Yusuf Ali, Tony Osheku, Lee Evans Endorse Premier Lotto Lagos Athletics Championship.

The trio of Yusuf Ali, Tony Osheku and Lee Evans, have endorsed the second edition of Premier Lotto Lagos Schools Athletics Championship which began today (Monday) with zone One at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.

To Ali, the athletics meet which started with zone one which comprises of over forty secondary schools, is the bedrock of sports development and he is happy over the dynamic step taking by the Lagos  State Government towards regenerating the standard of athletics in the state.

The three time Olympian and African champion, who was elated over the turn out of secondary pupils for the day one of first phase of the athletics championship,said Delta State that has comprehensive school sports programme and other states would emulate the Lagos State as the gesture would in return pave the way for the growth of athletics in Nigeria as the event would create a platform to discover hidden who could become the best athletes in the world if they are well nurtured to stardom.

He envisaged that it would take a period of ten years for the athletes discovered from the competition to blossom to greater height,stressing that he discovered an athletes in the four hundred metres race today who in the next five years could be running for Nigeria in international athletics meets.

He called for a transition of a comprehensive training programme from primary, secondary and tertiary institutions so that athletes who graduated from secondary schools to tertiary institutions after being discovered from school sports athletics competitions would still be active in their choice of sporting activities.

He said the likes of Henry Nwosu, Stephen Keshi, himself and Henry Amike were in the secondary while they were running for the country in series of tournaments, adding that the duo of Lee Evans, who is a world record holder and Tony Osheku, an experienced coach stand in a viable position to train the discovered athletes to become national, African and world best athletes under a conducive environment.

A Technical Director of Lagos State Athletics Association and a consultant to the Lagos State Government, Tony Osheku, who believed that the competition had been successful, explained that some of the athletes have been competing for the state in national tournaments, adding that one of the pupils who featured in the maiden edition,Roland, who took part in the holiday training programme designed for the best athletes discovered has drastically better his lot in the sport.

According to him, Rolad recorded an excellent performance at the Falilat Ogunkoya Foundation meet as well as Nike Road race in the state, stressing that most the great United States of America  athletes were discovered and nurtured to stardom through similar programme.

According to Lee Evans, the Premier Lotto Schools Athletics Championship is an avenue to expose the pupils to the real track and field meet, adding that it would also enable the state's coaches to bring out them out of them as the state commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Wahid Enitan Oshodi, has enjoined him to work with some coaches who would scout for the pupils who has potentials to become Nigeria's future stars.
The coach, who has been in the state for a year and half, said he was happy with the progress of the tournament which pave the way for the coaches to train the athletes.

The tournament continues tomorrow (Tuesday) with zone 2 at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.