Games Venues Ready For Eko 2012, Says LOC Boss

With six days to the commencement of the 18th National Sports Festival tagged Eko 2012, Lagos State Deputy Governor and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire says the games venues for the sports fiesta are now ready.

Speaking yesterday, the LOC boss said all the expected venues for the championship are now ready for the games, adding that the state is poised to host an exciting competition. “I want to tell you that all the games venues are now ready for the games and the athletes and officials should be ready for an exciting moment in Lagos.

For us in Lagos, we are known to set the pace for others to follow and we are going to ensure that this festival will indeed set pace for past and subsequent editions,” she said. She however, called for more private sector to be part of the games, saying, “Lagos being the major economy hot pot of this country, we will continue to lead and we want to also achieve this with this festival by making it a private public partnership initiative that will be embraced by all and sundry in the country,” she added.

For the 13-day multi-sports tournament, Teslim Balogun Stadium will host events like athletics, squash, gymnastics, swimming, taekwondo, ayo, and volleyball while the stadium will also host the opening and closing ceremonies.

National Stadium will host events like athletics (javelin, discuss, shot-put and hammer), chess, table tennis and kokawa. University of Lagos will host handball, powerlifting, football, wrestling, judo and abula,

While Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) will host handball, kickboxing and football events, Mobolaji Sports Centre, Rowe Park will host badminton and basketball, and National Institute for Sports (NIS) will host hockey, scrabble and boxing.

Onikan and Agege Stadia will host football. Other venues include Oba Elegushi Roundabout in Epe for cycling, Abalti Barracks in Surulere for Langa and Dambe, while UNILAG, YABATECH and Federal College of Education, (technical) are the games villages.