Heritage Bank/Lagos Skoolympics begin November 2

It will produce young athletes for Nigeria, says Onyali

As a way of building a platform for young Nigerians to discover their talent, the management of Heritage Bank, in collaboration with Lagos State government, has concluded plans to stage a grassroots sports programme called Skoolympics.

The event slated for November 2-4 in Lagos will feature different events including athletics, table tennis, basketball and handball.

Speaking in Lagos yesterday, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Bank, Mr. Ifie Sekibo said that Skoolympics is an initiative aimed at building a heritage of champions through youth sports competition at the secondary school level across the country.

“As a youth initiative, Skoolimpics is Heritage Bank’s signature sporting event that will be held annually. It is a platform aimed at discovering, nurturing and rewarding youth talents from secondary schools with a view to catching them young and developing them to become future national and international and Olympic stars,” Sekibo said.

Speaking further, he said: “Skoolympics is the holistic development of young people in order to foster their physical, social and emotional wellbeing.

Physical education and sports help in character and community building, delinquency reduction, community safety, economic and social development.”

While the Rowe Park, Yaba will host basketball and handball events, Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere will be the venue for athletics and table tennis.

According to the organizers, the event will be hosting over 200 public and private schools with about 6,000 students competing across all local government areas of Lagos State in the maiden event.

Also speaking yesterday, former Africa track queen, Mrs. Mary Onyali-Omagbemi said that Skoolympics would help to discover young stars for the country saying: “ over 98 Nigerians are youths and they are denied the avenues to express themselves in sports.

With events like Skoolymics, we can change the Nigerian situation better than we met it.”