Lagos CDC holds boxing competition to engage community youths against social vices

 Lagos CDC holds boxing competition to engage community youths against social vices

By Kazeem Akande

 (NAN) The Community Development Committee (CDC) in Agbado Oke-Odo Local Government Development Area (LCDA) has organised a one Day Boxing Competition among the teeming youths in community to engage them against social vices.

Mr Olubowle Kasunmu, the CDC Chairman, said that what prompted stagging the boxing competition was to engage the youth and take them out of street vices.

"Some years back I realised that the number of youths in the community keep increasing and we decided to engage them by way of vocations and sports.

"Majorly sports will take away 60 per cent of youth away from the labour if the government can channel most of it's energy towards providing facilities for our youths.

"Most of the advance countries are using sports as a means of employment for the youth especially Europe and America are good examples of this.

"So, if we can channel most of our energy engaging the letting them go into sporting activities within the next two years the country will be off from unemployment challenges," he said. 

Kasunmu said that with the likes of the talents emerged from the competition, the local government would create a platform for the youth to excel through vocations and sporting activities.

He added that the participants of the boxing competition would form a nucleous team whereby they could engage others teams in other local government sporting activities.

"We have plan to start engaging and competing with other local governments, states and even partners with clubs abroad," he added.

Prince Kolawole Moses, Director of Sport Development Lagos State in his remarks said that grassroots sport development was the best way to catch them young.

Moses said that such competition could produce promising and prominent boxers in the nearest future that could make the  local government, state and the country proud.

"We urge all other local governments in the state to key into this laudable sport development to identify talents and get them out of the streets to become responsible members of the society," he said.

Emir Adeniji, one of the Coaches in his after match remarks said it was a great opportunity for the youth to participate in the boxing competition.

Adeniji appealed to the organisers and the local government to sustain the sport development to enable them acquire more talents in the community.

Jamiu Ayodeji, one of the participants, one of the participants and a winner of 44kg who defeated Baki Abioye in the boxing competition thanked the organiser for giving them the opportunity to showcase their talents. (NAN)