Organizers of the Abuja City Half Marathon have promised to deliver a first class event that would be the envy of other states of the Federation.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Milayo Sports, Bukola Olapade stated while briefing members of the press ahead of the much publicized event scheduled to hold this Saturday.
He particularly maintained that whatever they have achieved in organizing marathon events in Nigeria would not have been possible without the support of their sponsors, particularly Premium Trust bank sponsors of the Abuja marathon. He extolled the role Premium Trust bank has contributed to the development of Athletics in Nigeria.
“Premium Trust Bank is the biggest brand in Nigeria’s athletics right now and it will be unfair for us not to acknowledge that. Ese Brume and Tobi Amusan are their ambassadors, they’re the sole sponsor of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria ((AFN) and now this one. So, if you look at it is a 360 approach towards athletics and I want to specifically thank the Premium Trust Bank for all they have been doing for Nigerian athletics.
When you look down towards the headline sponsor you will understand that today is a special day. Road racing has become the fastest growing phenomenon in athletics and it has to be taken seriously as a business or lifestyle to empower even our athletes,”
Meanwhile, President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, Tonibok Okowa in his speach was full of praise for Nilayo sports CEO for deeming it necessary to deliver a semblance of the Lagos Marathon in Abuja
“I’m not surprised that this is going on because when Chief Olapade, the CEO of Milayo Sports beckoned me for us to do this, I didn’t blink an eye, but immediately accepted it . That is because over the years I have seen what he has been doing in Lagos . He has done so well with the Lagos Access Marathon and I know what he is about to do in Abuja with the Premium Trust Bank Marathon.
So, what we are about to see here in Abuja is going to grow within a short time because we have discussed it and very soon, we will get the next label for the race.
I want to use this opportunity to thank Premium Trust Bank for what they have been doing in athletics. You have done so well for us in athletics and you’re doing this again. I know that partnering with Milayo Sports, in no distant time you’re going to go beyond Nigeria and that is what we are looking up to.
It will all be well because the man that is handling the road race Commission in AFN, Yusuf Alli, is a man that knows what he is doing. His knowledge in sports is going to drive this nation through,” he concluded.
For his part, the event Director, Yusuf Alli maintained that all that needed to be done to have a hitch free event has been done.
“We are keeping every runner and we are going to have three sets of times monitoring, all the three cannot fail. In Lagos, we started with two timing but here, we are starting with three, we are a step ahead.
“The routes have been measured and certified, I can assure you that the race will be seamless and all runners that finished the race must have medals, we are going to do that,” Alli said.
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