By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has lauded the organisers of the maiden RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit, describing the championship as a commendable model for grassroots sports development in Nigeria.
Speaking at the grand finale of the competition held on Friday at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta, Olopade praised the initiative’s convener, Hon. Tunde Delu, for providing a platform that has helped uncover promising young athletics talents from communities across Ogun State.
The NSC Director-General noted that the competition reflects Delu’s strong commitment to youth empowerment and sports development, adding that more private individuals and organizations should emulate such efforts to strengthen the country’s talent development pipeline.
According to Olopade, initiatives such as the RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit create valuable opportunities for young athletes to showcase their abilities and begin pathways toward national and international success.
“Hon. Tunde Delu has shown genuine passion for sports development. This is the kind of initiative we need across the country. He has created another pathway for young talents to be discovered, and I must commend him for investing in the future of these children through athletics,” he said.
Olopade further emphasized the importance of grassroots sports as the foundation of sustainable sporting excellence, urging well-meaning Nigerians to invest in programmes that positively impact young people and contribute to national development.
“When we provide opportunities like this for children, we are doing much more than organising competitions. We are creating hope, building careers, producing future champions, creating wealth, and taking young people away from social vices. This is the direction sports development should take, and I encourage more people to support grassroots initiatives like this,” he added.
The RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit commenced with zonal qualifying events across Ogun State’s four sporting districts—Remo, Ijebu, Yewa, and Egba—before culminating in the grand finale in Abeokuta.
Athletes competed in both boys’ and girls’ events, including the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 4x100m mixed relay, 4x400m mixed relay, shot put, long jump, and high jump.
The championship attracted more than 2,000 athletes from over 200 schools across Ogun State, underscoring its growing significance as a talent discovery and development platform.
Organizers reaffirmed their commitment to making the competition an annual event dedicated to identifying, nurturing, and promoting the next generation of athletics stars in Nigeria.
