Team Lagos emerged as the leading state at the Southwest zonal elimination ahead of the 23rd National Sports Festival, recording seven podium finishes across the 10 men’s and women’s categories contested.
The elimination, held from September 13 to 16, 2026, featured athletes from Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states, with competitors battling for qualification and representation at the forthcoming National Sports Festival.
Lagos secured championship titles in men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s basketball and women’s football. The state also finished as runner-up in women’s basketball, men’s cricket and women’s cricket, highlighting its depth across different sporting disciplines.
Director-General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, attributed the strong performance to the state’s deliberate investment in athlete development and competitive sports. He congratulated the athletes and expressed confidence that they would improve further ahead of the national festival, while assuring them of continued support.
Fatodu also commended Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for his commitment to sports development, noting that investments in sporting facilities, programmes and athlete development have helped create opportunities for athletes to train and compete at higher levels.
He stressed that Lagos’ sports vision goes beyond winning medals, explaining that the state is building a sustainable talent-development system that identifies athletes from the grassroots, trains them and develops them to elite levels. He added that creating opportunities for young people to discover and develop their sporting abilities remains a key part of the strategy.
With the Southwest zonal elimination completed, Team Lagos will now intensify training, athlete preparation and strategic planning ahead of the 23rd National Sports Festival in Enugu later this year, with the aim of building on its strong zonal performance at the national stage.