Ojodu community unveils 5-aside turf

A five-aside football pitch has been launched in Lagos to empower the youth through sports.

The football pitch was unveiled at the weekend in Ojodu Local Council Development Area of the state.

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Member of the House of Assembly representing Ikeja Constituency 1, Hon. Adedamola Richard Kasunmu, who represented Rep James Faleke (Ikeja Constituency), said turf was an “innovation by the youths, financed by the youths, to be used by the youths.”

He said, “It’s going to bring further development to the constituency, it’s going to help a lot of youths develop themselves through sport, this is another way to help develop grassroots sport.

“I believe and expect we would see more projects like this, I would have said more based on the sports collaboration, but I was formerly a chairman house committee on youth sports and social development and  it was even during my time the two bills were passed into law, the Lagos State sport trust fund and the Lagos State sport commission laws were established, it was based on that premise that we set a foundation and I know the current chairman is following that lead and I also know that the government as a whole is looking at further collaboration in sports development.”

Chairman, planning committee of the event, Toluwase Dada, said pitch 5 Turf is an initiative of Ojodu boys and girls.

“This is an afterthought of no proper recreational facility within the neighbourhood. This is a way of giving back to the society, aside from it being a training ground it’s a good source of investment business-wise, we are selling Ojodu to the world, you don’t need to go to Lekki and Ikoyi to play football.”

“It is accessible as time goes on there will be membership and once you are a member there will be unrestricted access and if you are not a member, you will be paying a very minimum fee.

“The maintenance structure is good, we have funds set aside for maintaining the turf for another year, there’s also first aid on ground, we also have an hospital close by which we are well affiliated to  incase of any emergency.”