The Nigeria Minister of Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung on Monday commended the Government of Edo State for its preparedness to host the 20th edition of the National Sports Festival billed for 2020. The sports minister who paid an unscheduled visit to the state to assess the level of work at facilities for the Games now […]
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Organisers of the third Okpekpe 10km road race scheduled for next month in Okpekpe have announced a quantum increase in the prize money for the first nine Edo-state born finishers in the men and women race.
The respective male and female winners will go home with N500,000 each ,an increase of N400,000 while the first and second runners-up will get N300,000 and N250,000 respectively.
The ninth-placed runner will get N50,000 while the eighth, seventh, sixth, fifth and fourth-placed finishers will go home with N75,000, N100,000, N150,000 and N200,000 respectively.
Yusuf Ali, a member of the organising committee and former Africa, Commonwealth and World Universities Games long jump champion explained that the committee arrived at the decision to increase the prize money for the locals because of the need to encourage them and make them more competitive.
‘The committee feels there is the need to make Edo-state indigenes up their game and make them more competitive. The new prize money structure will make them train more and, hopefully, we will get them to compete for the main prize of $25,000,’he said and expressed happiness that the male winner in that category in the past two editions,Lawrence Osheku has promised to improve on his performance.
‘You can seee that the guy who emerged the best Edo-state indigene in the last two editions, Lawrence (Osheku) is already talking about improving from a 34 minutes runner to 31 and this will be a significant improvement. I am sure if he is able to achieve this, he will be contesting for the top prize for Nigerian runners.We believe by next year he will be among the contestants for the $25,000 top prize,’said Ali who heaped plaudits on race owner, Mike Itemuagbor for approving the new prize money structure for Edo state indigenes.
‘He (Itemuagbor) is a blessing to the state and athletics in particular and Nigeria in general. If we have more people like him organising world class sporting events in Nigeria,the country would rank among the best in the world in any sport.
‘He has been the driving force behind the monumental success the race has achieved in the last two years culminating in the award of a bronze label status for the race,the first of such in West Africa,’remarked Ali.
The Okpekpe 10km road race is organised by Pamodzi Sports Marketing,a leader in sports marketing, sponsorship, hospitality and rights acquisition business in Nigeria in conjunction with the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and Edo state government.
The race is run over hills and sandy path and it starts in Apama road and ends in Okpekpe,a town in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State. It is located about 25 km North East of Auchi.
This year’s Okpekpe race has received a major boost as the President-elect, Major General Muhammadu Buhari says the opening of the Okpekpe road by the Edo State Government will boost the economy of the area.
The 10km Okpekpe race which is an IAAF bronze labeled COMPETITION is an annual marathon which attracts top athletes from across the globe.
While giving his support for the race when he commissioned the road recently, the President-elect said, “A road like this Okpekpe road will boost the economy and it is something that only government can provide as has been done by the Edo State Government.
“There is no doubt that this road will give accessibility to this community. Projects like this is a testimony of the huge level thinking of the APC and how the APC government will transform the country for good”.
On his part, Governor of the State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said, “I feel fulfilled that God has used us to make a difference in the lives of very ordinary people. We are convinced that rural Nigerians should benefit from development”.
Nigeria rave of the moment in long distance race, Aderonke Olumudi, on Sunday in a telephone conversation with our correspondent confirmed her readiness to partake at the third edition of the annual Okpekpe 10km Road Race.
The Kogi-born athlete has been in a rich vein of form since moving to the United States of America, she recently won the 10km Women’s category of the third GE Irving Marathon race.
Olumudi, had earlier won women’s silver and bronze medals at the March 14 fifth Longview Marathon and the 21st March 13th Bearathon Marathon races both in US respectively.
“I am ready to race at the Okpekpe,” she said. “I was at the first edition of the competition, and I am ready to be the first Nigeria to win the race.
“My target for now will be to perform well at the Lake Minneola Half Marathon billed for April 25, and hopefully take the form to Nigeria for the Okpekpe race.”
The Okpekpe 10km road race is organised by Pamodzi Sports Marketing, a leader in sports marketing, sponsorship, hospitality and Rights Acquisition business in Nigeria in conjunction with the AFN and Edo state government.
The previous editions of the race were dominated by East Africans with Kenya’s with Nigeria athletes yet to finish top five of the race.
Over 3000 runners are expected to participate in next month’s 3rd Okpekpe 10km road race scheduled to hold in Okpekpe, Auchi in Edo state, organisers of the race have confirmed.
‘We are expecting over three thousand runners for this year’s race which will hold on May 16,’reveals former Nigeria track and field international, Yusuf Ali who added that interest in the race from various managers across the world have been both encouraging and overwhelming.
‘The runners are expected to submit their registration forms with medical certificate of fitness and they are expected to sign a waiver form to acknowledge among other things the risks inherent in running a 10km race unfit,’ said Ali, a former World Universities Games, African Championship and Commonwealth Games long jump champion.
Ali further revealed that the race will be conducted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) and the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN).
‘IAAF Road Race Label Regulations will also apply to the Okpekpe Road Race 2015 which has been certified by the IAAF as a Bronze Label road race,’said Ali.
The Okpekpe 10km road race is organised by Pamodzi Sports Marketing, a leader in sports marketing, sponsorship, hospitality and Rights Acquisition business in Nigeria in conjunction with the AFN and Edo state government.
The previous editions of the race were dominated by East Africans with Kenya’s Moses Masai winning the maiden edition while Ethiopia’s Teshome Asafan won the men’s title at the second edition and his country woman, Wuday Ayalew winning the women’s title.
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