Over eight thousand pupils from five hundred secondary schoold are participating in the second edition following its huge success the event has recorded.
While commending the sponsor, Chief Kessington Adebukola Adebutu, for assisting the Lagos State government to sponsor the competition which is a platform for building Nigeria's future stars, said some of the discovered athletes at the maiden edition were engaged in a holiday training programme in August, 2013 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium.
He added that the competition had afforded the discovered athletes to be exposed to coaching at the higher level as the gesture has really added value and improve their skills.
"The first edition was a fantastic competition and the participants knew that it was a flagship of competition in Nigeria.Last year, some athletes were discovered and they are potential and in August during the holiday, the athletes were camped.
"They were exposed to coaching at higher level that they were used to.Some of tem are just picing up.They will form the back bone of the Lagos State team for either national or international competitions".
He said some of them would be paraded at the next National Sports Festival in Calabar, Cross River State in a bid to gain experience by competing with the Elite Athletes, stressing that the discovered athletes would blossom to greater height in the next couple of years under a thorough training programme.
He said the increase in the number of schools featuring the tournament was a result of achievement recorded at the maiden edition as he implored the sponsor not to mind his investment in athletics as he would reap the fruits of his investment in a couple years when the athletes win laurels for Nigeria at international athletics meets.
He said the Lagos State Government would not relent in its efforts to assist the athletes to gain admission into the state's tertiary institutions in an efort to further monitor and train them.
"Lagos State Government is trying to build sports complex across the five zones of the state while the sports council will provide manpower service.The Local Government should also assist by making available coaches to train their wards at thegrassroot level."
He commended the efforts of the Lagos State Government in building sports facilities across the five zones of the state,Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Epe, adding that the state Sports Council stands in a good capacity to provide technical support.
The event continue today(Wednesday) with zone three at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.
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