24th May, 2013
Two athletes of Adopt-A-Talent Sports Program were part of the athletes that received monetary reward 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 Huddles 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 27 – 30 June.
Incidentally, arrangements for the unveiling of the Adopted athletes of the programme, which is scheduled for Thursday, 30 May by Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, Governor of Lagos State, are in top gear, letters have been dispatched to sponsors, parents and the athletes concerned.
Arrangements have also been made for transportation of these four athletes and a coach who are in the AFN camp in Port-Harcourt, preparing for the upcoming Africa junior tourney in South Africa to join their mates at the unveiling ceremony in Lagos.
Interestingly, the programme has attracted more sponsors as four more athletes have been adopted bringing the number from 39 to 43.
Prince Wale Oladunjoye (Snr), Senior Special Assistant on Grassroots Sports Development and the Chairman, Central Working Committee of the programme has expressed hope that more athletes would be adopted even before the unveiling ceremony.
Plans have 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 Wednesday, 29 May. They are to proceed to the Auditorium, Governor’s Office, in a convoy on the morning of Thursday, 30 May, the day of the unveiling.
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 Program coaching crew, in the ten sports disciplines – Athletics, Basketball, Boxing, Football, Gymnastics, Judo, Karate, Swimming, Table Tennis and Volleyball.