The second Pan-African School Games got under way yesterday at the Olympic-standard swimming pool of James Hope College in Lekki, Lagos State, with hundreds of young competitors taking part in the three-day youth sports event.
Key takeaways
- More than 11 schools are represented at the tournament.
- Athletes aged between 11 and 15 are competing across three age-group divisions.
- Almost 400 children and more than 200 parents attended the opening day.
- The event was timed to coincide with the school half-term holiday.
- The competition has been renamed after previously operating as the African School Games.
Growing platform for young athletes
Seun Akinbohun, Busola Tejumola and Aderoju Ope-Ajayi are organising the competition, which has attracted participants from over 11 schools. Medals are being contested in the Under-11, Under-13 and Under-15 classes, while parents and other supporters have packed the venue to watch the action.
Co-organiser Ope-Ajayi said the project was launched to provide worthwhile sporting pathways for children and help develop the next generation of champions, even as the organisers deal with funding difficulties. She said the turnout of close to 400 youngsters and over 200 parents on day one reflected increasing enthusiasm for grassroots sports development.
She added that the timing of the tournament was deliberate, with organisers choosing the students’ half-term period so that participation would not interfere with classroom commitments.
Ope-Ajayi reiterated that the central objective is to open doors for young people through sport. Despite the financial obstacles involved in staging the games, she said the team remains dedicated to its original ambition.
Expansion after successful debut
The positive response to the first edition prompted organisers to broaden the event for its second staging, Ope-Ajayi said. She acknowledged the contribution of sponsors and partners in keeping the initiative running, while also praising parents for backing their children’s involvement.
Organisers want the Games to offer more than medals and results, using the competition to encourage discipline, resilience and fair play among the participants.
Riverbank School chief executive Regina Jemide applauded the organisers for raising the quality of the event since its debut. The tournament was formerly called the African School Games before being rebranded as the Pan-African School Games.
Participants and other stakeholders believe the enlarged continental event can keep boosting school sport and motivate emerging athletes throughout Africa.
