AFN targets sustainable athlete development through age-group competitions — Sule Oluyemi

 

By Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye 

  

  

The Chairman of the Youth Development Commission of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Sule Oluyemi, has reaffirmed the federation's commitment to discovering, developing and monitoring young talents across Nigeria.

He made this statement in an exclusive interview with FIRST ZEALMEDIACAST BLOG's Oluwatobiloba Zeal-Adepetu Kumoye describing the just concluded Dynamic Athletics Meet as a major platform for identifying future stars.

Oluyemi, showered praises on the organisers for creating an independent platform where athletes can compete and showcase their potential.

“I can tell you it is very impressive. The athletes are still up and doing, and I say kudos to the organisers of this meet,” Oluyemi said.

Oluyemi, who is also the coach of Team Nigeria Athletics, emphasized that the importance of the Dynamic Athletics Meet extends beyond the staging of competitions, as its age-group events provide an opportunity to identify promising youngsters at an early stage and begin their development journey.

“This is what we've been rallying for, what we've been asking for and what we've been looking for. For people to independently organise competitions in such a way that athletes can actually express themselves,” he said.

He explained that the AFN would continue to monitor athletes discovered at such competitions as they progress, working closely with their coaches to track their development and create opportunities for them to compete more regularly.

“Here we have seen a lot of prospects, a lot of good athletes for the future, and now it is left for the Federation to continue to monitor them as they grow,” Oluyemi said.

The AFN official also disclosed that the federation was adopting a structured age-group development system designed to improve talent identification while tackling issues such as age falsification.

He noted that competitions would be organised across categories including:

✓ Under-13

✓ Under-15

✓ Under-17

✓ Under-20

This will ensure that athletes are captured in a database from an early age.

“That way you curb a whole lot of problems that we had before, which includes age falsification and the rest of it, you can imagine a kid that has competed at that level, you can't change your age again for life because it is there, you will be captured on that database.”

Beyond successes recorded at the Dynamic Athletica Meets, the Youth Development Commission chairman urged parents and guardians to consider athletics as a viable pathway for both sporting and academic advancement.

He stressed that combining education with athletics could open significant opportunities for young Nigerians, particularly through scholarships to institutions abroad.

“Today athletics is one of the biggest and the fastest ways for people to progress in life,” he said. “If you mix education with athletics, you will find out that the sky is just the starting point.”

Oluyemi noted that the increasing availability of sports scholarships in countries such as the United States has changed the perception of track and field as an elite pathway, saying talented young athletes can now use their performances to gain access to quality education.

He revealed that more than 150 Nigerian athletes had secured overseas scholarships over the past three years, describing the development as a major indication of the opportunities available through athletics.

“In the last three years, it is surprising that we've had over 150 Nigerian athletes securing scholarships to study overseas,” he said.

Oluyemi encouraged parents to support children who demonstrate talent and interest in athletics, noting that the sport can provide opportunities to achieve academic ambitions, build careers and represent Nigeria internationally.

“For me, mixing athletics with education is the best way to go,” he added.