Weightlifting: Federation Set To Catch ‘Em Young At The Grassroots

By Sunday Akintoye

Following the poor performance of Nigeria’s weightlifters at the last Olympics, the Nigeria Weightlifting Federation has decided to embark on a programme tagged Catch Them Young to discover talents from the grassroots.

Scribe of the federation, Steve Olarinoye, told P.M.Sports that the federation is set to organise a national open championship for junior and senior secondary schools.

He said his experience at the Beijing Olympics has made him understand that young talents should be discovered to replace the ageing ones. He said most of the country’s weightlifters are ageing and need replacement.

“Most of our programmes this year are geared toward discovering talents at the grassroots. We want to take weightlifting to all our secondary schools, where young talents abound.

“In the western world, young people are selected for high profile competitions, where they excel. So, we want to take a cue from them and discover young talents for future competitions,” he said. He added that the federation will also empower its officials through seminars and workshops, to enable them acquire modern skills.