Sports

Lagos Begins “Catch-Them-Young” Multi-Sports Trials Ahead of 2025 National Youth Games

Published

1 year ago

July 30, 2025

The Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC) has officially launched its “Catch-Them-Young” multi-sports trials, a major step in its preparations for the 2025 National Youth Games (NYG) scheduled to take place in Asaba, Delta State.

The grassroots talent discovery programme is designed to identify, nurture, and develop young athletes who will not only represent Lagos at the NYG but also form a pipeline of future champions for national and international competitions.

The ongoing trials, which began a few weeks ago across various sporting facilities in the state, span multiple disciplines including athletics (track and field), swimming, gymnastics, boxing, weightlifting, table tennis, badminton, basketball, football, chess, ayo, and others. The programme is open to children aged 9 to 14 from across Lagos State.

Speaking at the venue of the athletics trials, Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr. Lekan Fatodu, highlighted the strategic importance of early talent identification in building a sustainable sports development structure.

“The ‘Catch-Them-Young’ programme represents our commitment to discovering and nurturing raw talent from the grassroots level,” Mr. Fatodu said. “We believe that every child in Lagos has the potential to become a world champion. Through this structured trial system, we are creating pathways for young athletes to turn their dreams into reality.”

He added that the initiative is not only aimed at building a strong Lagos team for the 2025 NYG but also at establishing a legacy programme that will continually feed into the state’s long-term sports development goals.

Mr. Fatodu also revealed that the Commission is exploring partnerships with international sports development organisations to provide further training and exposure for standout talents identified during the trials.

The LSSC is also placing strong emphasis on age verification and compliance with eligibility requirements, while focusing on areas where Lagos has historically excelled, and simultaneously exploring emerging potentials across all sports.

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Sports

Agada Shines with Brace as Orijent Beat Karlovac 2-0

Published

35 mins ago

October 24, 2026

The Gleamer

Nigerian forward Charles Adah Agada scored twice as HNK Orijent secured a 2-0 away victory over Karlovac 1919 in the Croatian SuperSport Prva NL on Saturday.

Orijent produced an impressive performance at the Branko Čavlović-Čavlek Stadium in Karlovac to claim all three points in the league encounter.

Agada, a former Mavlon FC of Lagos attacker, was the standout performer, finding the net twice to help the visitors overcome their hosts and strengthen their position in the league campaign.
Orijent went into the half-time break with a 1-0 advantage before extending their lead in the second half.

The Nigerian striker completed his brace with the goal that made it 2-0 in the 57th minute.
Karlovac were unable to find a response as Orijent held on to their advantage to secure victory away from home.

The result represents an important boost for Orijent, who will look to build on the performance in their subsequent league fixtures.

For Agada, the brace underlines his value to the team as Orijent continue their campaign in Croatia’s second-tier football competition.

He has built an important role on loan at the club and has successfully established himself as a regular fixture in their lineup, appearing in all 8 league matches so far this season.

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