Lagos State is ready to host the inaugural National Intermediate Sports Festival scheduled for October 1 to 15, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has assured.
Sanwo-Olu gave the assurance on Saturday on X while inspecting ongoing rehabilitation works at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Surulere, one of the facilities being prepared for the event.
The governor said Lagos accepted the hosting rights after the National Sports Commission awarded the state the opportunity to host the maiden edition of the festival.
He said the event would provide a platform for grassroots sports development and help young athletes discover and develop their talents before progressing to elite competition.
“About two months ago, we had the unique opportunity that the National Sports Commission handed over to Lagos, the hosting rights for the very first National Intermediate Sports Festival,” Sanwo-Olu said.
“We are going to be the first state and the first host of this sports festival that would help us do what we are all talking about. We want to hold grassroots sports.
“We want to encourage the young people before they begin to jump out and run away. We want to hold and develop all the children.”
The governor said between 14,000 and 15,000 athletes were expected to participate in the festival, adding that facilities including Rowe Park and other sports centres across the state would be utilised
During the inspection, Sanwo-Olu toured the main football and athletics arenas, indoor sports hall, volleyball court and swimming pool at Teslim Balogun Stadium.
He said the ongoing rehabilitation of sports facilities across Lagos was part of a broader strategy initiated by his administration about three years ago to rebuild and upgrade sporting infrastructure across the state.
According to him, sports facilities in areas including Surulere, Ifako, Badagry, Ikorodu, Epe and Agege were among those being rehabilitated.
Sanwo-Olu said the main bowl of Teslim Balogun Stadium was undergoing major reconstruction, while the football pitch had been upgraded to FIFA standards and fitted with natural grass.
He added that the tartan track was expected to be completed within the next four to six weeks.
The governor expressed confidence that Teslim Balogun Stadium and the other venues would be ready before the October festival.