about twenty sporting associations to look after our games.
“The associations would be saddled with the responsibilities of designing programmes for trainings and organizing competitions to keep our athletes in shape. This is a way we feel that we can revive sports in Ikorodu division”, he stated.
He commended members of the Lagos Team to the just concluded national youth games, especially those from Ikorodu Division, for being good ambassadors and for making the state proud in term of their behaviors and performances on the field.
