Follow Us on Google
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) says it remains committed to identifying and nurturing young athletic talent nationwide, following the recent Dynamic Athletics Meet held at the Yaba Tech Sports Complex.
Sule Oluyemi, Chairman of the AFN’s Youth Development Commission and coach of Team Nigeria Athletics, praised organisers of the meet for giving athletes an independent stage to compete and shine. He said the event’s age-group categories make it easier to spot promising young talent early and begin nurturing their careers.
Oluyemi called on more independently organised competitions of this kind, noting they give athletes room to express themselves outside the federation’s usual events. He added that the AFN would keep tracking standout performers from such meets alongside their coaches, aiming to secure them more regular competitive opportunities.
Other News
The federation is also rolling out a structured age-group system — covering under-13, under-15, under-17 and under-20 categories — to strengthen talent identification and curb age falsification. Oluyemi explained that logging athletes into a database from a young age would make it far harder for anyone to later alter their recorded age.
He further urged parents to see athletics as a route to both sporting and academic success, pointing to growing scholarship opportunities abroad, particularly in the United States. According to Oluyemi, more than 150 Nigerian athletes have won overseas scholarships in the past three years, a trend he called strong evidence of the doors athletics can open when paired with education.
