The Osi of Egbaland, Chief Bode Mustapha, has described sports as a gold mine capable of creating value and wealth, transforming lives and opening doors to limitless opportunities, urging parents, young athletes and Nigerians to embrace sports as a pathway to success.
Chief Mustapha made the remarks at the maiden edition of the RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit held in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Organised by the Tunde Delu Initiative, the competition attracted more than 2,000 young athletes from the four sporting districts of the state, Remo, Ijebu, Yewa and Egba.
A former Nigerian table tennis international, Vice President of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, and also a former member of the Table Tennis World governing body ITTF, the respected Egba chief reflected on his personal journey, describing sports as the platform that changed the course of his life.
“Sports has a lot of advantages. Many people watch you, but you don’t know they are watching. One competition like this can become the turning point in your life and I can say that because I am a product of sports.”
“I played table tennis for Nigeria at the age of 18. After winning a tournament, the sponsor told me, ‘I will send you abroad to study.’ That opportunity made me who I am today”.
He urged the young athletes to remain disciplined, committed, and focused, stressing that talent alone is not enough to attain greatness.
The Osi of Egbaland also commended Honourable Tunde Delu and members of the organising committee for successfully staging the maiden edition of the championship, expressing optimism that the competition would become an annual event and leave a lasting legacy in grassroots sports development.
According to him, competitions such as the RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit provide a vital platform for discovering, nurturing, and developing future champions who can represent Ogun State and Nigeria on the global stage.
Chief Mustapha further pledged his continuous support for the initiative and demonstrated his commitment by announcing a cash reward for the winners of the relay events at the championship and also an endowment fund for outstanding athletes discovered from the circuit.
The RIYE Under-15 Athletics Circuit has been widely regarded as one of the biggest grassroots athletics competitions in Ogun State and perhaps the country, with over 2,000 participants competing across various track and field events, reinforcing the growing commitment to talent identification and youth sports development in the state.
