Over 900 athletes from 20 male and 20 female teams will vie for honours in the maiden edition of Nigerian Secondary School Flag Football League (NSSFFL) which is slated to begin today (Thursday) in Lagos.
The Games, which will end on June 17, will run for three days in a week at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos. The founder of American Football League (NAFA) in Nigeria, Babajide Akeredolu, stated that the maiden edition is being organised in partnership with Lagos State government.
“We focused on this group first because we understand that competition at this stage in the development of young people unlocks opportunities for healthy habits, psychological growth and immediate opportunities for scholarships and recruitment for the most gifted players both at home and abroad,” Akeredolu stated.
He continued: “For us, the greatest achievement will be to see our young boys and girls channel their youthful energy into this highly rewarding sport helping the league give birth to something that will create a better economy.”
He added that talents discovered at the competition would be used to create a strong all-star team that could represent Lagos at inter-state competitions and also give them opportunity to make the national team that will be constituted in 2023.