Yaba emerged as the dominant force in the sprint events, winning both male and female 100-metre races, while Opebi and Ago Palace claimed the male and female football titles respectively at the second edition of i-Fitness GameFest in Lagos.
The competition, held on Saturday at the Legacy Pitch, National Stadium, Surulere, brought together members of 14 i-Fitness mainland branches to promote physical activity, healthy living and teamwork through sporting activities.
Speaking at the event, Mr Derek Nwafor, Head of Corporate Sales and Partnerships, i-Fitness, said the competition was organised to unite members and demonstrate that fitness could be enjoyable beyond conventional gym activities.
“At the heart of it is a celebration of fitness and the community of people who have woken up to the need for fitness across Nigeria,” he said.
Nwafor said the second edition followed the maiden competition organised for the company’s island branches earlier in the year, adding that corporate partners were also supporting the initiative through workplace wellness programmes and other collaborations.
In the sprint events, Yaba won both the male and female 100-metre races, while Surulere and Ikorodu finished as runners-up in the respective categories.
Opebi emerged champions in the male football competition, defeating Magodo, which finished second, while Ago Palace won the female category ahead of Acme.
Other winners included Gbagada, which clinched the tug-of-war competition, with Iponri finishing second.
Egbeda won the male sack race ahead of Magodo, while Surulere emerged victorious in the female category, with Egbeda finishing as runners-up.
The event, organised under the theme, “Different Squad, Unstoppable Together”, also featured 200-metre races, sack races, tug of war and other sporting activities.
Highlighting the importance of regular exercise, Nwafor said physical activity strengthens muscles and bones, improves cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
“Being physically active has a direct correlation with longevity. If you don’t exercise now, you pay for it later,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Foluso Ogunwale, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of i-Fitness, said the GameFest was designed to make fitness accessible, enjoyable and an integral part of people’s everyday lives.
He disclosed that the organisation currently operates 25 branches across Lagos, comprising 14 on the mainland and 11 on the island.
“When we started i-Fitness 11 years ago, our idea was to make fitness accessible and affordable to the average urban Nigerian,” Ogunwale said.
He said the organisation planned to make the competition a regular event, possibly holding it twice yearly, while introducing additional sporting activities.
According to him, plans are also underway to extend the initiative beyond Lagos to Abuja and Port Harcourt as the organisation expands its operations.
Ogunwale added that i-Fitness was targeting a bigger competition involving its mainland and island branches in the first quarter of 2027.
One of the participants, Alma Oputa, of the i-Fitness Ikeja GRA branch, said regular exercise had improved her strength, endurance and general wellbeing.
“I do it because I know that health is wealth. I want to grow old and still be strong,” she said.
Another participant, Delight Bekee, also of the Ikeja GRA branch, described the competition as an opportunity to interact with people who shared similar interests in sports and fitness.
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Bekee encouraged Nigerians to embrace regular exercise, particularly because of its positive impact on mental health.
The event was supported by Wema Bank and Brila FM as lead partners, alongside Pocari Sweat, Red Bull, Rexona, Nirvana Water, MOL and other brand partners.
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