Lekan Fatodu, Director General (D-G), Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), has assured that the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, under reconstruction would soon be opened for athletics competition.
Fatodu made the pledge on Tuesday at the media briefing heralding the MTN Champs Continental Relays held at the MTN Event Center, Falomo-Ikoyi, Lagos State.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the MTN Champs Continental Relays Season 3 is scheduled for Lagos from April 9 to April 12.
According to the organisers, the four days intensive cadet athletics championships will hold in two venues, Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) and University of Lagos Sports centres
Fatodu while speaking on the efforts of the government in providing adequate sports infrastructure for its growth within Lagos State, said that the government had been up and running in providing adequate funding.
“One of the good information I will like to share is that our athletes, our future champions, the assured ones will begin to run in the new athletics track inside Teslim Balogun Stadium very soon.
“Presently, there is a serious renovation ongoing in the stadium starting from the tracks to the fields and others.
“This is going to engender more development in the grassroots sports, that can bring the necessary growth we want.
“We now have a brand new Swimming Pool that will complement the ones we have in the National Stadium and Teslim Balogun Stadium,” he said.
Fatodu also assured that the state government would continue to provide infrastructure to take the attention of youths away from crimes and criminality.
“I want to assure that Lagos will continue to support initiative that wants to develop sports in the state.
“It is going to be athletics federation certified, better than the ones we have around us now.
“I am delighted to have the competition of change, transformation and impactful,” he said.
Fatodu commended MTN for supporting the competition aimed at talent discoveries in the state.
“I also want to reserve a special thank to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his immense support; he has been painting Lagos with good infrastructure.
“This event is inspirational and it is important to us as a government.
“One of the things I love mostly when I was appointed as the DG of LSSC is the love within the ranks and file of the Lagos State Athletics.
“I am pained that our home grown talents are competing for other state but we are working on that,” he said.
Fatodu added: “Gone are the days when Lagos State will be among the winners, now we want to take charge by taking over the first position.
“As a result of that we are supporting more of the grassroots sports.
“Also we have increased the allowances and salaries of our coaches twice in the spate of two years to underscore our resolution to take our place in the scheme of sports,” Fatodu said.
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