Lagos wins Fame Foundation National Breakdance Championship
In a fiercely contested battle at the grand finale of the Fame Foundation National Breakdance Championship, two Lagos State dancers, Idris Oluwaseun and Victoria Adesoye, were crowned the Bboy and Bgirl of the competition respectively.
The championship, organised in partnership with the French Embassy in Nigeria, commenced in July 2023 with over 4,000 participants drawn from across the six geopolitical zones of the country. It produced 32 finalists, who slugged it out at the Indoor Sports Hall, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos on Sunday.
The championship began with an elimination round before the final, which produced Salaam Oluwaseun and Adesoye as the Bboy and Bgirl champions respectively.
The two overall winners in the male and female categories received cash prizes, smart phones and an all-expenses-paid trip to France for an international breakdance competition.
They will also represent Nigeria at the breakdance event at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The second runners-up were rewarded with cash prizes, while all the finalists received other notable consolation prizes.
Speaking at the event, Executive Director, Fame Foundation, Aderonke Ogunleye Bello, commended the dancers for their efforts, noting that the competition aims to empower the youth through sports under the ‘Play it, Dream it Initiative,’ as well as strengthening the inclusion of young people and vulnerable people through sports.
She also said that the competition was organised because of the inclusion of breakdance as a sport in the 2024 Olympics, noting that while Nigerians have participated in dance competitions outside the country individually, they have not done that as a federation.
“Nigeria has a lot of talent and I know many, who have represented us in the U.S, Spain, Europe and Asia. We have had Nigerians win major international breakdance tournaments. Nigeria has talents to rule, excel and dominate the world of breakdance,” she stated.
One of the judges, Funsho Olokesusi, described the competition as timely, as it opens many doors and opportunities as well as creates jobs and takes people off the streets.