Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, has applauded the maiden edition of the RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit, describing the championship as a major breakthrough in grassroots sports development and talent discovery in Nigeria.
Organised by the Tunde Delu Initiative, the competition attracted more than 2,000 young athletes from over 200 schools across Ogun State, making it one of the largest grassroots athletics championships ever staged in the state.
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“This is the future of Nigerian sports. The RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit is far more than a competition; it is a platform for discovering talents, inspiring dreams and producing future champions,” Olopade said.
The championship featured athletes who qualified from the four sporting districts of Ogun State—Remo, Ijebu, Yewa and Egba (RIYE)—before converging on Abeokuta for the grand finale, where they competed in several track and field events, including sprints, relays, middle-distance races, jumps and throws.
Olopade commended the vision behind the initiative, saying it reflects the type of grassroots investment needed to build a sustainable future for Nigerian sports.
“Tunde Delu has demonstrated that genuine sports development begins at the grassroots. This is exactly the kind of private-sector commitment Nigeria needs to complement the Federal Government’s vision for sports development,” he added.
The NSC boss also praised Tunde Delu’s rapid rise as one of Nigeria’s emerging sports administrators, highlighting his contributions as Chief Operating Officer of the Nigeria Rugby Federation and Special Assistant to the Ogun State Governor.
According to Olopade, Delu’s leadership, innovation and passion for youth development have positioned him as one of the country’s brightest young sports administrators.
The organisers confirmed that the RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit will now become an annual championship, with the long-term objective of identifying and nurturing young athletes capable of representing Ogun State and Nigeria on the continental and global stage.
