Team Nigeria Conquers Africa With Gold Medals.

The victorious junior National Gymnastics team to the just concluded African Level 16, Championship at the High Performance Center in Pretoria, South Africa will return to the country on Tuesday after an impressive outing at the championship.

The Team Nigeria side won 4 gold, 1 silver and 8 bronze medals to place 2^nd behind the host nation, South Africa.

Over 1,900 gymnastics athletes from 30 countries participated at the keenly contested championship that was held between 21^st and 26^th of July 2016. Nigeria displaced countries like Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia and others to share the podium behind South Africa.

You will recall that team Nigeria departed the shores of this country like Orphans and with the help of spirited Nigerians who willingly donated cash and other items to the young lads as the team was abandoned throughout the duration of championship by the nation’s sports ministry and the Gymnastics Federation of Nigeria, However this did not discourage the lads from putting their best all through the competition.

Asemota Daniella, Mindy Akinbobore, Ememka Ekezie and Hariz Shehu won gold medal at level 4 and 5 level Aerobics gymnastic respectively, Efeoghene Agohgho won silver,  Daniella Uzuegbu, Azeemah Shehu, Witheney Conffi Spiff, Arianna Gbemudu, Odelia Ajayi, Adi Saad, and Amaka Asemota won bronze medals each.

Coach Tony Asuquo the first and only gymnastics coach in Nigeria to be certified by the world gymnastics body also won a gold medal being the most outstanding coach of the championship.

Speaking from south Africa via telephone, Coach Tony Asuquo stated that championship was an eye opener for the team and he expects the sports ministry to build on the gains of the championship ahead of the next Olympics.

“Coming second behind South Africa was very massive for us despite the facts that no funds or sponsorship came our way before the championship,

“We could have done much better if we had better preparations but we only trained with minimal resources and I am so impressed by the performances of these kids.’’

Tony Asuquo also seized the opportunity to appeal to the sports ministry to host the team for doing the Nation proud in South Africa.

DAWN GAMES: Lagos State Gymnasts Will Start Attending International Competitions, Says Adebamke Oloko.

Following the scintillating performance of Lagos State Gymnasts in the ongoing DAWN Games, the Chairman, Lagos State Gymnastic Association, Adebamke Oloko, says the association will reward its gymnasts by giving them scholarship awards and vouchers to enable them to purchase sport equipment.

An elated Oloko, whose gymnasts top the Gymnastic medals table with a total of 17 medals of Eight Gold, Six Silver and Three Bronze medals in the event which was concluded on Tuesday at the  Mobolaji Johnson Sportshall, Rowe Park, Yaba, said the gesture would gear the athletes to work harder in a bid to record an excellent performance in subsequent competitions, stressing that that they must not relent in their efforts to make the state proud in any organised national championship.

"I thanked Governor  Babatunde Raji Fashola and Wahid Enitan Oshodi, Commissioner for Sports, for the provision of a world class equipment.The current equipment is a world class standard and the association had used it to its advantage.Our athletes have cultivated the use of the equipment and they have mastered it to their advantage".We want to start attending international competitions so as to have a view of what is expected in the world of Gymnastic.

While thanking Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola as well as the Commisioner for Sports,Wahid Enitan Oshodi, for making available world class gymnastic facilities, said plans were in top gear to feature Lagos State gymnasts in international competitions so as to expose them and also prepare them ahead of the future.

She said the overwhelming victory was a raw demonstration of skills, passion and healthy competition ahead of the National Youth Games and the National School Sports Festival in Makurdi, Benue State, adding that the association have a potent and effective"Catch Them Young Programme" for kids between ages four and six and also for other class f junior gymnasts.


"The LSGA is canvassing for a gymnasium at a permanent site to help display our equipment since Gymnasium is a peculiar sport, hence the reason why the  association want to attract a lot of people.We have a developmental programmes like "Catch Them Young".

She explained that the association's priority was to have a Gymnasium which would have a world class facilities to regenerate the standard of the sport in Nigeria and also to create another avenue for the athletes to brace up for the challenges of becoming one of the best gymnasts in the world.

"With a Gymnasium in place, the association can catch the athletes young and build their interest and skills.We want to motivate and encourage them to perform better"

Ondo Dominates Lagos Invitational Gymnastics Tourney.

Ondo State showed their stuff at the Lagos Invitational Artistic Gymnastics Championship after mopping the largest number of gold medals at the two-day tournament held at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Complex, Rowe Park.

To be crowned the overall winner of the competition, Ondo amassed five gold, three silver and five bronze medals, while its neighbour, Ekiti finished second with three gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

However, the host – Lagos claimed third place with two gold, six silver and two bronze medals, while Oyo with a bronze medal settled for fourth place among the five states that took part in the championship.

 The competition was organized by the Lagos State Gymnastics Association with over 60 gymnasts drawn from five states participated in the tournament.
 
According to the organisers, it was aimed to inspire the athletes as well as giving them the opportunity to compete with the best gymnasts in the country.
Lagos State Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Wahid Oshodi commended the association for staging the championship, adding that the new equipment, which the state government provided for association has been put into good use to develop the athletes.

Oshodi added that the performance of the state in the gymnastics event at the last National School Sports Festival held in Kwara last month was superb with the state winning 13 gold, eight silver and five bronze medals to dominate the event.

In her remarks, Chairperson of the association, Banke Oloko expressed delight with the performance of the athletes, which she said would help them to do well in subsequent tournaments.

The coach of the winning state, Olamide Fadoju lauded the organisers for deeming it fit to invite other states to participate in the championship.

Lagos State To Organise Gymnastic Competition.

Five South West States including Lagos State will participate in the Lagos State Inivtational Artistic Gymanstic Championship scheduled to start today at the Sports hall of Lagos State Sports Centre, Rowe Park, Yaba.

The States are Ogun,Oyo, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti as they are to feature in three events, Parallel bars, Faulting Horse, Floor Exercise and Balance Beam in the male and female categories.

Head Coach of the Lagos State Gymnastic Association, Abiodun Oyewuwo,said the tournament sponsored by the association's chairman, Banke Oloko and supported by the Minmistry of Youth, Sports and Social Development, is geared at developing their wards ahead of the 2014 National Sports Festival, in Calabar, Cross River State.

Oyewuwo, explained that Ekiti and Ondo States had a storng gymnastic teams in the nation but his gymnasts would give them a good fight as the regular quarterly Sports Competition organise by the state government would pave the way for his athletes to excel at the event.

According to him, plans are in top gear to feature in a Gymnastic championship in Soutth Africa in 2014 in readiness for the National Sports Festival, in Calabar, Coss River State, stressing that the move is to enable the state's gymnasts to compete and win laurels since the Games would be opened to Nigerian elite athletes.