Special athletes showed the stuff they are made of as they lit up the maiden edition of the Lagos Ability Games.
The much talked about Lagos Ability Games, which were exhibitions, took place on Wednesday, December 29, at the Teslim Balogun stadium.
Athletes competed in athletics, wheelchair athletics, powerlifting, deaf table tennis, para table tennis, amputee shortput, Ayo, shortput (blind), chess and scrabble.
Wheelchair table tennis
Also, there was a blind football exhibition game between Centre of Excellence FC and Igbega Eko FC which ended 5-5.
At the end of the games, cash rewards were given to athletes who finished first, second and third in some of the sports.
The first position got N20,000, the runners-up got N10,000 and the sum of N7,000 went to third place.
In athletics (T.11 for male) first position went to Olushola Abiodun, second place went to Kekere Oladele and third place was won by Oyelakin Oluwadamilare.
Scrabble, chess at Lagos Ability Games
Abdullahi Muazu, Segun Bailey and Sunday Adeshina finished first, second and third respectively in wheelchair race.
For F.11 shortput blind (female), Justina Mokwem was first, Grace Igbobe was second and Funmilayo Olasunkanmi was third.
For the F.11 shortput blind in the male category, Cyril Ojeme came first, Adeola Akinde was second and Amoo Taiwo finished third.
Wheelchair race
The F.41 dwarf was competed only by Musa Yusuf.
Also, athletes who did well in other sports like para table tennis, amputee shortput, deaf table tennis and powerlifting were rewarded.
Speaking at the event, General Manager, Lagos State Office for Disability Affairs (LASODA) Dare Dairo thanked Governor of Lagos State Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his role in the organising of the games.
“Lagos State has always been the engine room for all the achievements that Nigeria celebrates in disabled sports, Olympic and all that. Lagos is where it begins, this is where athletes train, have the enabling environment, where they are discovered and develop their talent.
Athletes slugging it out in cycling
“Ability Games is about taking it a step further, developing more talents and promoting those talents for maximum opportunities and self development for the athletes because the governor’s promise was to use sport as an empowerment tool for people with disability. A lot of time this people make Nigeria proud but they hardly get the reward. Yes we are having a number of hitches here and there, it’s the beginning and it can only get better and the promise will be kept.
“Like we stated these are purely exhibition games and we look ahead to subsequently games, at least let’s get started next year we would improve and we are ever grateful to the Lagos State government, for the governor that is concerned about his promise to leave no one behind and people with disability are being seriously considered.”
GM LASODA, Dare Dairo giving out cash rewards to athletes
Abdullahi Abdulmojeeb an adire, palm sandals and shoe maker, who took part in blind football expressed excitement taking part in the Lagos Ability Games.
He said:”It is a great privilege for me to be part of the blind football. I use to hear about it but I’ve never had the opportunity to take part in it and to be part of it is a very good experience for me and I feel happy and fulfilled. l want to thank the organisers for giving us this opportunity to showcase our talent.”
And wheelchair athlete Segun, runner-up in his race said:”I felt very excited when I heard something like this is going to hold. I believe this is an opportunity for us to express ourselves and do what we love most.
“I want to thank Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu because I was at the conference where he said he is going to do something about disability sport and for seeing this in very happy. Also I believe there will be more improvement in the next edition.
“What was in my mind was to compete and have fun because like the organisers said it’s just exhibition, that we should be looking forward to next year.”
By James Agberebi
