The Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC), Babatunde Bank-Anthony, on Tuesday said that the state had a history and a place in the National Sports Festivals.
Bank-Anthony, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), also said that the past history would propel the state to defend the title it won six years ago.
NAN reports that the 19th National Sports Festival is slated for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja from Dec. 6 to Dec. 16, 2018.
The Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, had said that the 19th National Sports Festival would be hosted in Abuja, after several postponements, with the last edition hosted by Lagos in 2012.
Bank-Anthony said that the preparations towards the festival were in top gear, with all the athletes that would fly the flag of the state ready to prove their worth.
“Lagos State boasts of the very best of the athletes in Nigeria; this is no secret, we have our policy of keeping our athletes fresh and fit, because they belong to us.
“All our athletes from the camp are ready for the challenge; we don’t have any mercenary among them. This is a standing policy we have adopted and it has been working for us.
“Our athletes do receive their entitlements in time, so we have no problems; this gives us confidence that our athletes will do well during the competition,’’ he said.
The LSSC DG said that all logistics were set for the sports festival, adding that the state had also included an insurance policy for its athletes.
“All necessary things needed have been adequately taken care of, including all the logistics. We also have insurance cover in place for all the athletes, as a morale booster for them.
“We have our insurance company, LASACO to take care of all the insurance policies on behalf of the state. We are committed to the development of sports in Nigeria.
“We have a place in the history of the sports festivals, everybody knows our pedigree and we will not fall short of that; rather we will strive to raise the bar.
“To underscore our readiness, some of the Table Tennis players that made the podium during the Asoju Oba Cup will also be representing Lagos, so we are sure of many medals, Bank-Anthony said. (NAN)
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
