Tee Tumblers dominate GYMFEST as organisers target international expansion

Tee Tumblers Gymnastics Club dominated the third edition of the GYMFEST Championship in Lagos, finishing top of the medal table as organisers set their sights on expanding the competition into an international event.

Tee Tumblers won 67 medals, comprising 26 gold, 22 silver and 19 bronze, to accumulate 141 points at the competition held on 7 November at The Dome, Lekki Phase 1.

Kofunjo Club finished second with nine gold, 11 silver and 11 bronze medals for 60 points, while Lagos State Gymnastics placed third with nine gold, five silver and eight bronze medals, earning 45 points.

Mayrock Gymnastics finished fourth with 42 points, while House of Awesome came fifth with 41 points despite winning 11 gold medals. SPAN Gymnastics placed sixth with 40 points, followed by Gobda International Gymnastics Club with 31 points and Sang Bleu Elementary with 24 points.

A total of 21 clubs featured in the final standings, bringing together 278 young gymnasts.

Organised by Tee Tumblers Gymnastics Club together with the Society of the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN), the competition provides a platform for young athletes to demonstrate their abilities, gain competitive experience and develop their skills.

The organisers said participation had increased from fewer than 100 children at the inaugural edition to 278 registered gymnasts this year, reflecting growing interest in the sport among children and their parents.

Yoyin Akpose, co-convener of GYMFEST and founder of Tee Tumblers Gymnastics Club, said the organisers were encouraged by the response but acknowledged that there was still considerable work to be done to achieve their ambitions.

She said the long-term plan was to grow the championship beyond its current scope and eventually attract international participation.

Mrs Akpose, however, said the organisers would first address areas requiring improvement, particularly judging procedures, competition rules and communication with participating clubs and coaches.

“We are fine-tuning a few things in terms of our judging and making sure that the rules for coaches and clubs are better explained before the competition. We also want to provide more information ahead of the event and make everything more organised,” she said.

On the possibility of an international edition next year, she said the organisers were working towards that ambition but were not ready to make a formal announcement.

“We are already on the right path. You never know. If we can pull it off next year, why not? It will become GYMFEST International. But it is a learning phase, and we will eventually get there,” she said.

Mrs Akpose also identified the absence of a dedicated training facility as one of the major challenges facing the development of the competition and grassroots gymnastics.

“The dream is even bigger than this. We need to have a facility of our own where the children can keep training with all this equipment consistently. There is still so much more we need to do. We haven’t even scratched the surface,” she said.

She urged children interested in participating in future editions to enrol in gymnastics clubs and begin training ahead of next year’s competition.

Lekan Fatodu, director-general of the Lagos State Sports Commission, said the state government was committed to giving visibility to all sports and ensuring that less prominent disciplines received attention.

Mr Fatodu, who spoke at the championship, said the commission was working with relevant stakeholders to expand opportunities across different sporting activities.

“Visibility to all sports. No sport should be invisible in Lagos State. That is the demand from Mr Governor. From gymnastics to fencing, badminton, cycling, name it, we are taking this very seriously,” he said.

He added that the commission’s leadership and other officials were committed to supporting the initiative, describing the collaboration among stakeholders as important to achieving the state’s sports development objectives.

Omowumi Olalere, chairperson of the Lagos State Gymnastics Federation, said. At the same time, the competition had provided a useful platform for young athletes; more investment in coaching and technical development would be needed to help them progress.

She noted that gymnastics had different competitive levels and that athletes needed specialised training to advance.

“You can see that the athletes still need some advanced skills to be able to get to the different levels because gymnastics has different levels. We need expert coaches to train them so they can move to the next level,” she said.

Oluremi Jemitola, chief operating officer of SPAN, said the championship achieved one of its central objectives: helping children build confidence while developing their physical abilities.

She said the competition was about more than medals, pointing to the young gymnasts’ enthusiasm and the commitment of parents who supported their participation.

“I love the fact that what we have been trying to do at SPAN to build confidence in children is working. These children have come out here to compete and win, but the whole idea is not just about winning. I like their spirit and the opportunity for them to enjoy what they have been learning,” Mrs Jemitola said.

She described the event as an opportunity for families to spend time together, adding that parents had turned out in large numbers to watch their children demonstrate skills developed through regular training.

Mrs Jemitola said the partnership between SPAN and Tee Tumblers was built on a shared vision of using physical activities and performing arts to develop children.

She explained that the collaboration also seeks to combine gymnastics with disciplines such as music, dance and drama to support children’s physical, mental and creative development.

For the organisers, the championship’s growth over three editions has been driven by efforts to create a sustainable environment for grassroots gymnastics. Beyond the medals, the one-day event is also intended to promote discipline, courage and determination among young participants.

While expressing satisfaction with the progress made, Mrs Jemitola said the organisers hoped to attract more institutional and private-sector support to expand the event in subsequent editions.

Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini