Ado Salisu
LAGOS — The United Athletics Series, an initiative aimed at discovering young track and field talents, concluded at the University of Lagos Sports Centre on Saturday.
The one-day event attracted over 500 students from schools across Lagos local governments and local council development areas.
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Organised by Culture Rush in collaboration with School Games, LASUBEB, and the Lagos State Sports Commission, the series featured boys and girls competing in events such as 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x400m relay, and long jump.
The Championship organiser, Adeyemi Egbeoluwa, highlighted the event’s goal of discovering grassroots talents to be nurtured for future national and international competitions.
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“We want to bridge the gap between secondary schools and higher institutions by starting from the primary level. This way, we can properly nurture talents like in other countries,” he said.
Egbeoluwa revealed plans to introduce U-14, U-15, and U-16 categories, and to establish an academy to train selected athletes.
“This is just the U-13 version because we want to catch them young. We’re committed to making Lagos the hub of athletics not only in Nigeria but the entire West African sub-region,” he added.
Dr. Mrs. Oluyomi Oluwasanmi, Director of School Sports, Lagos State, praised the initiative as aligning with the state’s vision of combining education with sports.
“We’ll sustain this championship because it drives grassroots sports development,” she promised.
Tijani Tajudeen, Education Secretary of Lagos Island Local Government Area, and Hon. Babatunde Adewale Jimoh, board member of LASUBEB, both lauded the championship as a crucial step toward developing athletics at the grassroots. They pledged continued support for future editions.
Some of the participating students expressed gratitude for the opportunity to compete against peers from across the state, calling on organisers to make the event an annual tradition.
At the close of the championship, certificates and medals were awarded to winners in various events, marking a successful end to a day of spirited competition and talent discovery.