Athletics
LAGOS SPORTS BOSS, KWEKU TANDOH APPLAUDS NATIONAL YOUTH GAMES
The Chairman of the Lagos State Sports Commission, Dr. Kweku Tandoh, has applauded the Grassroots and Youth Development department of the Sports Ministry, headed by Dr. Ademola Are, for the excellent organization of the 5th National Youth Games in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Dr. Tandoh, said in Ilorin, that, the Youth Games is the only solution to speedy disappearance of world class athletes from Team Nigeria.
He said: “This year’s National Youth Games is well organized compared to what it was in the last three editions. The most striking improvements are the facilities, the screening exercise was also near perfect. What these tell us is that, the organizers of the Youth Games have listening ears on further development of the Games.”
He added: “The other improvement was on the performances of Team Lagos at the 2019 Games. For us, it has been nothing but excellent, considering the fact that, we presented Under-15 athletes as stipulated by the rules of the Games’ organizers.
“Last year was our first participation in the National Youth Games and we finished second place despite not taking part in all the sports. At the end of the Games, we went back and decided to re-strategize and some of those strategies have worked for us, as we strongly gave consideration to some of the sports we have comparative advantage.
“We are beginning to see the results, so far, the Team Lagos has done very well, with the even spread of medals covering various sports, and it gives us good advantage. We believe so much that at the end of the Games we would have put up our best performance so far in the history of the National Youth Games.”
He stressed that: “We take delight in the overwhelming improvement and top performance of Team Lagos in the swimming event. This was a sport that we won only silver and a bronze at the last edition of the festival. This year, we won five gold medals, nine silver and two bronze medals in swimming.
“In this year’s Youth Games, out of the two hundred and forty eight athletes presented by Team Lagos for the Games, only two were screened out by the facial analysis screening methodology approach by the NYG screening team.
This improvement was made possible by a carefully selected training and developmental regime put in place by the Lagos Sports Commission, with the support of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who himself is a passionate follower of sports.
“It was also a one hundred percent performance in the football event, where Team Lagos won all the available gold medals in the event, in the male and female categories.”
Tandoh noted that: “Aside from all the medals so far won by Team Lagos athletes, the performances of the athletes have been wonderful in all the sports. We expect that such heartwarming performances will continue.”
The Lagos Sports Commission chairman stated that, for Lagos State our focus as a commission is sports development, in form of school sports and Community base development. Infact, the national Youth Games for us is more important that the National Sports Festival, because we believe this is where we begin to produce those talents that we will present to represent the state and indeed Nigeria.
“We take it very seriously, in each of the sports we have restrategized after the last National Youth Games. We constituted the boards of the state sports associations December last year and they are all in place.
“I must say that, I am very happy with what many of the boards have done since they resumed activities. We are beginning to see the production of new athletes. I must say that, out of the athletes representing Team Lagos at Ilorin 2019, only about 30 percent are returnee athletes from the last Games. That production line has started and that is what gives us great joy.
“And of course, we could not have done these without the support of the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who gave us everything that we required to prepare for this Games. We are looking long term.
“We believe in Lagos that sports development should be the focus of all states Sports Commissions. Let us begin to bring up all these talents from the youth and that is why I strongly support the decision of the Director of Grassroots, Youth Development in the Sports Ministry, Dr. Ademola Are, who reduced age-grade of participants in the Youth Games from 17 years to 15 years.
“When it come to youth development, the younger the better. With Under 17, the focus was always on winning competitions and not developmental. The Under 15 category for the National Youth Games is good because what that tells you, is that, you have to start preparing your athletes from age 10 and that is the best time to prepare them, and that will provide the opportunity in four to five years time for these youngsters to reach their target marks.
“For us in Lagos, the Youth Games is actually the test of the work the Sports Commissions and the Sports Agencies across the country are doing.”
Tandoh also appealed to sports administrators from all the states of the federation to stop using over-aged athletes for age-grade events.
“We want to appeal to some of the Sports Agencies from across the country, that it is not a do or die thing. We have seen some athletes at Ilorin 2019 that are far above the regulated 15 years old. I am a medical Doctor I have a bit of insights into knowing athletes that are overaged.
“By using over-aged athletes, the administrators, will forced to falsify athletes ages. It’s not a do or die thing, if your athletes are 15 years or more, then you begin to prepare such athletes for National Championships of the sports or the National Sports Festival.
“Let the Under 15s only compete at the SYG, lets know those who are the true Under-15s because that is what Nigeria will benefit from. We don’t want over-aged atheletes at 19 years old or 20 years, to come here to win nine gold medals and after one year he or she is nowhere to be found.
“That doesn’t augur well for sports development. So I want to appeal to all of us administrators to stick to what the rules say. For example in Lagos, before this edition of the National Youth Games, we had our own screening and took out athletes that we felt were overaged, or looked over aged.”
Athletics
Kenyans and Ethiopians dominate the half marathon at ECOWAS Marathon, Nigerians win 5 km race
Kenya Harrison Muchira Wanjiru won the ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon half-marathon on Saturday in 1 hour 04.39; on his heels was another Kenyan, Adam Sulaiman Muhamad, who was second in 1.05.27, and a Nigerian Francis James Musa came third in 1.05.51.
If Kenyans dominated the men’s race, the women’s race was dominated by Ethiopians. Lydia Natiyaka Wamalawa of Ethiopia won the women’s race in 1 hour 15.3, Aberash Minsewo, another Ethiopian, was second in 1.17.14, and like in the men’s race, a Nigerian Patience Dalyop was third in 1.21.15.
Nigerian runners dominated the 5 km race, they also won most of the prizes reserved for ECOWAS citizens.
Each one for his reason, thousands of runners pounded the streets of Abuja on Saturday as the 2025 ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon flags off at the ECOWAS Commission Yakubu Gowon Way, a little after 8.00 am, while the 5 km race started shortly after.
For the elite runners that participated in the 21-kilometer race of Africa’s most lucrative half-marathon, the focus was on the $ 10,000 prize money for the top finisher.
Ditto for the top runners in the 5km race whose sights were also fixed on the prize money for the top five finishers.
For former presidential aspirant Omoyele Sowore, a constant face in marathons and road races in Nigeria, America and other parts of the world, the ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon was another medium to carry his message of justice for humanity to every part of the world.
Sowore did not run alone; he ran with the #Run with Sowore Group and other members of his Lazy Man Athletics Club.
However, the majority of runners like Blessing Mozie participated because running has become a way of life.
A staff member of the Down Syndrome Foundation of Nigeria, she ran on Saturday because running has become a part and parcel of Lagos-born Mozie’s life.
Before moving to Abuja, Mozie participated in several editions of the Lagos City Marathon, running the full marathon, but she ran the 5 km on Saturday because she is not used to the Abuja roads.
”I was born in Lagos, I grew up there, so I am familiar with the route, but I am not too familiar with the Abuja routes. Maybe in future, I will run the half marathon and the full marathon in Abuja.
“I think running is something everybody should do because of its immense health benefits.
“For me, running is not a fashion statement but a way of life because it is good for the body generally, and I am encouraging everybody to embrace the culture of running; the benefits are immeasurable.
An estimated 5,000 Nigerian and international runners battled for $71,000 prize money on Saturday.
The men’s and women’s winners of the 21 km half-marathon race won $10,000.
Also, all the first 200 runners to cross the line received bronze medals to show they had participated.
The Chairman of the Main Organizing Committee and ECOWAS Director of Youth and Sports, Amb. Francis Njoaguani noted that the event was part of activities to commemorate ECOWAS at 50.
Njoaguani stated that the initiative is aimed at encouraging regional participation and celebrating homegrown talent.
He noted that the future goal is to achieve the World Athletics Gold Label status within the next four years, positioning the ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon among the most prestigious road races globally.
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Nigeria’s foremost marathon and road race club, the High Altitude Athletics Club of Jos, Plateau State, is sending a strong field of elite runners to the 2025 ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon, which will take place on Saturday, March 1, 2025.
Stephen Nuhu, the club manager and coach, disclosed that over 30 runners have arrived in Abuja for Saturday’s race.
The runners who will compete in the half marathon include Sati Musa Bala, Mathias Nenfort Gofwen, Mandela Banki, Geofrey Koptin Gomam, John Dauda, Elisha Friday, Shaba Dare Eniola, Yohanna Friday, Gwet Tokbe Christopher, Shambor Blessing Solomon, Agofure Charity, Akusho Lydia Thomas, Danjuma Agnes, and Mathew Nancy.
Nuhu also disclosed that his club aim to win the men’s and women’s titles and also the 5km family race,
“We have some very good young runners who have what it takes to win the 5km, our challenge is the 21km race. We are determined to beat the teams from other ECOWAS nations, especially Ghana, Senegal and others who we are reliably informed are sending a strong team”
Nuhu commended the ECOWAS Commission for increasing the prize money and prompt payment,
“When it comes to prompt payment of prize money, ECOWAS Commission is number one, they will never tell you stories, you get your money once technical officials have certified you as the winner.”
Elsewhere, the Ghanaian Athletics Association and the Ghana Army are also sending strong teams to the 2025 ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon.
The Ghana team expressed readiness to storm Abuja with 20 men and women runners with the sole aim of winning some prizes in the men’s and women’s categories.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Okon, the Race Director, has urged registered runners to collect the running number, vest, certificate, participants’ guide and others at the VIO Office, Federal Secretariat Car Park, Eagles Square, Abuja,
“We are there from 9 am to 5 pm daily, registered runners and those that intend to register are welcome, they can fill out the form free and collect their kits immediately”.
Okon warned that there won’t be registration and collection of kits on race day.
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Athletics
ECOWAS Marathon announces exclusive prize money for West African runners, targets World Athletics Gold Label status
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has unveiled an exclusive prize money incentive for West African runners participating in the 2025 ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon.
The announcement was made on Thursday at a press conference by the ECOWAS Commission, the sponsor of the marathon.
According to ECOWAS Director of Youth and Sports, Amb. Francis Njoaguani, who also serves as the Chairman of the Main Organizing Committee, the first West African runner to cross the finish line will receive $1,000.
The second-place finisher will earn $500, while the third, fourth, and fifth-place runners will receive $400, $250, and $200, respectively.
This initiative is aimed at encouraging regional participation and celebrating homegrown talent.
Njoaguani emphasized ECOWAS’ long-term vision to elevate the marathon to international prominence.
He stated that the goal is to achieve the World Athletics Gold Label status within the next four years, positioning the ECOWAS Abuja International Marathon among the most prestigious road races globally.
Currently, the marathon stands as the most lucrative half marathon in Africa, offering an impressive prize structure for both men and women.
Winners of the 21km race will each take home $10,000, while second and third-place finishers will earn $5,000 and $4,000, respectively.
The fourth-place runner will receive $3,500, followed by $3,000 for the fifth, $2,500 for the sixth, $2,000 for the seventh, $1,500 for the eighth, $1,200 for the ninth, and $1,000 for the tenth-place finisher.
In the 5km category, the first-place winner will receive $1,000, the second-place finisher $300, the third-place $250, the fourth-place $150, and the fifth-place $100.
Njoaguani expressed his delight at the marathon’s rapid growth and increasing popularity. He recalled the challenges faced in its early years but noted that it has since evolved into a highly anticipated sporting event.
The 2025 edition, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of ECOWAS, is expected to attract over 5000 runners from across the globe.
To mark this milestone, ECOWAS is fully sponsoring runners from all member states, both men and women, to participate.
Additionally, significant interest has been shown by runners from Ghana, Senegal, Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as from other regions beyond Africa, including the United States, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Switzerland.
For this edition, some minor adjustments have been made to the race routes.
The 21km race will begin and end at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters, ensuring a seamless and well-coordinated course for participants.
Meanwhile, the 5km race will start Independence Drive by Sahad Stores and CDB and conclude at the ECOWAS Commission.
Beyond its competitive aspect, the marathon serves as a unifying platform for West African nations. Njoaguani highlighted that the marathon is more than just a race, emphasizing that it is a means of fostering regional integration, bringing people together to interact, celebrate fitness, and strengthen the bonds within the community.
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