Okungbowa, Ibikunle Best DAWN Games Athletes.

The maiden South West Secondary Schools Games tagged DAWN Games 2014 ended at the weekend with Morayo Okungbowa and Daniel Ibikunle were adjudged the most outstanding athletes of the competition hosted by Lagos State.

 12-year-old Okungbowa, a swimmer, a junior class two student of Meadow Hall School, Lekki, won 11 gold, one silver and one bronze medals to emerge at the best female athlete of the tournament, while Ibikunle was adjudged the best male athlete. Ibikunle, a swimmer is 15-year-old senior class two student of Herois Faith College, Kosofe, won seven gold and one silver medals.

  Host - Lagos, won the multi-sports championship, which kicked off on May 16 with over 2000 athletes and officials from Lagos, Ekiti, Osun, Oyo and Ogun. 

  Lagos athletes were outstanding in almost all the sports they competed in by claiming 177 medals made up of 89 gold, 60 silver and 28 bronze medals. 

  Team Ogun finished second with a total of 77 medals - 15 gold, 29 silver and 33 bronze medals. 

  In the third position were Team Oyo, which won 68 medals - seven gold, 18 silver and 43 bronze medals.

  Team Ekiti were fourth with 33 medals; six gold, six silver and 21 bronze medals, while Team Osun came fifth with 18 medals made up of one gold, six silver and 11 bronze medals.

Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State, who declared the Games closed alongside his deputy, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, said that Lagos is happy to have had the opportunity to host the first edition of the Games, "I am thankful to my brothers, the Governors of Ekiti, Ogun, Osun and Oyo for supporting this initiative and for sending their states' athletes to attend and participate."

  According to Fashola, the DAWN Games was born out of the need to create the opportunity for the youths of the south-west to interact, to know themselves, understand their environment and be conscious of its challenges and inspired by its opportunities.

He added: "In order to ensure continuity of the Games, we have resolved to vest ownership of the competition and the hosting rights franchise in the DAWN Commission which is the administrative organ of our partnership under the leadership of the Director General, Dipo Famakinwa.”

Lagos Humiliate Osun, 7- 0 To Win Bronze Medal.

Captain of Lagos Stat football team,Semiu Adegboyega, says the painful defeat to Oyo State football squad in the semi final clash at the Agege Statdium, propelled them to humiliate their counterparts from Osun State by seven unreplied goals in the third place match played on Thursday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.

Adegboyega, who was part of he Surulere Local Government team that won the 2013/2014 Lagos Junior League, said the early two goals scored by Tajudeen Sodiq of Oyo State demoralized his team and efforts to equalize proved abortive as they were able to score a goal to end the match 2- 1.

The goalkeeper, who noted the Bronze medal won at the DAWN Games was far away fro what the team desired, said their expectations was to write their name in Gold at the maiden edition of the DAWN Games, adding that the Games is an avenue for integration and making relationship with other players.

Adegboyega, who appealed to Govenor Babtunde Fashola,to give Team Lagos, scholarship awards to enable some of them to further their academic career, said the Games had afforded the athletes participating in the tournament to gain experience and exposure, stressing that former Nigerian internationals such Nwankwo Kanu, Victor Ikpeba and Stephen Keshi among others were discovered through similar programme.

The pupil of A- Z international College, Oshodi, whose ambition is to study Mass Communication, said other participating States should endeavor to delve into regular sponsorship of grassroot programmes for the youth.

DAWN Games:Medals Table

DAWN Games:Akintola, Maduka Says Team Lagos Will Win DAWN Games.

The captains of Team Lagos of the ongoing DAWN Games have assured that they will make the Lagos State proud at the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria,DAWN, Games, which started over the weekend.

Team Lagos, female captain, Ortega Akintola, a student of  Lagos City Senior School, Sabo, Yaba, said the last concluded IBILE Games served as potent preparation to help the selected athletes to win laurels at the Games which attracted the six states in the South West Nigeria.

Akintola, who won three Gold and One Silver medal at the National School Sports Festival tagged Kwara 2013, thanked Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola for making the competition possible and creating an enabling  environment for sporting excellence in Lagos

Team Lagos, male captain, Timothy Maduka , a student of  of Whitesand School, Lekki, Lagos, said the selected athletes to the event consist of remarkable athletes who have distinguished themselves in their various sports to justify their selection on merit by the officials.

Maduka, who won two gold medals at 2014 Premier Lotto Athletics Championship and adjudged as the Outstanding Athlete of Premier Lotto Athletics meet, said the closed camp would further help them to maintain their fitness level after the IBILE Games.

MOC Hoists Flags For DAWN Games

The Main Organising Committee, M.O.C, of  the South-West Secondary Schools Games tagged DAWN Games has hoisted the Games flags in readiness for the Games billed to begin on Friday.

The event which was held yesterday at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos was attended by the committee's chairman,Wahid Oshodi and other committee members.

  "I want to tell our brothers and sisters that from other south-west states that we are expecting them for the Games. We want to show again that we can repeat the show and the glamour of the last National Sports Festival tagged Eko 2012 during the DAWN Games,” he said.


The Committee chairman, Wahid Oshodi, said the ceremony symbolised the readiness of Lagos State to stage a glamorous competition and also a way to repeat the glamour of the last National Sports Festival tagged Eko 2012 at the DAWN games.

"The athletes and officials will experience the hospitality Lagos is known of at the championship. Everything from health, security and all those things that will make us put in place a glamorous competition are ready. The facilities are world class and by Friday this week, the Games will begin," Oshodi said


According to him, the athletes and officials from the South- Western  states will experience the hospitality Lagos is known of at the championship, adding that the sporting facilities in the state are world class.

 The DAWN Games, will be staged at the Agege Stadium, Rowe Park Sports Centre, Yaba and the Teslim Balogun Stadium.

Over 2000 athletes from six states made up of Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Ekiti and host – Lagos are expected to compete in 12 school sports events.

NSC Commends Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola For Maintaining Sports Facilities.

The zonal coordinator, National Sports Commission, West Zone, Steve Olarinoye, has commended Lagos State Government for exhibiting high maintenance culture over its sports facilities.

"Am not surprised.We are coming to a state where we had the last National Sports Festival in 2012 and the facilities used at the EKO 2012 Games wiiol be sued for the DAWN Games."What we have seen here today is to confirm that Lagos State is committed to the Games.

Olarinoye, made the comment on Thursday when officials of the participating states from Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti State inspected sports facilities for the Development Agenda For Western Nigeria,DAWN Games scheduled to hold next month in the state.

"Thank God that Lagos State has been maintaining its facilities very well.Good facilities will enhance the athletes to give their best in any competition.Very happy with the standard of sports facilities".DAWN Games which is developmental in nature is in line with the national policy of the NSC"

The facilities inspected include the Youth hostel at the NYSC Camp, which will serve as the Games village,Agege Stadium, Lagos State Sports Council, Rowe Park, Yaba and the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.

The zonal coordinator, said he was not surprised that the State Governmet could sustain and maintain the sports facilities used at the 18th National Sports Festival tagged EKO 2012 Games because the state has been able to stand out among the rest as the "State of Excellence".

While appreciating the state's Government for championing the course of  grassroot sports development in Nigeria, Olarinoye, said the quality of and standard of sports facilities would enhance the participating athletes to give their best, adding that the DAWN Games which is developmental in nature is in line with the policy of the National Sports Commission to discover young talented athletes.

He explained that athletes discovered at the Games would be encouraged to future in the commission's organised competitions as he assured that the Games would motivate other zonal coordinators to organise similar Games.

"The Governors of other states will determine the net host as athletes discovered will be encouraged to feature in the NSC national championships".

Facilities Inspection, Technical Committee Meeting For DAWN Games Hold

The Joint Technical Meeting (JTM) and inspection of facilities for the DAWN Games (South West Secondary Schools Games) holding in Lagos, comes up this week from Thursday April 23 to 25, 2014.

  The DAWN Games, involving all the southwest states of Nigeria - Ekiti, Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Ondo, starts May 16 to 24, this year in Lagos.

  According to the Local Organising Committee (LOC), the Director of Sports/ General Manager, Sports Council and the Director in charge of sports in the Ministry of Education will represent each state at the JTM and inspection. 

  Others expected are representatives from DAWN Commission, National Sports Commission (NSC) South West Zonal Coordinator and LOC members.

  The inspection begins on Thursday April 24 and the team is expected to inspect the venues like Rowe Park Sports Complex, Yaba; Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere; and Agege Stadium. 

  The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Camp in Iyana-Ipaja, which will serve as the Games Village will also be inspected.

  The Joint Technical Meeting follows the inspection on Friday April 25.

  The games will feature 12 sports, which are athletics, badminton, basketball, chess, football, gymnastics, scrabble, swimming, table tennis, tennis, taekwondo and volleyball with over 2000 athletes and officials expected to participate.