Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
As part of her youth engagement plan for pupils and students during the long vacation, SPAR, leading chain of hypermarket stores, has organized the 2018 SprintStar Track Competition in partnership with Leverage Sports.
The ongoing competition is taking place at the Dr. Philip Adegbile Sports Complex, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.
The hypermarket which has been operating in Nigeria in the last thirty years, decided to put together this competition in order to discover young talents in the area of track and field competition.
In his comment on the partnership, Marketing Head, SPAR Nigeria, John Goldsmith stated that as a brand, they have identified the need to positively engage and develop pupils and students in extra-curricular activities during this long vacation.
In his words, “SPAR Nigeria is delighted to collaborate with Leverage Sports to rightly channel the energies of Nigerian children and youths in sports development. As a brand, we are glad to support sporting activities because it aids mental and physical health.”
In his speech at the opening of the SprintStar, Programme Director, Leverage Sports, Moses Ozoumeh noted that the sporting event is meant to inspire and develop raw talents in children to become citizens that will bring honour to the country at large.
One of the officials of the competition, a Certified Athletic Coach, Ikheobomeh Isaac Osagie, said that this initiative should be sustained for the development of athletics in Nigeria. He encouraged the participating schools to engage National Institute of Sports (NIS) Certified Coaches to train their pupils and students to get them grounded in track and field sports because of the technicalities of the game.
While expressing his appreciation to SPAR Nigeria for sponsoring this laudable initiative, Mr Adesina Ahmmed, one of the parents of the participants said, “I am delighted to be a part of this track and field competition. It is a fun-filled event for me because I can see my child participating in an extra-curricular activity. This is one of the approaches that we need in Nigeria to catch and nurture talents from their youthful age.
Some of the various categories wherein pupils and students competed include the 50 meters race for boys and girls; 75 meters race for boys and girls; 100 meters race for boys and girls and 200 meters race for boys and girls ranging from ages 6-15.
There are over 2,000 young athletes and participants drawn from 100 schools located across Lagos State. The final of the 2018 SprintStar will take place on Saturday, 11th August 2018 at the Dr. Philip Adegbile Sports Complex of the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.
