Teenager Morro Bajo is ready to run after return from Africa

The Gambian-born youngster, not 16 until October, is widely expected to win East District Championship medals at Meadowbank this weekend following an exile in Africa.

Bajo is the all-time Scottish record-holder at under-15 level for 100m and 200m after shooting to prominence last summer with Edinburgh AC.

He represented Scotland at age-group level in a story with parallels with Chelsea teenager Islam Feruz’s elevation to the Scotland Under-21 ranks following his emergence at Celtic as a Glasgow schoolboy.

Bajo was asked to leave Drummond Community High School in Edinburgh last December for repeated misbehaviour and was sent to live with his extended family in Gambia.

Now Edinburgh AC coach Bill Walker, who once worked with Allan Wells, has helped bring Bajo back to Scotland where he will be reunited with his step-mother, Becky Grangeret, in the capital’s Portobello district.

“He was absolutely obsessed about being back for the district championships at Meadowbank this weekend,” said Grangeret.

“He was so excited he was thinking it was the end of the world if he didn’t get back for it. It was as if it was the Olympics or something.”

Bajo was ranked highly in Britain last season and broke the Scottish 100m record for the under-15 age group – when he ran 11.17 seconds. He has a PB at 200m of 22.56, also set while still only 14.

Walker said he was delighted that the teenager would be back and able to take part in the 100m and 200m events in championships staged by scottishathletics and organised by Edinburgh AC. “It’s great news,” said Walker, who helped raise funds to assist the family with airfares. I think he’ll enjoy it, he’ll be able to take part in the districts, and he should win. I think if he works hard he’ll stay here, and I think he’s got a good chance of making the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.”

A spokesman for the governing body of the sport in Scotland, said: “There is no doubt that Morro Bajo has fantastic potential as an athlete.

“To develop that talent he needs the benefit of expert coaching and guidance and it is good to know he is coming back to Scotland.”