One of the founding fathers of the Nigeria International Athletes Association, Bruce Ijirigho said the NIAA Schools Athletics championships billed for Saturday July 13, has been long in the making and it is exciting to see plans for it unfolding.
The event, scheduled to hold at the Yaba College of Technology sport complex, Yaba Lagos is the first edition of the competition the former Nigerian track and field greats resident abroad are hoping that it would reveal youth athletics talents. Schools within and outside Lagos are expected to participate in the one-day event.
“We are excited the Championships is taking off this Saturday,” said Dr. Ijirigho, a former 400m runner national champion and member of the 1976 Olympics squad.
“The Championships is something we’ve been planning since the NIAA was formed back in the year 2000, but because none of us members are on ground here it was difficult hold the the program.
“It is one of our primary goals of setting up the NIAA. We want to see young athletes discovered and exposed to coaches who will guide them to world level performances and then we present these youngsters with scholarship opportunities in the USA.
“This is the first edition and subsequently we would be moving it round the country.”
