Value Jet airlines,one of Nigeria’s airlines with a 100 percent safety record has thrown its weight behind the Remo Secondary Schools Athletics Championship, which begins today at the Gateway International stadium in Shagamu.
The competition organised by the Falilat Ogunkoya Sports Foundation, is for secondary schools in the Remo division of Ogun State and it will serve as a veritable platform to discover talents that can be groomed in time to represent Ogun State at the National Sports Festival holding in Benin, Edo State in March/April next year and those that can be groomed to reprsent in the future.
The brain behind the event,chief Falilat Ogunkoya is grateful to Value Jet and its owner,Kunle Soname for backing the competition and believes the talents discovered at this competition will forever be grateful to Soname,also an Remo indigene for giving them the opportunity to be noticed.
‘This is a dream come true for me.I am grateful to Mr Soname for identifying with our objective which is to give boys and girls in the Remo division of Ogun state the opportunity to showcase their talents.Through his company,Value Jet,the latest airline in Nigeria reputed to be one of the safest to fly in,the first Remo Sceondary Schools Athletics Championships is a reality,’said Ogunkoya,the reigning African 400m record (49.10) holder and two-time Olympic medallist.
Ogunkoya is also delighted that the South West Athletics Association has identified with her.
‘Schools from the six south western states of Nigeria have been invited for the South West Athletics Relays to add colour to the competition,’said Ogunkoya who remains the only Nigerian athlete ever to be ranked number one in any event following her number one ranking in 1998 after winning the 400m event at the Grand Prix Final in Moscow, Russia.
Some of the Southwest schools that have indicated interest are:Brightville College Ibadan,Ayodele comp.College Oyo,Progressive College Modakeke,Trailblaizer College Ilesa,Aquinas College Akure,Oyemekun Grammar School Akure among others. ‘The comptition promises to be exciting and I am looking forward to the 400m in particular to see if Ogun state can produce an athlete that will break my African record in future,’further said Ogunkoya who thanked Ogun state governor,Dapo Abiodun for providing the enabling environment for sports to thrive in the state.
