Olopade Applauds RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit, Urges Greater Investment in Grassroots Sports
Oru Leonard
The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has praised the organisers of the maiden RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit, describing the competition as a shining example of grassroots sports development and talent discovery in Nigeria.
Speaking at the grand finale held on Friday at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Olopade commended the convener, Hon. Tunde Delu, for providing a platform that identified and showcased young athletic talents from communities across the state.
He said the initiative reflected Delu’s commitment to youth empowerment through sports and called on more private individuals and organisations to support grassroots programmes aimed at discovering future champions.
According to Olopade, grassroots sports remain the foundation of sustainable sporting success, noting that initiatives such as the RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit help create opportunities for children, build careers, promote wealth creation, and steer young people away from social vices.
He stressed that expanding similar competitions across the country would strengthen Nigeria’s talent pipeline and contribute significantly to the development of athletics and other sports.
The championship began with zonal qualifying events across Ogun State’s four sporting districts—Remo, Ijebu, Yewa and Egba—before the best-performing athletes advanced to the grand finale in Abeokuta.
The competition featured boys’ and girls’ events in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, mixed 4x100m and 4x400m relays, shot put, long jump and high jump.
More than 2,000 athletes from over 200 schools participated in the tournament, with organisers pledging to make the championship an annual event dedicated to discovering and developing the next generation of Nigerian athletics stars.
