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AFN Presidential Aspirant, Thomas Promises to Make Schools Performance Hub

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Sports journalist, Olukayode Thomas who is aspiring for the position of President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) in the election slated for June 13, has promised to make high schools and intercollegiate the hub of athletics, if elected.
Thomas, with over two decades’ experience in athletics, said the bane of athletics in Nigeria is lack of development at the high school and intercollegiate levels.
He revealed that global leaders in athletics like United States of America, Jamaica, Great Britain and lately South Africa, have robust athletics programmes with the Mother of Sports being part of the school curriculum.
“Sports today, especially athletics, are no longer a part of our school curriculum. Students pay sports levy but schools rarely do sports”.
Thomas revealed that for Nigeria to harness her huge potential in athletics, it must follow the American example,
“America’s huge success in sports is down to the perfect marriage of sports and education at the intercollegiate level. Higher education began in Nigeria in 1948 and we joined the modern Olympics family at the Helsinki 52 games. No student from a Nigerian university has won an Olympic gold medal, while 86 American universities’ students have won Olympic gold medals. Wake Forest University, a private University in North Carolina, has students who won three gold medals. The same number of gold medals Nigeria has won since 1952.”
Thomas said universities like South California have students who won 144 gold medals, Stanford 139, UCLA 123 but 128 if you include medals won by staff, University of California Beverley 117 and University of Michigan 68 gold medals.
Thomas promised to work with the National Universities Commission to ensure that athletics is not just part of the school curriculum but that all Universities introduce athletics scholarships for talented students and introduce a lucrative intercollegiate athletics league.
He also promised to work with state governors to ensure that athletics is part of the school curriculum at high schools and is compulsory.
“The latest sensation in athletics is 12 year old Jamaican High School student, Brianna Lyston, who is doing a sub-24 sec. Same time our senior athletes here are running today because we don’t give opportunities early ”.
He said Nigerian athletes who were successful like Yussuf Alli, Chidi Imoh, Innocent Egbunike, Falilat Ogunkoya, Olapade Adeniken, Mary Onyali, got involved in school sports in the 1970s and 80s,
“This largely accounted for them being discovered early. Also, most of our Olympics and World Championships medallists like Egbunike, the Ezinwa brothers, Ogunkoya, Olapade, Oluyemi, Imoh, Fatimah Yusuf, Onyali, Ajayi Agbebaku, Sunday Uti, Rotimi Peters, Blessing Okagbare, etc were products of the American University system.
“We can replicate this in our universities just like the Jamaicans did. This will be my main focus if elected president” said Thomas.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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James, Shambaz win Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10m Race

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BY DAPO SOTUMINU

Nigeria’s Francis James and Blessing Shambaz yesterday emerged winners of the 2nd Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10km Race to go home with the winners prize money of $1,000 in a race that was officially flagged off by the First  vice president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, Chief Solomon Ogba, and supported by Mr. Nadin Khan, the president of the World Ultra Running.

James won the men’s race finishing at 30minutes 11seconds to beat all opponents to consolidate on his victory in Abuja when he finished second best in the half marathon held in the Federal Capital Territory middle of the year.

James also emerged the Nigeria’s winner of the World class half marathon.

It will be recalled that James at his last major race in Abuja finished second place in a national half marathon race. He stressed that he used that race to prepare for the Lotus Bank Abeokuta Race and he was very happy winning the race.

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He stressed that, the victory at Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10m Race has given him the confidence to do better in others races coming up in Nigeria and its an indication, that he’s very close to making history for Nigeria in subsequent marathon races. He added that, Nigerian runners will pull surprise in the others races not minding the attendance of the East Africans.

In second place for the men’s race  is Gyang Raymond at a time of 30 minutes 14 seconds. Gyang got $750 for his effort. While the third place winner is Gyang David Boyi at 30 minutes 54 seconds. Boyi got a cash prize of $500.

In the women 10km race, the runners up that placed second was Daylop Patience at a time of 36minutes 98.28seconds to keep her position in last year’s edition. She got $750.

Third place winner is Agofure Charity at 37minutes 88 seconds.She got $500.

The overall 10km also saw the race by special athletes.

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The route of the Lotus Bank Abeokuta Race wore a very active look this morning with the active presence of Febbs table water, a part sponsor of the event.

The volunteers on each points on the route all had Febbs Water on their hands ready to hand them over the runners. The organisers decorated all the runners that crossed the finish line with gold medals, this added to the fanfare and celebrations at the Alake Palace finish line of the race.

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Diamond League raise 2025 prize money to over $9 million

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The Diamond League will increase its prize money to more than $9 million in 2025, the highest in the history of the series, the organisers have said.

Athletes will make a total of $18 million, with top athletes also receiving promotional fees. Male and female athletes will be paid at the same rate, the Diamond League said in a statement.

“The new total is almost a third higher than the sum paid during the pandemic-affected period of 2021-2024,” the statement said, adding that more will be invested in the athletes’ travel, transport, accommodation, medical and physio services.

Each of the 14 Diamond League meets of the 2025 regular season, scheduled to kick off in April, will award a total prize money of $500,000, with the final in August offering $2.24 million.

“The total prize money per discipline will be between $30,000 and $50,000 at the series meetings and between $60,000 and $100,000 at the final,” the statement added.

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The Diamond League’s 2024 season concluded in Brussels last week, with Zurich set to host the 2025 final.

The news comes after World Athletics ended a 128-year tradition by paying Olympic champions at the Paris Games $50,000 each and as rival track events try to muscle in on the circuit long seen as the standard-bearer for professional athletics.

Retired American sprinting great Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track will offer prize money ranging from $100,000 for the winner to $10,000 for the eighth-place finisher at each of four “slams” when the league launches next year.

It will distribute a total of $12.6 million in prize money in 2025.

“In a league of our own,” Grand Slam Track wrote in a post on X, opens new tab on Wednesday, with a breakdown of their prize money.

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-Reuters

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Record 6000 runners register for 2nd Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10km Run

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A record 6,000 runners, local and international from across the African continent and Nigeria have registered for the second edition of the Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10km Run slated for September 28, 2024, as the organisers, Nilayo Sports Management Limited guns for a bronze label status for the race.

The Chief Operating Officer of Nilayo Sports Management Limited,  Ebidowie Oweifie, noted that the theme of this year’s edition of the Abeokuta 10km Race titled ‘For Greatness’ out is out to commemorate the birthday anniversary of the Egba paramount ruler, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo 111, the 10km Run will flag off at Iyana Oloke at 6am and finish at The Alake Palace, Abeokuta.

Kenya’s Peter Nwaniki is the men’s race defending champion at a time of 28 minutes 14 seconds, while Shamila Kipsirir also of Kenya is the women’s defending champion.

Nigeria’s race men’s defending champion is Francis James at 31minutes 08seconds, while the women’s defending champion is Patience Daylop at 36 minutes 31 seconds.

The second edition of Abeokuta10km Race will be sponsored by Lotus Bank, FEBBS Premium Water, Fatgbems Petroleum Limited and Cash Token.

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