Guardian

TWO athletes from Lagos State’s Adopt-A-Talent Sports Programme were part of the athletes that received monetary rewards from President Ebele Goodluck Jonathan for making Nigeria proud at the recently held African U-18 Athletics Championship in Warri, Delta

Abire Mercy, who won silver medal in Long Jump and Temidayo Oshibanjo, who also won silver medal in Pentathlon and Hurdles, received awards worth N400, 000 each from President Jonathan for their performances at the first ever Africa Youth Championship in Warri.

Mercy and Oshibanjo are two of the four Adopt-A-Talent athletes currently in the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) camp in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, preparing for the upcoming Africa Junior Athletics Championship in Johannesburg, South Africa from June 27 to 30.

Incidentally, arrangements for the unveiling of the adopted athletes by Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, on May 30, are in top gear, as letters have been dispatched to sponsors, parents and the athletes concerned, officials have disclosed.

They disclosed that arrangements have also been made for transportation of the four athletes from the AFN camp in Port Harcourt to join their mates at the unveiling ceremony in Lagos.

Senior Special Assistant on Grassroots Sports Development and the Chairman, Central Working Committee of the programme, Wale Oladunjoye is hopeful that more athletes would be adopted even before the unveiling ceremony.

He added that plans had been concluded to accommodate the 185-man strong contingent comprising athletes, coaches, medical staff and other supporting staff who are expected to assemble by 4.00 p.m. at the Teslim Balogun Stadium Sports Hostels on May 29.

Expected to be launched, and a first of its kind in Nigeria’s sports annals, is a coaching compendium, compiled by the Adopt-A-Talent Sports Programme coaching crew, in the ten sports disciplines - Athletics, basketball, boxing, football, gymnastics, judo, karate, swimming, table tennis and volleyball.