Fashola Unveils Adopted Athletes In Lagos.

IT was pomp and pageantry Thursday as Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola unveiled 57 athletes who have been adopted by sponsors in the Adopt-A-Talent Sports Programme
The unveiling ceremony, which was held at the auditorium of the Governor’s Office in Alausa, Ikeja was attended by dignitaries, who included the Deputy Governor Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, the Chief of Staff, Lanre Babalola, Sports Commissioner, Wahid Oshodi, Chairman, House Committee on Youth, Sports and Social Development, Lawrence Babatunde Ayeni, members of the state’s Executive Council, sponsors and parents of the athletes.

Interesting, Governor Fashola is one of the adoptees, who adopted 20 of the athletes; deputy governor adopted 10, Chief of Staff, Babalola, and Sports Commissioner, 2 athletes in table tennis.

Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Fashola called on Nigerians to come out to invest in the future of other athletes, who have not been adopted, adding that the future of Nigerian sports can only be built on young athletes that are tapped at their tender ages.

“The bane of Nigerian sports is fixation on immediate result which doesn’t last and I believe Nigeria doesn’t need to cheat to do well in sports. That is why Adopt-A-Talent Sports Programme is a futuristic project designed to develop the talent of our young athletes and the same time give them the chance to excel in their academic pursuit,” said Fashola.

Senior Special Assistant on Grassroots Sports to the Governor, Prince Wale Oladunjoye, who heads the Management Committee of the programme said, “the Adopt-A-Talent Sports Programme was initiated by Governor Fashola in 2010 with six sports, namely, Athletics, Basketball, Boxing, Football, Table Tennis and Volleyball.

“The stable has grown to 10 with the addition of some multi medal sports such as Swimming, Judo, Karate and Gymnastics. It is from these 10 sports that the talents being unveiled today were selected after very rigorous screening and trials.”

He disclosed at the last National Sports Festival tagged: Eko 2012, all the six medals; 3 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medals won by Lagos State in athletics were secured by some of the athletes of the Adopt-A-Talent Sports Programme.

Sports Commissioner, Oshodi said the project provides an effective system of funding, nurturing and developing young athletes, thus giving them the platform to be the best they can be and maximise their God given talents.
Source The Guardian