Athletics

Lotus Bank Abeokuta 10km Race marks 80 days to big event that celebrates Alake of Egba land’s 80th birthday

Published

1 year ago

June 22, 2023

Eighty is the recurring figure as the Abeokuta road race organisers unfold plans 80 days to an event that celebrates 80^th birthday of the city’s paramount ruler, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, the Alake of Egbaland.

The 10 km Abeokuta Road Race which enters its third edition will hold on 9 September as part of the week-long activities celebrating the 80th birthday of the Abeokuta monarch.

A total of 42 foreign long distance runners have indicated interest in competing at the 2023 edition. Added to that will also be Nigerians as the road race sets to surpass the recurring figure 80.

The third edition has Lotus Bank as the title sponsors.

The prime-mover of road races in Nigeria and the brain behind the Abeokuta event, Chief Bukola Olopade, marked the 80 days to the 10km race with the unveiling of logistics.

Olopade is the Chief Executive Officer / Managing Director of Nilayo Sports Management Company, the event organisers.

According to him, the 10km race will flag off at the Iyana Oloke, Onikolobo and finish at the entrance to the Alake of Egbaland Palace, Ake, Abeokuta.

The foreign winners at the 2023 Abeokuta 10km Race will go home with a total prize money of twelve thousand five hundred dollars.

Olopade gave the breakdown of the prizes.

According to him, the champion of the 3rd Abeokuta 10km Race will go home with a cash prize of five thousand dollars. The second place winner gets $3000, third place $2,000 and fourth place $1,500 and fifth place $1,000 making a total of $12,000.

He declared that the 2023 edition of the Abeokuta 10km Race would be special in many ways.

First, he expressed delight over partnership of the race with Lotus Bank Ltd who are the title sponsors of the Abeokuta 10km Race.

He disclosed that the front of the Alake of Egbaland would be the finish point of the race, which is the 3rd edition.

Olopade noted that: “there will be fanfare at the finish point of the race on September 9 after the race, with top Nigerian artistes performing to the delight of the runners and guests at the race.”

The Group Head, South West Marketing of Lotus Bank, Oluwafolajinmi Brodie-Mends, stated at the press conference held at the Centenary Hall, Ake, Abeokuta, that, it was important to use the Abeokuta 10km Road Race to help the youths in the state develop themselves and to also use the race to further expand the tentacles of the new generation bank.

The Project Manager of the event, Seyi Johnson of Nilayo Sports Mgt , disclosed that 42 foreign runners have already indicated interest to participate in the event.

He stressed that the September 9 race will flag off at 7am depending on the weather situation.

For the Nigerian runners, the first position will go home with a cash prize of N2m, second place N1million and third N500,000.

The fourth position will go home with a cash prize of N300,000, the fifth place will go home with N200, 000.

The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Gbadebo, during a courtesy visit to his Palace led by Chief Bukola Olopade, after the media briefing, commended the organisers, Nilayo Sports Management Limited and the title sponsor, Lotus Bank for maintaining high standards in the state.

Athletics

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

Published

3 days ago

September 17, 2024

Kunle Solaja

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.

Athletics

Behold, CAS statement on Tobi Amusan

Published

3 months ago

June 29, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan is the winner as the Court of Arbitration for Sports, CAS has rejected the appeals filed by World Athletics and WADA.

The decision confirms the decision taken by the World Athletics disciplinary tribunal finding that Tobi Amusan did not commit any anti-doping rule violation.

Here is the full statement of CAS.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeals filed by

World Athletics (WA) and by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) against the decision issued on 17 August 2023 (the Challenged Decision) by the World Athletics Disciplinary Tribunal (WADT) in relation to the hurdler Oluwatobiloba (Tobi) Amusan (Nigeria).

Accordingly, the Challenged Decision in which the WADT considered that Tobi Amusan did not violate Rule 2.4 of the WA Anti-Doping Rules (WA ADR) and that no period of ineligibility should be imposed on the Athlete is confirmed.

The Athlete was initially charged with committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under Rule 2.4 WA ADR following three alleged Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period.

In their respective appeal to CAS, WA and WADA had sought the imposition of a two-year period of ineligibility. The CAS Panel held a hearing on 19 January 2024. Having deliberated, the CAS Panel has issued its decision today dismissing both appeals. The CAS Panel unanimously acknowledged that the Athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within a 12-month

period. Accordingly, the CAS Panel concluded that the Athlete did not commit an ADRV and that the Challenged Decision should be confirmed.

The reasoned award will be published by CAS unless the parties request confidentiality.

Athletics

Tobi Amusan floors WADA and World Athletics!

Published

3 months ago

June 29, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Nigeria’s Paris 2024 medal hopeful, Tobi Amusan has been cleared as the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has dismissed the appeal filed by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the World Athletics.

She is therefore cleared to feature at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Amusan is the 100m hurdles world record holder.

The athlete was charged in July last year with missing three anti-doping tests in 12 months but was cleared of the offence by the Disciplinary Tribunal of the sport’s governing body, World Athletics.

The Integrity Unit of the World Athletics appealed the clearance which has now been dismissed by CAS, the final arbiter in the case.

CAS in its statement remarked that its panel “unanimously acknowledged that the athlete committed two filing failures but did not confirm the existence of a missed test, alleged by WA and WADA, which would have been the third Whereabouts Failure committed within 12 months.”

Amusan set the world record of 12.12 seconds in the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July 2022 and went on to win the title.

She finished sixth in the world championships in Budapest last year.

World Athletics’ anti-doping rules say any athlete failing to declare their whereabouts for a doping test on three occasions over 12 months is ineligible to compete for two years.