Nine-year-old Abimbola Disu
A confident nine-year-old Abimbola Disu believes she has the wherewithal to sweep medals in the gymnastic event of the 18th National Sports Festival tagged Eko 2012.
The primary four pupil of Sanfra Preparatory Nursery and Primary School stole the show at the just concluded Lagos Gymnastic championship dominated in three events to win the star prize.
With the target of clinching three gold medals, she said: “I am working toward achieving my goal of winning three gold medals at Eko 2012 because my coach is giving me vigorous training and I so much believe that with God on my side, I will make it,” she boasted.
For Disu, becoming national champion, remains her long term goal but for now, she wants to announce her emergence with good performance at Eko 2012.
“I want to become Nigeria champion one day, and I also want to become successful in my education, because my parents always emphasize that I should give my education a priority. For me, my first hurdle is to make Lagos State proud by winning gold medals at the festival and I will continue to work hard to fulfil my dream,” she said.
Like Disu, Temitope Issa, who mopped nine gold, two silver and one bronze medals at the last Lagos State Sports Festival tagged ‘Ibile Games’, is also exuding confidence, saying, four gold medals should be within her reach.
The 18-year-old however, said becoming the first athlete to represent Nigeria at the Olympic Games remains her priority.
“I know that with hard-work I can achieve my dream and I am working hard as well. For me, four gold medals are achievable at Eko 2012 because I want to become national champion and represent Nigeria at the Olympics,” the double gold medallist at Port Harcourt 2011 said.
Another double gold medallist at Port Harcourt 2011, Adenike Oyekunle has vowed to follow the footstep of her teammates by claiming four gold medals come November this year.
“We are blessed with competent coach like Abiodun Oyewuwo, who has been given us rigorous training and we are very sure that come November this year at the 18th National Sports Festival, we will win many gold medals. I think we can achieve our dream with hard-work and dedication,” Oyekunle said.
To affirm what the athletes said, Chairman, Lagos State Gymnastic Association, Adefemi Mayowa, said that the team would surpass its four gold medals won at the last festival at Port Harcourt 2011.
With plans by the government to provide the team with quality equipment, Mayowa said they would make the state proud in November.