Not less than 16 talented youth orphans, eight boys and eight girls were discovered at the 6th Coach Felix Academic and Sports Foundation (CFASF) Annual Stakeholders Congress at Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.
The annual event, which commenced in 2016 by Founder of CFASF, Coach Felix Osiebe to discover new track and field talents from the nook and crannies, schools, youth clubs and academics, usually involves seminars, athletics competitions and talent hunt, but the organisers took it a notch higher in 2023, when they decided to bring in 116 orphans from 12 orphanages across Kaduna state.
According to Coach Felix Osiebe, “our foundation started in 2016 with the aim of discovering, developing and delivering potential athletes. We have been presenting athletes to represent Kaduna state since 2016. We also go into the nooks and crannies to scout talents especially those not in schools.
“This year, we decided to discover athletes from orphanages, with support from Princess Madojemu, Coach Kayode Yahaya, AFN Technical Director, Samuel Onikeku, NVBF President, Engr. Musa Nimrod, Mr. Musa Audu, Micromanna Ltd and Mohammad Aliyu. Twelve orphanage homes brought 116 orphans, who participated in 100m, 150m races.
“After giving the orphans opportunity to express themselves and show their potentials, we discovered eight boys and eight girls with potential all below 16 years. They will all be taken through training and development programmes next season. We are going to partner with the orphanage homes to create training programme for them and promote them to championships within their age range U-16 and U-13.
“Our challenge is mainly perception, a lot of people thought the programme is about making money but it’s about giving them an opportunity. I lost my childhood and that is why I want to fill the gap and allow the youth to enjoy the best of their childhood and realise their potentials. Kaduna state government has awaken to athletics and it is events like this help to awoke their interest in athletics. People should support the programme financially and morally.”
The programme has produced some athletes who are internationals at both junior and senior categories.
Such as AbdulAzeez Oyetunji, a 100m and 200m runner, who is currently on sports scholarship at Iowa Central Community College USA, where he is the 200m record holder.
There is Samuel Ogazi, African 400m champion, Temitope Olusesan, who represented Nigeria at the 2022 World Schools Games in France, Peace Lekwot, high jump, long jump and 100m gold medalist in the World Schools Games trials and Maltina Schools Games and Principal Cup high jump and Hajara Haruna among others.
