Team Lagos beats Delta to girls’ football gold

• Wins medals in handball, volleyball

Team Lagos has clinched the gold medal in the female football event at the ongoing sixth National Youth Games holding in Ilorin, Kwara State. The state of the Centre of Excellence defeated Team Delta 1-0 in the final played at the Kwara Stadium yesterday.

The state also won four gold and a silver medal in the deaf athletics event decided at the Maracana Stadium, University of Ilorin.

In the volleyball’s female event, Team Lagos won a bronze medal, while her male and female athletes secured a silver and bronze medal in the handball event respectively.

Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman of Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr. Sola Aiyepeku, has described the attitude of winning at all costs by some states at the ongoing Games in Ilorin as a dangerous trend that won’t serve the country’s sports well in the long run.

“How can we explain a situation where athletes of between the ages of 10 and 11 years old are competing with their seniors in a youth games? It is a sad scenario. If we continue like this, as a nation, it will not end well.”

“In those days, Nigeria was a leading force in Africa’s sprint, but today, other countries have taken over from us. This is because we don’t have the pool of athletes from the domestic front, who will take over from the ageing ones.

“What is happening in Ilorin is begging for a national question. Are we truly for development of our sports and athletes or we are just here for the win at all cost? This makes us very sad as a state in Lagos,” he stated.