The maiden edition of the RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit, organised by the Tunde Delu Initiative, has received glowing commendation from the Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, who described the championship as a groundbreaking landmark intervention capable of transforming grassroots sports development and talent discovery in Nigeria.
Designed to identify and nurture young athletics talents, the championship attracted over 2,000 athletes from more than 200 schools across Ogun State, making it one of the state’s largest grassroots athletics competitions. Athletes qualified through contests in the four sporting districts—Remo, Ijebu, Yewa and Egba (RIYE)—before advancing to the grand finale in Abeokuta, where they competed in track and field events including sprints, middle-distance races, relays, and jumps and throws.
Commending the vision behind the initiative, Olopade said the championship demonstrates the kind of leadership and private-sector commitment required to build a sustainable future for Nigerian sports.
“Tunde Delu has shown that genuine sports development starts from the grassroots. The RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit is far more than a competition; it is a platform that is discovering talents, inspiring dreams and laying the foundation for future champions. This is the kind of initiative Nigeria needs more of. I congratulate Tunde Delu for investing in our young people and for complementing the Federal Government’s vision of building a stronger sports ecosystem through grassroots talent development,” Olopade said.
The Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) also praised Delu’s remarkable emergence as one of Nigeria’s promising young sports administrators. He noted that the former banker, who currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria Rugby Federation and Special Assistant to the Ogun State Governor, has continued to distinguish himself through purposeful leadership, innovation and a deep commitment to youth empowerment.
The organisers reaffirmed that the RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit will become an annual championship dedicated to identifying, nurturing and producing the next generation of athletics stars who will represent Ogun State and Nigeria on the continental and global stage.
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