DAWN Games: Oyo humbles Lagos, battles Ogun in football final

A hard fighting Oyo State football team stopped the ambition of Team Lagos from reaching the final of the male football event at the ongoing DAWN Games at the Agege Stadium on Wednesday.

The pulsating encounter saw Team Oyo scoring two quick goals in the first half of the match through Tajudeen Sodiq, while effort of Team Lagos to equaliser could only produce a goal in the second half through Michael Andrew.

In the other semi final match, Team Ogun thrashed Team Osun 1-0 to set up a final clash against Team Oyo on Thursday. Lagos coach Leo Lawson blamed defensive errors for the defeat, saying that his boys lost concentration when it matters most in the course of the match.

“Our target now is on the third place match against Team Osun. We beat them in the group stage and I expect my boys to do the same again when we meet for the bronze medal tie. I hope to present a new set of players that had not played since we began this competition,” said Lawson.

Secretary of Ogun State Football Association, Leo Adenekan is however looking forward to his state winning football gold at the expense of Team Oyo.

He said after his team beat Team Osun yesterday “I’ve the confidence that we’ll win the gold medal of this event on Thursday by the grace of God,” Leo said.

The third place match between Lagos and Osun will be played by 10a.m Thursday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, while the female final between Lagos and Ogun will be decided by 1:30pm at the same venue. The final will take place by 3:30pm.

Meanwhile, the Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Youth and Sports, Mrs. Modupe Omonigbehin is satisfied with the performance of his state in the ongoing Games, which will end on Friday.

Omonigbehin noted that the athletes have proved themselves beyond her expectations, adding that the state may come second at the end of the championship.

“I’m quite impressed with the performance of our students. We have won some medals in some events and we can still win more before the tournament ends on Friday,” she said.

Omonigbehin said that the DAWN Games has lived up to expectations in the area of organisation. She commended the Lagos State Government for its effort to make the tournament a huge success.

She said that the sports facilities put in place by host helped the athletes to perform better and urged other regions in Nigeria to organise an event that will make their athletes prepare for National Sports Festival and future national competitions.

Despite the fact that Team Ondo failed to participate, Omonigbehin said their absence has not really affected the DAWN Games and believes that Team Ondo will take part in the next edition.

DAWN Games 2014: Lagos dominates gymnastics, as football enters semis

Team Lagos were outstanding in the Gymnastics events of the maiden South-West Secondary Schools Championship tagged DAWN Games 2014 as they won 17 medals to top the medal table of the sport decided at Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Rowe Park, Yaba.

The breakdown of medals won showed that the Ortega Akintola inspired Team Lagos won 8 gold, 6 silver and. 3 bronze. Team Ekiti were second with 2 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medal. Ogun were third with 1 gold, 5 bronze while Team Oyo could only win 3 silver and 2 bronze to claim the fourth position.

Football event which enters semi final stage on Wednesday with Team Lagos taking on Team Oyo as early as 8am at Agege Stadium, while the second semi final scheduled for the afternoon will involve Team Ogun and Osun State.

Finals of events such as Basketball, Volleyball, Swimming, Scrabble and Chess will take place at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.

Meanwhile, chairman, Technical Committee of Lagos State Football Association, Dotun Coker, has said that the football event at the DAWN Games has shown that there is positive and future in the development of football in the Western part of Nigeria.

Coker, said the tournament which was the initiative of DAWN Commission and designed for Secondary School students within the South West zone would create an enabling environment to harness young sports talents in the region.

The Chairman, LSFA Technical Committee, said he had saddled the chairman of Ikeja Football Coaches Council, Rafiu Taiwo, with the responsibility of writing a technical report and also to identify the best 18 football players for the region ahead of future tournaments.

According to him, Coach Taiwo is expected to submit his report to him for ratification and easy passage to the DAWN Commission.

He detested the lackadaisical attitude of the Lagos State Football Coaches Association for not been present at Agege Stadium where football is taking place, stressing that their presence would enable them to present the LSFA a detailed technical report based on their assessment of each participating team.

DAWN GAMES 2014 APPROVED SCHEDULE OF VENUES & DATES

DAWN GAMES 2014 APPROVED SCHEDULE OF VENUES & DATES
FRIDAY 16TH May – SATURDAY 24TH MAY, 2014

MOBOLAJI JOHNSON SPORTS CENTRE, ROWE PARK, YABA

S/N. SPORTS. EVENTS (BOYS) EVENTS (GIRLS) DURATION. EVENTS DATES. VENUES. REMARKS

1 GYMNASTICS. 6. 5. 3 Days Sun 18th May–Tues 20th May, 2014 Sports Hall

2 BADMINTON. 2. 2. 2 Days Weds 21st May– Thurs 22nd May, 2014. Sports Hall

3 BASKETBALL. 1. 1. 3 Days. Mon 19th May – Weds 21st May, 2014. Basketball Courts

4 TENNIS. 2. 2. 2 Days. Mon 19th May – Tues 20th May, 2014 Tennis Courts

TESLIM BALOGUN STADIUM, SURULERE

S/N. SPORTS. EVENTS (BOYS) EVENTS (GIRLS) DURATION. EVENTS DATES. VENUES. REMARKS
5 TABLE-TENNIS. 2. 2. 2 Days. Mon 19th May–Tues 20th May, 2014. Sports Hall

6 TAEKWONDO. 5. 3. 2 Days. Weds 21st May–Thurs 22nd May, 2014 Sports Hall

7 VOLLEYBALL. 1. 1. 3 Days. Mon 19th May–Weds 21st May, 2014 Volleyball Courts

8 SWIMMING. 16. 16 3 Days. Mon 19th May–Weds 21st May, 201 Swimming pool

9 SCRABBLE. 2 + 2 MXD. 2. 2 Days. Tues 20th May–Weds 21st May, 2014 Sports Bar

10 ATHLETICS. 13. 13. 2 Days. Tues 20th May–Weds 21st May, 2014 Main Bowl
3 3. 1 Day Fri 23rd May, 2014 Main Bowl. Additional 1 day for Finals of 100m, 4X100m relay and 4X400m relay (Boys & Girls)

11 CHESS. 8. 8. 2 Days. Tues 20th May – Weds 21st May, 2014. Media Centre

12 FOOTBALL. 1. 1. 1 Day. Thurs 22nd May, 2014 Main Bowl. 3rd Place and Final Matches (Boys & Girls)

AGEGE STADIUM

12 FOOTBALL. 1. 1. 3 Days. Sun 18th, Mon 19th & Weds 21st May, 2014. Main Bowl

DAWN Games kicks off in Lagos

The maiden edition of South-West Secondary Schools Games tagged DAWN Games begins on Friday May 16 in Lagos with over 2,000 athletes and officials in attendance.

The DAWN Games, which will be competed by athletes from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti State, is a 12 sports tournament of Nigeria School Sports Federation, NSSF. The sports are Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Chess, Football, Gymnastics, Scrabble, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Taekwondo and Volleyball. It will be staged in three centres across Lagos: Agege Stadium, Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Rowe Park, Yaba and the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, while the NYSC Camp at Iyana Ipaja in Lagos.

According to the schedule of event released to the media by the Technical Sub-Committee of the Main Organising Committee (MOC), athletes and officials are expected to check in to the Games Village on Friday with accreditations taking off in full swing, while events will begin on Sunday May 18 with Football and Gymnastics taking the centre stage at the Agege Stadium and Rowe Park Sports Centre respectively.

According to the schedules, Rowe Park will also play host to Badminton, Basketball and Tennis. At Teslim Balogun Stadium, sports such as Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Volleyball, Swimming, Scrabble and Athletics will be on stage, while Agege Stadium will also host Chess.

It was gathered that Team Ogun, would present 186 athletes, while no fewer than 163 athletes will represent Team Lagos.

Meanwhile, a member of basketball team for Lagos, Ololade Azeez has expressed confidence that Lagos will win gold medal in both male and female basketball event of the competition.

“I am happy to be among the players that will represent Lagos at DAWN Games. Our training so far is superb and very impressive. We are in good form now and ready to win gold medals for team Lagos in Basketball both male and female category,” he said.

Head Coach of Badminton of Team Lagos, Kayode Olatunji said there is high spirit in camp as the players are looking forward to participating at the DAWN Games, adding that the supports the players and officials received from the state government will boost their morale to excel at the Games, which will end on 24 May.

DAWN Games will foster unity among youths in South West, says Ibirogba

DAWN Games will foster unity among youths in South West, says Ibirogba • Ogun shapes up for tourney

Chairman of Media and Publicity Subcommittee of the DAWN Games, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, has said that the tournament would help foster good relationship among the youth of the south-west states of the country

The maiden edition of the DAWN Games, a competition among secondary schools in Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti States, will be held in Lagos from May 16 to 24, 2014.

The chairman of the Media Subcommittee, who is also the Commissioner for Information and Strategy in Lagos State said the competition would bring youth in the region together to compete in a healthy environment, adding that the DAWN Games is symbolic because the south-west states want to show the rest of the country the cordial relationship that exists within the people and governments of the region and the need to use youth and sports to preach unity among the people.

Meanwhile, as the kick off date of the Games draws nearer, Team Ogun say they can’t wait for the school sports championship to start.

Director of Sports, Ogun State Sports Council, Mr. Adesola Faleti, said the state’s athletes are ready and are in good sporting form to excel at the competition.

“The athletes have been training for a couple of months. We are going to participate in 12 sports events and in Ogun State, we specialise in more than 33 sports, thus taking 12 out of 33 won’t be a problem for us,” said Faleti during the inspection of facilities and venues for the championship which took place recently in Lagos.

Faleti noted that the Games would enable Ogun State Sports Council to assess its grassroots developmental programmes which has been well supported by Governor Ibikunle Amosun, and more importantly it would assist the sports council the opportunity to replace
its ageing athletes.

”Since inception of Governor Amosun’s administration, we had been mandated to develop sports at the grassroots. I think the DAWN Games will definitely assist us to discover budding talent to replace the older athletes,” he said.

The former national pugilist said the state’s effective grassroots sports programme had earned Ogun a positive result as the National Sports Commission, NSC, invited over 22 athletes from the state to the national team, while six junior football players were also invited to the camp of the national U-13 team.

“DAWN Games can bring positive and better future for the nation as athletes we will discover in the regional championship can be selected for the country’s future international outings.

“I believe the DAWN Games is another opportunity to explain the commitment of the southwest state governments towards building Nigerian future stars who would take over from the ageing national athletes.

The DAWN Games is the needed grassroots developmental programme which we can use to aid the growth of sports and the wellbeing of our athletes,” he said.

He concluded that Ogun State Sports Council is working with the support of the Ministry of Education to place athletes that will excel in the DAWN Games on scholarship for them to continue their education.

The DAWN Games will feature 12 sports, which are athletics, badminton, basketball, chess, football, gymnastics, scrabble, swimming, table tennis, tennis, taekwondo and volleyball with over 2000 athletes and officials expected to participate.

The events will take place at Rowe Park Sports Complex, Yaba, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere and Agege Stadium. The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Camp in Iyana-Ipaja will serve as the Games Village.

Facilities inspection, technical committee meeting for DAWN Games hold

The Joint Technical Meeting (JTM) and inspection of facilities for the DAWN Games (South West Secondary Schools Games) holding in Lagos, comes up this week from Thursday April 23 to 25, 2014.

The DAWN Games, involving all the southwest states of Nigeria – Ekiti, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Ondo, starts May 16 to 24, this year in Lagos.

According to the Local Organising Committee (LOC), the Director of Sports/ General Manager, Sports Council and the Director in charge of sports in the Ministry of Education will represent each state at the JTM and inspection.

Others expected are representatives from DAWN Commission, National Sports Commission (NSC) South West Zonal Coordinator and LOC members.

The inspection begins on Thursday April 24 and the team is expected to inspect the venues like Rowe Park Sports Complex, Yaba; Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere; and Agege Stadium.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Camp in Iyana-Ipaja, which will serve as the Games Village will also be inspected.

The Joint Technical Meeting follows the inspection on Friday April 25.

The games will feature 12 sports, which are athletics, badminton, basketball, chess, football, gymnastics, scrabble, swimming, table tennis, tennis, taekwondo and volleyball with over 2000 athletes and officials expected to participate.

Lagos to host maiden DAWN Games

As part of efforts to encourage grassroots sports development in the region, the maiden South-West Secondary School Sports Festival tagged DAWN Games will be hosted by the Lagos State Government in May 2014.
This was revealed at the end of the three-day meeting held in Lagos and attended by stakeholders from the six South West states, National Sports Commission (NSC) and Nigeria School Sports Federation (NSSF) among others.

In a statement by the Public Relations Officer (PRO, Lagos State Sports Council, Bashir Agunloye, DAWN, is an acronym for Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, brings together the government of the six states of South West Nigeria – Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Osun and Lagos, in a concerted strategic developmental process geared towards social, economic and regional integration and sports is one of the tools being deployed to actualise the agenda.

The DAWN Games are expected to create a forum for youths in the region to harness their sporting talents while also encouraging mass participation in sports at the grassroots level.

Speaking at the event, the Director-General, DAWN Commission, Dipo Famakinwa emphasised the role of sports in the DAWN agenda and assured all of the commitment of the DAWN Commission to work for the success and sustainability of the games.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Wahid Enitan Oshodi stated the commitment of the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola to hosting a very successful maiden edition of the Games.

“Governor Fashola believes that development of Sports at the grassroots is a major way of taking our youths off the streets”, Oshodi said.

The maiden edition which will hold from 16 to 24 May, 2014, and it will involve athletes in junior secondary schools, (JSS) and senior secondary schools (SSS) in the South-West states and will feature 12 sports -athletics, badminton, basketball, chess, football, gymnastics, scrabble, swimming, table tennis, tennis, taekwondo and volleyball.

Meanwhile the meeting also considered and ratified the rules and regulations for the games, the code of conduct for athletes and officials, the timelines and various other matters bordering on the hosting of a successful games.

The stakeholders, however, lauded the Lagos State Government and Governor Babatunde Fashola in particular, for taking up the hosting of the maiden edition of the DAWN Games.

Lagos International Scrabble Classics kicks off

Lagos International Scrabble Classics kicks off

Molade Okoya-Thomas Hall of Teslim Balogun Stadium will come alive on Friday January 24, as the Lagos International Scrabble Classics kicks off.

All the top players from United States, England, Scotland, Ghana, Ethiopia and Kenya will be in action today in the masters//international category for the star prize of N1.2m ($8,000).

According to the organisers, nine of the 28 games will be concluded on the first day while 19 games will be played at the weekend.
The players will compete in three categories – masters/international, Intermediate and opens in their bid to be part of the N4.8m prize money.

All the participants concluded their accreditation on Thursday with all the matches kicking off today (Friday).

Winners in the intermediate and opens categories will get N.5m and N1m respectively, while the top 10 players will get cash reward.
According to the Chairman, Lagos State Scrabble Association, Dayo Alao, the tournament would also help the local players as they are expected to compete with their foreign counterparts.

Among the top players expected at the competition include Nigeria-born United States’ Sammy Okosagah, a two-time winner of the Akpabio tournament as well as Nigeria-born Scotland Lukmon Owolabi.

Also, a special invitational category for professionals, who are expected to pay participation fee of N50, 000 will be part of the event while the proceeds going into a developmental programme.

“We are not only looking at the tournament alone, but to look at how we can develop the sport at grassroots level and that is why we will be having the special category for captains of industry with the proceeds from the participation fee going into a developmental programme in schools. The winner of this division will decide the school that will benefit from the initiative. For us, we are trying to encourage support from this professionals,” Alao said.

The dictionary for the championship will be Collins CSW12 only.