University of Lagos top shots are looking beyond hosting this year’s Nigeria University Games (NUGA) to entrench the institution as a new sports hub in the country, as they believe long-term projects will entrench the expected status for them.
Sports247.ng gathered that hosting the 26th NUGA is the first step towards achieving sporting excellence at UNILAG, as the institutions sports egg heads have packaged a programme for the future.
This much was revealed by chairman of UNILAG Sports Board, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo, against the backdrop of the university’s performance at the 2018 West Africa Universities Games (WAUG) in Port Harcourt.
UNILAG placed second in the competition that ended on November 12, behind the hosts, University of Port Harcourt.
The contingent of 134 athletes was received by UNILAG vice-chancellor, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, who handed out plaques and letters of commendation as reward for their performances.
Oyewo said the ceremony was also part of UNILAG’s efforts at setting the stage for involvement in more sporting activities and positioning itself with a planned construction of an Olympic-size swimming pool.
He added: “The lesson learnt from the WAUG was that the university did not come first because there were major sports, such as water sports where it lacked quality representation.
“The University of Port Harcourt came first and UNILAG came second but the gap in terms of the medals table shows that even though we came second, we still have a lot to do to close the gap.
“In terms of certain sports, like the water sports such as swimming, we need to step up our game and hence, the need to do the needful in that area, especially with the NUGA that the university is about to host.
“We are indeed hosting to win, but there are also other areas that we have noted that we did not even present athletes in.”
 to entrench the institution){kind=link}