Athletics
WHY THE NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL MUST BE PUT ON HOLD
BY SMARTS EBHODAGHE
It is no longer news that the 20th National Sports Festival tagged Edo 2020 was postponed just a few days to the commencement due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. The postponement was in line with the efforts of the government to check the spread of the virus that is still ravaging parts of the world in alarming proportions.
Though the number of daily infections seems to be on the downward trend in Nigeria, the relevant health authorities have continued to advise that precautions have to be taken to avoid a second wave of infections. This is the reason full-scale sporting activists have not resumed across country.
Having removed the lid a few weeks ago for contact sports to resume in Nigeria, the national sports governing body is now considering the idea of staging the postponed sports festival anytime soon. However, my concern with the laudable idea is the speed with which it wants it done as if the end is here.
More disturbing is the suggestion that the games would be staggered over weeks, into months, without the usual spectatorship. What this will imply is that the authorities just want to fulfill all righteousness that the games held, whether there were gains or not.
Naturally, the national sports festival is about the people – athletes, officials, spectators, the micro/medium business community and the government. As the name implies, it is a festival that is celebrated to have various positive impacts on the people.
The urgent desire to just have it done for the fun of it is not in the best interest of the people, and especially the host state that has sunk billions of taxpayers’ money into preparations for the games.
The intension and belief of doing so was, and still, that hosting the festival will bring about improvement in the socio-economic fortunes of the people of the state.
Before the postponement of the games was announced, vendors of diverse wares had paid for spaces within the games venues to display and market their products and services to the teeming spectators expected atthe games. What then becomes of such vendors when the games are staggered and no spectators allowed into the venues?
On the parts of the athletes who have not been training since the postponement of the games due to the lockdown that followed, how well will they compete with the short notice to come for the games?
Are they mentally, psychologically and physically prepared for the games in the immediate?
This is not the first time the National Sports Festival would be postponed in its history, especially as this latest postponement is on force majeure.
After the 18th edition hosted by Lagos State in 2012, the festival suffered multiple postponements until it eventually held in 2018 with its accompanying fanfare.
If the biggest global sporting gathering, the Olympics, earlier billed for 2020 in Tokyo, Japan could be postponed till 2021 on the account of the same Covid-19 pandemic, why the rush by Nigeria to host its national games?
The postponement is in the best interest of everyone that has one thing or the other to do with the games actively or passively.
The Edo 2020 festival can hold in the first quarter of 2021, giving the Local Organising Committee and the various sub-committees adequate opportunity to put post Covid-19 measures in place to make the games even more exciting to behold. It will also allow room to focus on the tiny details that still needed some attention even at the time of the postponement.
As it is said, anything worth doing at all is worth doing well. Let’s use this opportunity to showcase Nigeria as a country that does things properly and professionally, instead of the other way round.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
-Reuters
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.
NFF Communication director unfolds 20 Points of a 20-hour ordeal on Libyan soil
African football legends, Adebayor and Aubameyang condemn Libya’s treatment of Super Eagles
BREAKING! CAF wades into the Libya-Nigeria Airport episode
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
AIU releases its report on Tobi Amusan
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
Players boycott Libyan national team
-
AFCON4 days ago
Billiat’s penalty seals Zimbabwe’s 1-0 win over Namibia
-
AFCON1 week ago
Eguavoen unfolds Super Eagles’ squad for back-to-back duel with Libya
-
AFCON7 days ago
Facts & Figures as AFCON 2025 qualifiers enter Matchday 3
-
AFCON6 days ago
AFCON 2025 in Morocco: Everything you need to know
-
AFCON5 days ago
Libya’s captain, Faisal Al-Badri alleges poor treatment in Nigeria
-
Uncategorized7 days ago
CAF compels Kwasi Appiah to step down from Ghana FA
-
Uncategorized1 week ago
Fastest World Cup final scorer is dead!