Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, on Tuesday rewarded Team Lagos athletes that participated in the 18th National Sports Festival with gifts of jobs, scholarship, skill training and money.
Fashola, who announced the rewards to the already jubilant athletes also promised that the state government would sponsor all the athletes in the medals category in any sports of their choice anywhere in the world.
Explaining the basis for the rewards, Fashola said the state government did not do so because it wanted the athletes to run for the sake of representing the state.
"We did not promise you anything but you competed because you wanted to wear the colours of your state. You competed because you legitimately wanted to compete for honour. That is the way a sportsman competes," Fashola said.
He recalled his teenage years when he and his colleagues were just contented to know that a government official came to watch them compete.
He said, "It is not in our nature to promise people for what they are supposed to do; but it is in our nature to reward people for what they have done."
"We are doing this because it is now clear to us that you understand the purpose and the mission of this state. We want to build our State inch by inch, block by block until it becomes the model megacity that we want it to be," the governor added.
Promising that the state government would continue to support and encourage athletes the best way it could, Fashola said, "If we work hard, we are going to share the reward. Nobody will be given promise for what he is supposed to do but if we do what we are supposed to do, the reward lies at the end of the journey."
