Lagos Blind Sports Fiesta kicks off at Teslim Balogun Stadium

By Tosin Omojola

The 2024 Lagos Blind Sports Fiesta began on Monday at the Sir Molade Okoya-Thomas Indoor Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.

The five-day event has attracted over 92 participants, aiming to inspire visually impaired athletes, prepare them for future competitions, and foster a sense of inclusion.

The featured sports for this year’s edition include Blind Powerlifting, Blind Judo, Goalball, and Ayo Olopon. The event aligns with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration’s commitment to promoting inclusivity and highlighting the abilities of persons living with disabilities in sports.

Day one of the fiesta spotlighted Blind Powerlifting, with 12 male athletes competing in squat, bench press, and deadlift across five weight categories: 67kg, 75kg, 82kg, 90kg, and 102kg.

In the 67kg category, Oladele Sunday emerged victorious with a combined lift of 385kg, followed by Samuel Ige with 345kg and Omishola Abiodun with 280kg. Other standout performances included:

75kg category: Oko Dennis (1st place, 385kg) and Tope Orimolade (2nd place, 370kg).

82kg category: Ojemen Cyril (1st place, 420kg), Tijani Taofeeq (2nd place, 360kg), and Adeola Akande (3rd place, 290kg).

90kg category: Ajibade Sodiq (1st place, 480kg) and Adeyemi Adeseye (2nd place, 400kg).

102kg category: Eze Samuel (1st place, 385kg) and Emmanuel Okoawo (2nd place, 230kg).

Participants expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Government for the opportunity to showcase their skills and enhance their performance.

Adeyemi Adeseye noted that the event provided a platform to improve his abilities in blind sports, while Sunday Oladele praised the government for fostering an inclusive environment and creating opportunities for visually impaired athletes to thrive.