Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC) on Tuesday charged “Team Lagos’’ to outshine other states at the 2021 National Youths Games (NYG) by winning at least 70 gold medals.
The games come up in Ilorin between Oct.10 and Oct. 19.
Two-hundred-and sixty athletes and coaches will represent Lagos State in 33 games at the sports fiesta.
LSSC’s spokesperson, Titi Oshodi-Oke, said in a statement in Lagos that its Director-General, Oluwatoyin Gafaar, indicated the state’s target when he visited its athletes at their Bariga, Lagos, camp.
She said Gafaar assured the athletes that they would get every support they needed from the state to top the medals table.
He described the athletes as offspring of Lagos State and assured also that they would get good care in camp and during the games.
“I want the coaches to put in extra efforts to enable “Team Lagos’’ to improve on the total number of gold medals won at the last National Youth Games.
“It is not good enough for us to continue to maintain a second position with 22 gold medals, following Delta that won over 100 gold medals.
“This time around, we must try as much as possible to win up to 70 gold medals or more,’’ Oshodi-Oke quoted Gafaar to have said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lagos State placed second on the medals table at the 5th edition of the Games in Ilorin in 2019.
Gafaar also urged coaches to be disciplined so as to be able to discipline the athletes.
“As coaches, you have to be disciplined and try as much as possible to instil discipline in your athletes.
“Any act of indiscipline from any coach at this camp will not be condoned.
“The welfare of all the athletes in the camp is paramount and cannot be compromised.
“The chairman of the Commission and I will not accept any lapses or wrongdoings that can affect any of our athletes here in camp,’’ he was also quoted to have said.
Lagos State athletes would end their camping for the 6th NYG on Oct. 10. (NAN)
