Lagos sports commission DG meets athlete, mother over missed tournament

A young Lagos squash player missed a regional tournament after officials allegedly locked the shop where her racket was stored, prompting intervention from the Lagos State Sports Commission.

Mariam Oshodi represents Lagos in the under-15 squash category. Her mother, Kafayat Oshodi, raised the issue in a viral video, saying local government officials had denied Mariam access to the equipment. The officials reportedly cited environmental concerns when locking the shop, although Kafayat said the family worked to keep the surroundings clean.

Kafayat also said that, while she was out of town, Mariam took medals from earlier competitions to the local government office to show how important the racket was to her sporting career. She alleged that officials still refused to let the young athlete enter the shop.

The commission’s Director-General, Lekan Fatodu, met Mariam and her mother to understand the incident and offer immediate support. Kafayat acknowledged the commission’s ongoing assistance to her daughter and other young athletes, but urged it to improve communication with other government institutions.

Fatodu said the commission would immediately engage the government body involved. He also promised stronger policies, better communication with parents and athletes, and greater awareness among government agencies about protecting emerging sports talent. “The dream of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is to see young talents being discovered in Lagos and nurtured to full potential,” he said.

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The dream of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is to see young talents being discovered in Lagos and nurtured to full potential. So, any action by anyone or an entity that seeks to negate that lofty ambition for youth empowerment through sports will be a massive disservice to efforts on talent development.