Tee Tumblers Shine at GYMFEST as Organisers Eye Global Reach

Tee Tumblers Gymnastics Club shone at the third edition of the GYMFEST Championship in Lagos. They finished at the top of the medal table while the organisers aim to make the competition an international event.

Tee Tumblers grabbed 67 medals, including 26 gold, 22 silver, and 19 bronze, scoring a total of 141 points at the event held on 7 November at The Dome, Lekki Phase 1.

Kofunjo Club came in second place, winning nine gold, 11 silver, and 11 bronze medals for 60 points. Lagos State Gymnastics secured third place with nine gold, five silver, and eight bronze medals, totaling 45 points.

Mayrock Gymnastics finished fourth with 42 points, while House of Awesome placed fifth with 41 points, despite winning 11 gold medals. SPAN Gymnastics took 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 participated in the final rankings, bringing together 278 young gymnasts.

The event was organised by Tee Tumblers Gymnastics Club and the Society of the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN). It offers a chance for young athletes to showcase their talents and gain experience.

The organisers mentioned that participation grew from fewer than 100 children in the first edition to 278 registered gymnasts this year. This shows growing interest in gymnastics among kids and their parents.

Yoyin Akpose, co-convener of GYMFEST and founder of Tee Tumblers Gymnastics Club, shared that they were pleased with the turnout but recognised that there is still a lot to do.

She added that they want to expand the championship and eventually draw international participants.

Mrs Akpose also pointed out that they need to fix some areas, especially judging procedures, competition rules, and communication with 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 chance of hosting an international edition next year, she said the organisers are working towards that but are not ready to confirm anything yet.

“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 mentioned that a lack of a dedicated training facility is a big challenge for growing 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 encouraged kids interested in future editions to join gymnastics clubs and start training for next year’s competition.

Lekan Fatodu, director-general of the Lagos State Sports Commission, said the state government is committed to promoting all sports and making sure less popular sports get attention.

Mr Fatodu spoke at the championship and said the commission is working with relevant groups to expand opportunities across various sports.

“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 leaders and officials are dedicated to supporting this initiative. He described collaboration among stakeholders as key to achieving the state’s sports goals.

Omowumi Olalere, chairperson of the Lagos State Gymnastics Federation, said the competition has given young athletes a good platform. She noted that more investment in coaching and technical development is needed for their growth.

She explained that gymnastics involves different competitive levels and athletes require specialised training to progress.

“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 met one of its main goals: helping children build confidence while developing their physical skills.

She emphasised that the competition is about more than just medals, highlighting the excitement of the young gymnasts and the dedication of parents who supported them.

“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 a chance for families to bond, noting that parents turned out in large numbers to watch their kids display skills learned through regular training.

Mrs Jemitola said the partnership between SPAN and Tee Tumblers is based on a shared goal of developing children through physical activities and performing arts.

She explained that the collaboration also aims to combine gymnastics with areas like music, dance, and drama for children’s overall growth.

For the organisers, the championship’s growth over three editions has come from efforts to create a strong foundation for grassroots gymnastics. Beyond medals, the one-day event is also meant to promote discipline, courage, and determination among the young athletes.

While expressing satisfaction with the progress made, Mrs Jemitola said they hope to gain more support from institutions and the private sector to expand the event in future editions.