NIGERIAN sprinter Blessing Okagbare on Saturday urged sports administrators to increase their efforts in grooming and nurturing young talents in the country.

Okagbare spoke against the backdrop of the performance of some young athletes at the ongoing 2018 Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Asaba, Delta.

NAN reports that 18-years old Joy Udo-Gabriel and 17-year-old Rosemary Chukwuma contributed to the country 4×100 victory at the ongoing competition.

Okagbare said that the young athletes have so much to offer in the sport, if given the necessary support for them to excel.

“We have a lot of young athletes in athletics with great potentials and they have so much more to offer.

“The country needs to pay more attention to the talents and groom them appropriately.

“One of the problem we had in the past was that we didn’t nurture and groom talents properly and that is where we lost it.

“So, they should try and focus on the people coming up and see what can happen in the future for us as a country,’’ she said.
On her next move, the 2008 Beijing bronze medallist said her plan was to get herself ready for the final of the Diamond League at the end of August.

NAN reports that the country had so far won five gold, three silver and two bronze medals at the ongoing championships.

The event, which commenced on Thursday, is scheduled to round-off on Sunday at the Stephen Keshi Stadium in Asaba. (NAN)

– Aug. 4, 2018 @ 12:39 GMT |