RIYE U-15 Championship Discovers Future Athletics Stars in Ogun

Posted : 28 June 2026

The maiden RIYE Under-15 Athletics Championship has successfully unveiled a new crop of promising young athletes, with organisers and stakeholders hailing the event as a major boost for grassroots sports development in Ogun State.

Held at the MKO Abiola Sports Arena in Kuto, Abeokuta, the one-day championship brought together talented youngsters from the four sports divisions of Remo, Ijebu, Egba and Yewa (RIYE), providing them with an opportunity to showcase their abilities before coaches and talent scouts.

Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Bukola Olopade, described the initiative as an important platform for identifying athletes capable of representing Ogun State at the forthcoming National Youth Games in Delta State and eventually progressing to national and international competitions.

Olopade reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to supporting grassroots sports programmes in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that sustained investment in youth development is crucial to securing Nigeria's sporting future.

The championship produced several outstanding individual performances, with 14-year-old Olufunmilayo Kuku of Muslim Girls High School, Ijebu-Ode, emerging as the biggest star of the girls' events. She claimed gold medals in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 100 metres relay while recording a new personal best in the sprint finals.

Her remarkable performance earned her a total prize purse of N150,000, while second and third-place finishers in her events received N30,000 and N20,000 respectively.

Kuku attributed her success to the guidance of her coaches, expressing delight that her performances had already attracted the attention of talent scouts and sports stakeholders.

In the boys' competition, 13-year-old Sodiq Olaniyi of Luba Comprehensive High School, Ijebu-Ode, impressed by winning both the 400 metres and 400 metres relay. He clocked 55.34 seconds to win the individual race ahead of Haruna Abdul-Basit (55.63s), while Adisa Lasisi finished third in 56.65 seconds.

Olaniyi, who admitted he did not expect to win, credited his coach's technical preparation for the achievement, which earned him N100,000 in prize money.

Another athlete who stood out was Ibrahim Abdul-Ahmed of Tai Solarin Federal University of Education Secondary School, Ijebu-Ode. The 14-year-old claimed victory in the boys' 100 metres and received a N50,000 cash reward presented by Ogun State Director of Sports, Seyi Sonde.

The middle-distance events also produced impressive displays. Abigeal Ogunbowale won the girls' 800 metres in 2:22.75 ahead of Faridat Oluokun (2:27.94) and Soliat Taiwo (2:29.45), while Samuel Adegbuyi captured the boys' title in 2:02.68, finishing ahead of Oluwaseun Idowu and Saheed Alebiosu.

In the field events, Risikat Kehinde of Ijebu-Mushin School won the girls' long jump, with Great Edevede of Simawa High School and Adeola Fasasi of Batoro High School taking second and third places, respectively.

Fathia Otubu secured gold in the girls' shot put after recording the competition's best throw of 9.09 metres, while Endurance Egbamuno settled for silver with a throw of 8.63 metres.

Speaking after the event, organiser and Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Youth Development, Honourable Tunde Delu, expressed satisfaction with the standard of competition and the quality of talents discovered.

Delu revealed plans to expand the championship in future editions by accommodating more athletes and developing the RIYE Athletics Circuit into a structured junior, intermediate and elite competition capable of attracting participants from across Nigeria and beyond.

He added that several young athletes had already caught the attention of coaches and talent scouts, affirming that the championship had achieved its primary objective of identifying and nurturing future stars.

The successful staging of the championship underscores the growing commitment to grassroots athletics development in Ogun State. Organisers believe the competition will continue to serve as a pathway for discovering and nurturing young talents capable of excelling at national and international levels.

RIYE U-15 Championship Discovers Future Athletics Stars in Ogun

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics