Grange School Ikeja won the overall title in the Under 13 and Under 15 categories of the second Pan African School Games while St Saviour’s School Ikoyi took the Under 11 title at the three-day tournament held at James Hope College Lekki.
Grange School topped the standings in both age groups and received a new bus sponsored by Mikano Changan Motors.
The event brought together more than 400 students from 11 schools. It was organised by Seun Akinbohun Busola Tejumola and Aderoju Ope Ajayi.
In the Under 11 category St Saviour’s won swimming and athletics and shared the football title with Lagos Preparatory and Secondary School. In the Under 13 and Under 15 categories Grange School won swimming and athletics while Riverbank School won football in both age groups.
The Director of Sports at the Lagos State Sports Commission Travih Nunayon said the commission had deployed talent scouts to the Games to identify promising athletes. Nunayon who represented the commission’s Director General Lekan Fatodu said discussions had begun with the organisers on sustaining the initiative.
He said athletes identified during the competition could be considered for events such as the National Youth Games and the National Intermediate Games adding that the commission would continue to monitor their progress.
Co-founder Aderoju Ope Ajayi said the Games were established to help children develop their sporting potential alongside their education. She said the founders who are also sports parents understood the opportunities sport could offer including scholarships.
‘We want children to look back and say this is where I was discovered this is where I got a scholarship opportunity and this is where I had my opportunities’ she said.
Ope Ajayi who is also Chairman of the Lagos State Aquatics Association thanked the participating schools families and partners.
The Lagos State Government and the Lagos State Sports Commission partnered with the organisers. Corporate sponsors included Prime Atlantic Zenith Bank Plumtre Advisory Mikano Changan Motors UAC Foods Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) Team 33 Productions Flytime What Media Kantar Logic City and Flutterwave.
Participants and coaches commended the organisers and expressed hope that future editions would bring in more schools.