Tee Tumblers Shine at GYMFEST as Plans for International Growth Begin

Tee Tumblers Gymnastics Club dominated the third edition of the GYMFEST Championship in Lagos. They topped the medal table as the organisers aim to make the competition an international event.

Tee Tumblers won 67 medals in total. This included 26 gold, 22 silver, and 19 bronze. They scored 141 points at the competition held on 7 November at The Dome, Lekki Phase 1.

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

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

A total of 21 clubs participated, bringing together 278 young gymnasts.

Tee Tumblers Gymnastics Club teamed up with the Society of the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN) to organise the event. This competition gives young athletes a chance to show their skills, gain experience, and improve.

The organisers noted that participation has grown from under 100 children at the first edition to 278 gymnasts this year. This shows a rising interest in gymnastics among kids and their parents.

Yoyin Akpose, co-convener of GYMFEST and founder of Tee Tumblers Gymnastics Club, said they were pleased with the turnout. She added that there is still a lot to do to reach their goals.

She mentioned that their long-term plan is to expand the championship and eventually include international participants.

Mrs Akpose said they would first focus on areas that need improvement. This includes 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.

About the chance of having an international edition next year, she said they are working towards it but are not ready to make an official 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 pointed out that not having a dedicated training facility is a major challenge for developing 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 children 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. He wants to ensure that less popular sports also get attention.

Mr Fatodu, who spoke at the championship, said the commission is working with relevant stakeholders to create more opportunities across different 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 mentioned that the commission's leadership is dedicated to supporting the initiative. He described cooperation among stakeholders as vital for achieving the state’s sports development goals.

Omowumi Olalere, chairperson of the Lagos State Gymnastics Federation, said the competition has given young athletes a valuable platform. But she stressed that more investment in coaching and technical development is needed to help them improve.

She pointed out that gymnastics has various competitive levels and athletes need special 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 achieved one of its main goals: helping children build confidence while developing their skills.

She said the competition is about more than just medals. She highlighted the young gymnasts' enthusiasm and the support from parents who watched their kids perform.

"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 called the event a chance for families to bond, noting that many parents came out to see their children showcase their skills from regular training.

Mrs Jemitola said the partnership between SPAN and Tee Tumblers is based on a shared vision of using sports and performing arts to develop children.

She explained that they also aim to combine gymnastics with music, dance, and drama to support children's physical, mental, and creative growth.

For the organisers, the championship's growth over three editions came from efforts to create a lasting environment for grassroots gymnastics. Beyond the medals, this one-day event also aims to promote discipline, courage, and determination among young participants.

While expressing satisfaction with the progress made, Mrs Jemitola said they hope to attract more institutional and private-sector support to grow the event in the future.