What was once an abandoned space inside the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, has now been transformed into a befitting archery arena.

On Friday, Zen Archery Club, in collaboration with the Lagos State Sports Commission, officially opened the Lagos Zen Archery Arena — a major boost for sports development in Nigeria.

The project was led by Emmanuel Oyeleke, Nigeria’s top archer and founder of Zen Archery.

Speaking at the launch, Mr Oyeleke described it as a “historic event” that shows how powerful public-private partnerships can be in building sports infrastructure.

“I’m really happy this is happening. If we want sports to grow fast in Lagos and in Nigeria, we must build good facilities first,” Mr Oyeleke said. “Without places to train, talents cannot develop. This new center gives young people, even those from the streets, a chance to learn and grow in archery.”

Mr Oyeleke shared that the journey was not easy, requiring a lot of hard work, support, and resources. However, with God’s help and the backing of Zen Archery’s community and his family, the dream became a reality.

With the facility now in place, Mr Oyeleke announced that the Zen Archery Lagos Open Championship will be held from 18 to 21June at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, where archers from across Africa will compete.

Mr Oyeleke also stressed that Nigeria is already making international progress in archery and more can still be achieved.

“We’re ranked fourth in Africa (in my category), and we’ve won medals in South Africa, Tunisia, and Ivory Coast,” he said. “With more investment and training, I believe Nigeria can win medals at the Olympics even sooner than expected.”

He thanked the Lagos State Government for their strong support and added that this is just the beginning of even bigger achievements for sports in Nigeria.

The Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Lekan Fatodu, praised the partnership between the state government and Zen Archery.

He said the new arena fits perfectly with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s goal to promote inclusiveness and support all types of sports, not just popular ones like football and basketball.

“This facility gives archers a proper and beautiful space to practice and improve their skills,” Mr Fatodu said. “It also shows our commitment to diversity in sports across Lagos and Nigeria.”

He thanked Governor Sanwo-Olu for providing the needed support and an environment where new sports ideas can succeed. “Lagos is known for innovation, and this arena proves again that we are leaders in sports development,”Mr Fatodu said.

The Lagos Sports Commission boss explained that the facility would help identify, recognise, and nurture new talents in archery, giving opportunities to young people who want to explore less popular sports.

The Chairman of the Lagos State Archery Association, Commissioner of Police Bode Olajuni, also commended the efforts of both Lagos State and Emmanuel Oyeleke.

Mr Olajuni said the arena will help in discovering young talents, especially among school children at the grassroots level. He revealed that Lagos is planning to organise a Judges Course this year to prepare for the upcoming Lagos Zen Archery Competition and to feature strongly at the 2025 National Youth Games in Asaba, Delta State.

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The new Lagos Zen Archery Arena is expected to boost youth engagement, create more international competition opportunities, and position Lagos as the center of archery excellence in Africa.

With strong partnerships like this, Lagos is leading the way in sports innovation — offering hope, skills, and opportunities for the next generation of Nigerian athletes.