Ajeromi-Ifekodun Local Government Area of Lagos state, on Friday, said it would groom young athletes as future Olympic stars through its proposed maiden youth city marathon.

McAnthony Anaelechukwu, the council’s director-general (DG), made this known at a press briefing on the maiden 10-kilometre youth city marathon scheduled for November.

According to him, the take-off point for the proposed marathon will be at the Maracana Pavilion Stadium, while the Signal Barracks Sports Ground will be the endpoint.

Mr Anaelechukwu, who expressed displeasure about Team Nigeria’s outing at the last Olympics in France, said the council was poised to make the desired difference in athletics.

He said it was high time Nigeria joined the league of countries like Kenya in the short and long-distance global marathon arena.

”We feel we should give Kenyans a run for their money and where else to start if not from Ajegunle city, the home of sports; we’ve done very well in football.

”We have not had it so well in athletics recently; look at the last Olympics; Nigeria performed badly, badly by all standards.

”What we are doing now in Ajegunle, the world should just watch out for us and give us the chance.

”We are doing very well in basketball. So we want to take Athletics to another level by coming out with this marathon race.

”After the marathon, we want to start training our youth and children so they can know how to run those short-distance races.

”I think it’s high time we give the youths leverage and a platform to showcase their talent.

”Some times ago, we had this Ajegunle’s kids marathon, you know, and it was so surprising to see little boys and girls run out two times,” he said.

He also emphasised the importance of keeping the youths engaged by organising events that would keep them busy.

”Let’s get the youth to come out and take part in a marathon like this Ajegunle City Youth Marathon, which is a 10-kilometre race for them to showcase their talent.

”Initially, we did for children within ages of nine to 14, you know, and the time they returned was something that really inspired us, and we decided, why don’t we just push this to the next level?” he said.

Similarly, the marathon’s convener, Isaac Moses, said that the top three finishers would win the N20 million cash prize while the first 50 participants would go home with cash gifts.

”Even those that didn’t run can win gifts too by buying our raffle draws to win mouth-watering prizes, huge gadgets, flat screens, free refrigerators, and different items through the raffle prizes.

”The race is 10 kilometres, but the celebrity race is 2.5.

”The winner goes home with N300,000, the second runner-up gets N200, 000 and the third prize also goes home with N100,000,” he said.

Also, Isaac Omoyele, the youth chairman for Ajeromi-Ifelodun, in his remarks, said the marathon would create awareness of the need to keep fit youths.

”The marathon is some form of health integration to help young people improve their health-seeking behaviour and also take their health seriously while also trying to drive fitness,” he said.

No fewer than 1,000 youths are expected to participate in the marathon.

The first category of the race is the masters’ division, strictly for people living with disability, then the open division for the youths, and the VVIP division for celebrities.

The marathon is put together by the Ajeromi-Ifelodun LG and Ifelodun Local Council Development Area of the state.

(NAN)