No be small matter o! Athletes wey represent Lagos State dey dance for joy as dem don collect N36.3 million from Lagos State Government. This na cash reward for di medals wey dem win during di last National Sports Festival, wey happen for Abeokuta, Ogun State for May 2025, according to wetin The PUNCH report.
Some of di athletes don confirm say dem don receive di payment after di Lagos State Sports Commission announce say di government don approve di rewards. Team Lagos wey finish sixth for di Gateway Games 2024 win 38 gold, 43 silver, and 88 bronze medals. For di 169 medallists, 32 individual gold medallists collect N300,000 each, while five gold medallists for doubles events also collect di same amount. One gold medal wey dem win for team event make dem share N700,000 among di athletes.
For silver medal, individual and doubles medallists dey collect N200,000 each, while di teams wey win silver dey share N500,000. Bronze medallists wey win for individual and doubles events collect N150,000 each, while di teams wey win bronze dey receive N350,000. One athlete wey no wan show im face talk say dem start to collect di payments last Friday after dem don announce di fund don clear.
As if dat one no enough, Lagos State junior athletes don break record for 2025 National Youth Games wey happen for Asaba. Dem no just win, but dem don kick host Delta State for body, making it di first time wey dem go collect gold from dem! Team Lagos carry home 110 medals, with 52 gold, 32 silver, and 26 bronze medals. Na wetin make Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu quickly reward dia junior athletes before he turn to di senior dem.
Lekan Fatodu wey be Director-General of di Lagos State Sports Commission come talk say dem dey serious about athlete welfare. “No be only talk we dey talk. We dey put our money where our mouth dey. We don set up digital athlete portal wey dey use biometric ID, so all di things wey concern allowances and welfare go reach di right people without wahala.” Fatodu yan wetin fit make athletes smile as dem dey prepare for di next National Sports Festival wey go hold for Enugu State.
As di 2026 festival dey approach, he don confirm say dem go use dia new strategy wey don show say na im dem go fit perform well again. “We dey thank Governor Sanwo-Olu for im constant support. Dis time we go step up our game again for di senior level,” Fatodu talk. Di athletes sef dey feel pumped up, dem sabi say di expectations don high, and dem no wan carry last for di competition.
<p“E no go be jamboree again o. Everybody go earn im place for di festival as we don dey work hard to showcase our talent,” one athlete talk.
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