Tag: Okpekpe race

Pamodzi Sports Marketing, organizers of the historic, Gold Label Okpekpe international 10km road race, has described the appointment of Shehu Dikko as Chairman of the National Sports Commission(NSC) as the best in the history of sports administration in Nigeria since the late Mr. Isaac Akioye’s era in the mid-1970s to the early 1980s.

Akioye started the revolution that transformed Nigerian sports before the current plunge. He was the Director General of the then National Sports Commission from 1975 to 1981.

Marketing expert and Chief Executive Officer of Pamodzi Sports Marketing, Mike Itemuagbor, believes President Bola Tinubu has scored very high marks with the return of the NSC  and appointment of Dikko.

“President Tinubu may have made the boldest move in recent years to revive the Sports sector and make it play its role as a development tool. Sports can be a game-changer for social and economic development,” said Itemuagbor, the organiser  of the world class  Okpekpe international 10km road. “Sports foster community unity, promote healthy lifestyles, and create job opportunities. Sports also stimulate local economies through infrastructure development and create business opportunities through sponsorships and events. It can be a powerful tool for social change.”

Itemuagbor  affirmed that Dikko ticks all the boxes as the ‘ideal sports administrator’ to achieve all these aforementioned  set objectives.

He said: “An ideal sports administrator balances leadership, strategy, and empathy. He’s skilled in managing teams, understanding sports policies, and fostering a positive environment for athletes and staff.

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“He must have the vision, strong communication, and adaptability to navigate the ever-changing sports landscape and Dikko fits the bill.”

He remarked  further  that  the new NSC helmsman has been specially prepared for this role.

“He has worked as second Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation, was head of the League Management Company as well as worked and still working in various CAF and FIFA committees,” he said.

He has attended several seminars and workshops on sports administration and marketing.

 “He has the marketing skills that are crucial for a sports administrator. He has the skill to promote his team, events, and organization effectively and this includes understanding digital marketing, brand management, and audience engagement. Dikko is savvy with social media, sponsorships, and public relations.”

Itemuagbor believes the appointment of Dikko will help many sports promoters in Nigeria who may have been thinking of quitting following the toxic environment some past sports ministers have created and which has affected effective marketing.

He  said he has been  re-energized to continue with his pace-setting role in road running events in Nigeria, a role which has birthed two World Athletics Label road races and as many as 17 others recognized by the international governing body for the sport.

“The anticipated positive environment Dikko’s appointment will create has renewed by determination to continue to lead as the prime promoter of a road running event, the Okpekpe international 10km road race which is the first in West Africa to have its race course measured by a World Athletics accredited course measurer.

“The race is also the first to be granted a label status in 2015, just eight years after World Athletics started classifying its road running events with world class status,” he added.

Reigning Okpekpe International 10km champion and record holder, Daniel Ebenyo is the number one ranked athlete in the world in the 10,000m and 10km events and will likely defend his title at the historic race as the best in the world.

Ebenyo, who has signified his intention to defend the men’s 10km title he won last year, moved to the top of the World Athletics ranking in mid-January, supplanting Uganda’s reigning world 10,000m champion, Joshua Cheptegei who had ended 2023 as the best in the event. He leads the Ugandan by a healthy 20 ranking points.

Interestingly, the Kenyan was ranked the ninth best in the world coming to the Okpekpe race last year with Cheptegei the undisputed leader of the pack. He was however the first sub-27 minutes runner to ever grace any World Athletics label 10km road race in Nigeria.

  Ebenyo, silver medalist in the 10,000m behind Cheptegei at last year’s World Athletics Championships has won all three events he has competed in so far this year and is focused on turning his global and continental silver medals into gold starting with the African Athletics Championships in Douala, Cameroon in June and at the Olympics in Paris, France in July/August.

Read Also: Okpekpe Road Race organisers hailed for pacesetting feats

The 28-year-old is also keen to make history as the first man to successfully defend an Okpekpe race title and break the 28:28 course record he set last year, probably making history as the first man in race history to break 28 minutes.

The World Road Running Championships silver medalist has told the Okpekpe race media of his intention to Nigeria, ‘his second home’ and will be hoping the race sets him on the right path to global conquests at Championships and games level.

Last year, he rode on his historic success at Okpekpe to make the podium at two global events viz the World Athletics Championships and the World road running championships. He also made a winning debut at the Wanda Diamond League, winning the 10,000m event at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme 2023 in Brussels, Belgium.

This year’s gold label Okpekpe International 10km road race will hold on May 25,2024 in Okpekpe in Edo state, Nigeria.

The race, in its 10^th  edition is the first road running event in Nigeria to have its race course measured by a World Athletics accredited course measurer and the first in West Africa to be granted a World Athletics label.

It is also the first gold label 10km road race to be organised in Nigeria.

Organisers of the Okpekpe international 10km road race, the first World Athletics label road running event in West Africa say Nigeria’s pioneer and largest brewing firm, Nigerian Breweries Plc and Nigeria’s primary development finance institution set up to promote growth and sustainability, Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) have once again thrown their weight behind the historic race.

Zack Amodu, the race director, said in a statement  that the two companies have extended their partnership with the first road race in Nigeria to have its course measured by a World Athletics accredited course measurer as organizers celebrate 10 years of world class road running event in Nigeria.

“We are delighted the two companies have renewed their commitment to see that we deliver another world class event worthy of our gold label status,” said Amodu. “Nigerian Breweries Plc is coming in as the official malt drink while DBN is the official bank of the road. We are thrilled that such socially responsible corporate organisations have thrown their weight behind us yet again. This is a testimony to the growing popularity of the Okpekpe road race.”

Amodu said Nigerian Breweries Plc, as the official malt drink of the race, would refresh athletes, spectators and officials with its two classic brands, Amstel Malta and the ZAGG Energy Malt.

Read Also: ‘World Athletics affirms gold label status for Okpekpe race

“The support from Nigerian Breweries (since 2017) and Development Bank (since 2018) has seen the race grown from becoming the first World Athletics Label road race in West Africa to the first gold label 10km road race in Nigeria.

“We are indeed delighted to have the two companies on board yet again as we strive to become the first road race in Africa to be granted a Platinum status.”

In 2015, Okpekpe 10km Road Race became the first road race in West Africa to be granted a World Athletics label status, which means it is regarded as one of the world’s leading road races.

This came eight years after World Athletics began the classification of road running events.

Meanwhile this year’s edition, the 10^th in the series will hold on May 25 in Okpekpe town in Edo state.

Last year, the duo of Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo and Kazakhstan’s Carolina Kipkirui set new course records to win the respective men and women’s title.

Ebenyo crossed the finish line in 28.28 to set the new course record at the event.

Another Kenyan, Brian Kwemoi, was second in 28.40, while 2022 winner, Ethiopian Yasin Hagi returned in 29:34 to place third.

The women’s race produced also new champion as Kipkirui ran a new 32:38 course record to win while Kenya’s Ludwina Chakintic (32:53) and Ethiopia’s Betukan Welder (32:58) emerged second and third respectively.

World Athletics has hailed Pamodzi Sports marketing,  organizers of the Okpekpe international 10km road race for its positive  contributions to road running in the world.                                        

 The world governing body for the sport also recertified the status of the race as a gold label event following the reclassification of label road races in 2024 into four categories  namely World Athletics Label, World Athletics Elite Label, World Athletics Gold Label and World Athletics Platinum Label.  

In a message on the certificate of classification of Okpekpe’s status as a gold label race, World Athletics thanked the organizer and partners of the race for supporting the event and road running generally.

“World Athletics is grateful to your organization and partners for the continuous support you give to road running,” wrote the world governing body on the certificate.                                      

  Okpekpe international 10km road race is the first world class road race to hold in Nigeria following its classification as a bronze label race in 2015, eight years after World Athletics began the classification of road races in the world.                                     

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The Okpekpe race is the first to have its course measured by a World Athletics certified course measurer and the first to become a member of AIMS.          

Zack Amodu , the race director, said the Edo State government and its sponsors/partners made the Okpekpe race the best in the West African sub-region and certainly unrivalled in Nigeria.       

“This honour belongs to our sponsors and partners as rightly acknowledged by World Athletics. Without them, we would not have become the first label road race in West Africa.                                              

“We say thank you to the government and people of Edo state  who provided the enabling environment including the road for the race, Nigerian Breweries, brewers of Zagg energy malt drink and Amstel Malta, our CSR partner, Petralon Energy, Development Bank Plc, Dan Oil as well as our broadcast partners Supersport and African Independent Television, AIT.

“ The media also deserve a special mention as they have projected Okpekpe, a rural community, host town of the race, to the world and has helped make Edo state a destination for sports,” said Amodu. 

The 10th edition of the race will hold on May 25 this year and Amodu said  it will be the best ever yet. 

“We know we keep raising the bar with every edition and our recertification as a gold medal race is a confirmation of that but we are determined to make the 10th edition really special, it will be a celebration of 10 years of excellence,” he added.