Sports
2,500 Runners Battle for $70,000, As Second Edition of ECOWAS Marathon Holds In Abuja Tomorrow
Joel Ajayi
All is set for the second edition of the ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon scheduled for Saturday, December 16, 2023. According to the event organisers, athletes from 15 members of ECOWAS will compete with elite runners from Kenya, Ethiopia, China, Korea and others for a total prize money of $70,000.
Briefing the media on Friday in Abuja, the Director, Youth and Sports Development, ECOWAS, Ambassador Francis Njoaguani, said the race is beyond just sports and its health benefits but to create around ECOWAS in Nigeria as well as promoting sports for integration in the West Africa sub-region.
“According to him, the idea was beyond the sports and health benefits of the marathon. There is also the need to create some awareness around ECOWAS in Nigeria where the ECOWAS headquarters is located. We all know that in Abuja ECOWAS has several institutions.
“The ECOWAS Commission where we are today is the main institution of the ECOWAS. In Abuja, we also have the ECOWAS Parliament as well as the ECOWAS Court of Justice and of course recently, ECOWAS Office of the Auditor General. So all four key institutions of ECOWAS are located here in Abuja which is the more reason why there is need to have that visibility for ECOWAS while promoting sports for integration. And that is all the idea behind the ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon.
“This is the second edition which means the first edition has been held successfully. It was held in December 2019 with the collaboration of the FCT Sports Department. Attempt to hold the second edition was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. But we are back with full force with our partners, the FCT Sports Department, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and others.
“For this edition, we have two races; the Half Marathon and the 5km Road Race. The winners, male and female in the Half Marathon will get $10,000 each and a gold medal, first runners-up, $5,000 each and a silver medal and the second runners-up, $4,000 each and a bronze medal. The first position in the Road Race will get $750, second position$500 and third position $400. Also, the first 200 runners to reach the finish line will get bronze medals each,” Njoaguani said.
Race Director, Coach Gabriel Okon, while corroborating Njoaguani’s submission every technical aspects that has to do with the race has been properly taken care of.
“As the Ambassador has rightly said, this race was conceived about five years ago and thank God that the second edition will hold tomorrow (Saturday).
“The half marathon is 21.098km and if you look at full marathon, it is 42.195km. This is half marathon. We have some runners who are coming. The Ethiopians, the Kenyans, two males and two females. The marathon race rules will be aligned with the rules and regulations of the World Athletics (WA) and Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).”
However, Half Marathon will start at 07:00 am in front of the ECOWAS Secretariat, the 5km Road Race will commence at Banex Plaza. The ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon has been a powerful tool of youth empowerment and engagement and it has had powerful impacts on the FCT economy especially the hospitality and allied industries while also acting as catalyst to boost tourism in the nation’s capital.
Sports
NVBF seeks continuous partnership with Abia Govt after successful 2025 Nat Div 1 & 2
Joel Ajayi
The Nigeria Volleyball Federation (NVBF) have expressed profound appreciation to the Government and people of Abia State for their outstanding support and collaboration during the successful hosting of the final phase of the 2025 National Division 1 and 2 Volleyball Leagues.
In a statement signed by Engineer Musa Nimrod, NVBF President, the federation commended Abia State for its warm hospitality and commitment to the development of sports, particularly volleyball.
Nimrod explained that the successful event was a result of the strong partnership between the federation and the state government.
He said, “The Board of Administration of the Nigeria Volleyball Federation, on behalf of the entire volleyball community in the country, wishes to express profound gratitude to the Government and people of Abia State for their noble collaboration in organizing the final phase of Division 1 and 2.”
He further highlighted that Abia State is gradually becoming a hub for volleyball in Nigeria.
Nimrod attributed the growth of volleyball to the government’s investment in youth and sports development.
He emphasised the NVBF desire to sustain and strengthen this partnership to further promote volleyball and empower young athletes across the nation.
“The federation remains grateful and looks forward to a more robust and progressive partnership with the Abia State Government in the future.”
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