It was a great atmosphere on Thursday afternoon at the main bowl of the Teslim Balogun Stadium when the Lagos Athletics Open took centre stage as the newly formed Athletics Supporters Club Of Nigeria ASCN storm the venue in their numbers.
The colourful supporters club came in their large numbers in all green attire singing the best of tunes with trumpet and drums to go with it to the delight of administrators and fans.
According to Olutoye Orishabiyi, the acting president of the club, the club is highly honoured by the acknowledgement and endorsement the club received today for being Nigeria's first Athletics organised supporters group.
Olutoye said: " We are highly honoured today as our appearance caught most of the sports administrators on aware and it was indeed a big surprise with acknowledgements by the Honorable Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Sunday Dare, Chief Tonobok Okowa (AFN President), Chief Solomon Ogba, Mr Bukola Olopade, Mary Onyali, Yusuf Alli, Chief Bisi Olatilo and host of others were present at the Lagos State Open Athletics Championship for the Summer Olympic Qualifiers Tokyo 2021".
The experienced supporter's club lord said some Nollywood actors and actresses among our members were present at the stadium to add colour to the event.
He started further that the membership of the club is open to Nigerians as their supports will help to move Athletics forward in Nigeria because the club is ready to do its bit to bring Athletics back to its enviable position in Nigeria Sports.
" The club is open to Nigerians who are willing to be a part of the Athletics family by lending support through becoming a member of the club.
We want Nigerians to give their support to Athletics just the way they give supports to football, the country has more to gain in Athletics as it is a multi-medal sport and the talents in the country can easily better the image of Nigeria in the committee of sports if properly supported. That's what we are championing as a club" Olutoye stated.
The acting president attributed the success of the women relay to the presence of the supporters' club as the Nigeria women 4×4 relay team punch an Olympic ticket at the Lagos Athletics Open a feat that has eluded the team at several attempts.
" We are happy that our presence motivated the team to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics and we have perfect plans to be at the making of champions at Yaba tech sports complex on Sunday to cheer the men 400×100 and 4×400 relay teams in their bid to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as well" Olutoye concludes.
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