Despite initial fears that the Lagos contingent to the 17th National Sports Festival holding in Port Harcourt have pulled out, following the alleged brutalization of some of its athletes by men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), the Media Officer of Team Lagos, Deji Balogun, last night, said that they were not going to quit the Garden City Games.

Speaking on telephone yesterday, Balogun, rapped people spreading rumours of a Lagos boycott of the Games, describing such reports as malicious and self serving.

He added that even though some of their athletes were brutalized by men of the JTF deployed to the King Jaja Hall of the University of Port Harcourt, while attempting to forcefully eject them from their abode, that Team Lagos, as an exemplary and disciplined contingent, had accepted the apology tendered by the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Engr. Tele Ikuru, who begged the team not to quit the Games.

Three coaches and two athletes were seriously injured in the melee  by the JTF personnel.

“How can we pull out of Sports Festival on account of a little altercation that has been resolved by the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, who personally apologised for what happened. We have accepted his Excellency’s apology and are sticking with the Games. We are here to excel and not bicker over issues which we consider non-starters”, said Balogun.

He informed that in their resolve to strive for excellence that John Olushina David last night won gold in karate, adding that more of their athletes are primed to win medals in the days as the festival gathers momentum.

He also said that as host of of the next festival, that Lagos should show example and adhere to rules promising that they would come out of the festival with their noses in front.