Lawmaker Takes Marathon Race, Football Competition To The Grassroots

A lawmaker in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Ibrahim Layode has taken sports development to the grassroots with the sponsorship of Marathon Race and Football competition tagged: “OIL 88 Football Competition.”

Layode, who is representing Badagry Constituency 1, stated in an interview that the marathon race was quite interesting and that it is a kind of competition that people like him should be promoting.

“The last time such a race was held in Lagos, we couldn’t find any youth from Lagos winning any laurel, rather it was people from Kenya that won.

“Moreso, most of the youths have said that someone like us should support them for things like this, which was why the marathon race was held this morning,” he said.

The marathon race was held early on Saturday 26 March round the Badagry city with the marathoners covering over 10 kilometres of roads.

Finals of the football competition however, held later in the day at the Military Barracks, Topo, Badagry between FM Academy, Ajara, Badagry and Deaclaw FC, Warakoh, Badagry.

The players from the two sides defied the scorching sun and gave the game their best, but the two teams failed to score any goal at the end of the 90 minutes and extra time alloted for the match.

Deaclaw FC, Warakoh eventually carried the day during penalty kicks after the extra time.

Speaking on the football match, Hon. Layode said that it was a way of encouraging the youth, and that the competition was the second one he was organising, promising that it would continue on an annual basis.

“So far, we have spent N4.5 Million to organise the two events. The youths that participated in the race would go home with cash prizes, while the football teams too would go home with cash prizes and trophies.

“The winner of the football match would go home with N100,000, the first runners-up would go home with N80,000, while the 2nd and 3rd runners up would go home with N50,000 and N40,000 respectively,” he said.

On why he decided to organise a football competition, the lawmaker revealed that a lot of our youths in the area show interest in football and marathon race.

He said that the winner of the female category of the marathon race participated in the Lagos race, just like the winner of the male category, and that the male and female winners covered almost 10.7 kilometres.

“We will also give N40,000 to each of the winners of the marathon race, while the second and third place would also get cash rewards and about 10 others would be given N10,000 each. I want to advise the youths to continue participating in sports so that they could represent our country in other places.

“Apart from what we did today, we give out GCE forms to youths every year, which I started in 2007, when I got to office. We organise poverty alleviation for traders, market women and others regularly,” he said.