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Tag: OKPEKPE

  • Amstel Malta is Okpekpe race’s official malt drink

    Organisers of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) silver label Okpekpe international 10km road race have unveiled low sugar malt drink, Amstel Malta as the official malt drink of the seventh edition is slated for May 25 in Okpekpe near Auchi, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.

    Zak Amodu, director of organisation of the race told the media in Lagos Wednesday that Amstel Malta, brewed by Nigerian Breweries Plc, the pioneer and largest brewing company in Nigeria will be the official malt drink for the first IAAF Label road race in West Africa and the only silver label road race in Africa in 2019.

    ‘We are delighted with the coming on board of Nigerian Breweries as a friend and strategic partner of the race. Nigerian Breweries and Okpekpe race have a lot in common. It is the pioneer and biggest brewing company in Nigeria while one of its products, Amstel Malta is a premium malt drink with rich international heritage. Okpekpe race is also the first road-running event to be granted an IAAF label status in Nigeria, which means the race is the first road race in Nigeria to be granted international recognition,” said Amodu who explained that IAAF road race label events are races that the world governing body for the sport designates as one of the leading road races around the world.

    ‘What an IAAF Label denotes are high standards in event organisation and full application of the IAAF competition rules,” said.

    Amodu who also revealed that the Okpekpe road race is the first in Nigeria to have its racecourse measured by an IAAF and Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) accredited course measurer.

    The race is also the first and so far only road race in Nigeria recognised by AIMS, a member-based organisation of more than 460 of the world’s leading distance races, from over 130 countries and territories.

    Meanwhile, Dr Akin Amao has been re-appointed as the chief anti-doping officer for the historic road running event.

    Next weekend’s race will be broadcast live across all the African continent by Supersport and also on Africa Independent Television (AIT). Over 45 million naira will be on offer as prize money. The race is organised by Pamodzi Sports Marketing and supported by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and Edo State government.

  • N45m prize money on offer at 7th Okpekpe Road Race

    A total prize purse of over N45m will be on offer at the seventh Okpekpe international 10km road race next month in Okpekpe near Auchi in Edo state of Nigeria.

    Pamodzi Sports Marketing, organisers of the race announced the unchanged prize money outlay on the event’s website, www.okpekperoadrace.com

    In the outlay, a total of $112,000 is on offer as prize money to the top eight finishers in the men and women’s elite race with the winner in each gender category going home with $20,000, while $13,000 and $9,000 respectively will go to the second and third-place finishers.

    The prizes for 4th-8th placed finishers in each gender category are $6,500, $3,000, $2,000, $1,500, and $1,000 respectively.

    Organisers also announced an unchanged prize money outlay for Nigerian runners at the race.

    The first placed finishers in both the men and women race will go home with N1,000,000, while the second to the fifth-place finishers will get N600,000, N400,000, N250,000 and N150,000 respectively.

    Meanwhile, the spokesman for the race, Dare Esan says payment of prize money and bonuses is dependent upon athletes clearing the usual anti-doping procedures.

    ”Athletes running for the prize money on offer must also achieve a level of performance before they can redeem their respective prizes.

    ”For example, to qualify for the $20,000 top prize for the elite runners, the athletes must run 28:35.00 minutes or better for the men and 32:41.00 minutes for the women.

    For the Nigerian category, the winners must run 29:04.00 minutes or better for men and 34:05.01 minutes for the women’s race,’ he added.

    The Okpekpe international 10km road race is the first road race in Nigeria nay West Africa to be granted a label status by the IAAF and the only one IAAF silver label road race in Africa this year.

  • Okpekpe race organiser hails Dalung on NSF

    Okpekpe international 10km road race promoter, Mike Itemuagbor has congratulated the Honourable Minister for Sports, Solomon Dalung on the organisation of the 19th National Sports Festival which came to an end on Sunday.

    Itemuagbor says the Minister displayed uncommon courage to go ahead with the organisation of the event that suffered several postponements between 2014 and the most part of 2018.

    ”Congratulations for staging the 19th National Sports Festival after several postponements. I commend your courage and wisdom in reviving the only event that brings all Nigerians together. God bless you, ‘Itemuagbor said in a statement made available to journalists on Monday in Lagos.

    The Okpekpe race organiser is not unaware that events are becoming larger and somewhat more costly in terms of resources required to host them but the inherent advantages in terms of the development of athletes and the unity it engenders must have informed Dalung’s decision to brave all the financial odds.

    ‘This is why I am particularly happy the Honourable Minister spared no expense to make sure the event held and the greatest beneficiary is not just the athletes and the officials but Nigeria. This is particularly more so when religion and ethnicity are being used to divide us daily as a nation.

    ‘I am sure the athletes who were given the opportunity to compete and show how far they have gone in terms of their preparation will always be thankful to the Honourable Minister.’

    Itemuagbor is also delighted that Edo state has been chosen as the host of the 20th edition of the event.

    ‘Everybody knows Edo state is synonymous with sports and I am certain our sports-loving Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki will deliver a National Sports Festival that will serve as the benchmark for future editions.’

  • Flood destroys farmlands, houses in Edo

    Twenty houses have been destroyed in six communities in Estako East local government by flood after days of heavy rain fall.

    Also, 20,000 hectares of farmlands were submerged by the flood.

    Communities affected by the flood are Ebelle, Okpekpe, Ukhomedokhai, Amugbe and Ekpeli.

    Read Also:INEC lost millions of naira to flood in Edo

    Witnesses said roads leading to the communities have been washed making access to the communities difficult.

    One of the farmers affected by the flooding, Mr. Tony Enike, a farmer, said his 10 hectares of farm were affected by the flood.

    “I am confused and do not know what to do as I speak with you. I just want help to come to us as fast as possible because, we are suffering,” he said.

    Chairman of the local council area, Mr. Aremiyau Aligamhe, who visited the affected communities called for help from relevant authorities.

    Mr. Aremiyau noted that there was little the local council could do to ameliorate the people’s suffering because of the level of destruction caused by the flood.

    He said the State Government has been informed about the development.

    “I share in your pains at this particular time of this natural disaster. The council has made representations to the State Government to see how respite could come to the affected people and communities,” he said.

    Special Adviser on Special Duties, Mr. Yakubu Gowon, said he has taken census of the destruction.

    “As I speak with you, the displaced have been sheltered while we await the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). If the case is beyond SEMA, then the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), will be invited,” he said.

    He urged people living in riverine communities that are prone to flooding to move upland and take refuge in safe havens that have been created in local government areas in the state.

    The governor’s aide warned that communities in Ikpoba-Okha, Ovia North -East, Esan South-East, Estako Central and Etsako East local councils have been identified as areas prone to flooding, and advised residents to “as a matter of urgency, move upland to avoid being overtaken by the menacing flood.”

  • Okpekpe road race passes dope tests

    The Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) has given the sixth IAAF silver label Okpekpe International 10km Road Race held last May in Okpekpe, a clean bill of health following the negative dope tests recorded at the one-day meeting.

    Disclosing this in Lagos on Wednesday, the race’s spokesman, Dare Esan, revealed that the result of the doping control carried out on race day (May 12) has returned an all negative result.

    In an e-mail message to the promoter of the race Mike Itemuagbor, the AIU, which sits at the heart of the IAAF’s integrity reforms confirmed that none of the samples taken at the event tested positive for the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

    ”I am pleased to inform you that the analyses of the doping control samples collected at Okpekpe Intl 10km Road Race, performed at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Stockholm, did not reveal the presence or use of a substance or method prohibited under the current WADA Prohibited List, ‘wrote Virginie Ocquidant, the AIU In Competition Testing Coordinator.

  • Okpekpe Race: expect a bigger event – Amodu

    THE director of organisation for the sixth Okpekpe international 10km road race, Zack Amodu says this year’s event will be bigger and better organised and in strict accordance with International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) competition rules.

    The race has been elevated by the IAAF to a silver label status, the first in Nigeria, nay West Africa and Amodu is confident organisers will give Nigerians and the world, another world-class event. ‘We have the experience and the trust by the IAAF that we can deliver a world-class race come May 12 in Okpekpe. Right from the inaugural edition of the race, we have proved to be up to the task as far as the technical organisation of the race is concerned and this was recognised by the IAAF who granted us a bronze label status. We also proved we can organise a label event without supervision and the result is the classification to a silver label status, ‘he said.

    Amodu is aware the scope of this year’s race is slightly different from what organisers are used to but he has assured of another hitch-free technical and administrative organisation of the sixth Okpekpe race. ‘It is going to be bigger this year than we have ever had. The number of countries coming for the race will be more than we used to have and the number of doping control will also be bigger as well.

    For example the minimum number of international elite field will be six for men and six for women representing a minimum of 4 different nationalities and a minimum of 2 IAAF Areas like Africa and Europe, ‘explained Amodu.

    ‘The scope is also wider in terms of doping as we will now conduct more than we did last year when it was a bronze label race.

  • Okpekpe race organisers to unveil theme song

    Organisers of the sixth IAAF Silver Label Okpekpe international 10km road race is set to unveil the theme song for this year’s race.

    The theme song according to Dare Esan, the spokesman for the race, is composed by the beautiful and multi-talented Sefiya Ibrahim, an Abia state-born singer-cum-songwriter who is a Computer Science graduate from University of Lagos. She is also a certified graduate of the prestigious Nigerian Muson School of Music, where she majored in music dynamics and vocal training, hence her vocal prowess.

    ‘Last year we tested the waters with the introduction of a theme song for the race and we saw how the people, especially those at the race venue embraced it. This time and with the elevation of the race to a silver label status, we felt the need to improve on what we had last year and make it available for people outside those that will be at the race course to listen to it. It will also accompany the live coverage of the race such that those watching anywhere around the world will not only be watching the best of African and World long distance runners in action at the hilly and rustic Okpekpe town but also savour the experience with a song that is original and made for the race,’ said Esan who explained the role of music in enhancing performance not only of the runners but also those working off the race.

    Sports and music have long been closely intertwined and audio entertainment has become a core part of the fan experience, sometimes more so, than the action on the race course.

    According to Esan, research has shown that music that is upbeat in tempo and stimulating, enhances exercise performance and is also found to lower feelings of sluggishness and fatigue.

    ”Athletes often use motivational music to increase their level of arousal before a race or competition, getting their body moving and the blood flowing,” he said.

    ‘We at Okpekpe understand this and we crave for originality instead of playing the popular ‘stand up for the champion’ song which is developed by others. We are the first to have its race course measured by an IAAF/AIMS accredited measurer, the first to get an IAAF label status (a bronze),also the first to get a silver label status in West

    The race holds on Saturday May 12, 2018 in Okpekpe, Etsako East local Government Area of Edo State and it is organised by Pamodzi Sports Marketing, leaders in sports marketing and hospitality business in Nigeria.

  • Edo community commences ‘local’ health insurance scheme

    Leaders of Okpekpe community in Estako East local government area have launched a local health insurance scheme to help check high incidences of infant and mother mortality rate.

    The launching of the contributory health scheme among the community members in partnership with the Women Health Action Research Center (WHARC) was because of the death of quadruplets in January this year.

    Performing the launch at the 10th Okpekpe national day on Saturday, clan head of Okpekpe, HRH Peter Osigbemeh, disclosed that the community has committed N2m towards realisation of the project.

    HRH Osigbemeh said N1.5m was spent to renovate the doctor’s quarters in the community while N500,000 was to be deposited in an account for buying of drugs.

    The Okpekpe clan head who expressed excitement over the partnership, said he was desirous to stop the incident of death of pregnant women and that of children before they attain the age of five.

    According to him, “Just before they came up with this idea of partnership, I lost a woman who delivered a quadruplet. The woman and the four children died within just two hours.

    “As I speak with you, we have committed N2 million to the partnership with N1.5 million going into the renovation of doctors quarters and the hall for the use of the Ward committee that have been set up.

    “We have also committed the sum of N500, 000 as fund for the revolving drug fund that would drugs available to people in the community. We have only one nurse in this community and whenever she is not around, the place is shut down.

    “We will be making financial contributions from time to time. Our committee will move from house to house to educate the women to patronise the health centre and not traditional birth attendant.”

    Chairman of the occasion and head of WHARC, Professor Friday Okonofua, promised to employ a doctor for the community health centre.

    Prof. Okonofua assured that WARHC would deploy its resources to boost primary health care delivery in Okpekpe.

    Okonofua said it was regrettable that many women and children have died due to non-functional primary health centers.

    “Our aim is to ensure that this community reaches it potential in terms of development.

    “We will do all that is necessary to see to the end of death of pregnant women and children before they reach the age of five.

    “We want to be able to use our partnership with Okpekpe kingdom as a launch pad to reach other community, not only in Edo but the country in general,” he said.

    Mrs. Vivian Yole, the only nurse in the community said the quadruplets died because the mother did not register for any ante-natal services and non-availability of incubators.

    “The woman delivered one at home. They rushed her to a place where she gave birth to another one before they brought her. All the babies were premature and we don’t have incubators. They all died before they could take them to Auchi.”

     

  • Okpekpe technical committee inspects race course

    The technical committee set up by the Edo state Athletics Association for the sixth IAAF Silver Label Okpekpe international 10km road race and the man who facilitated the setting up of the committee, Brown Ebewele have inspected the IAAF/AIMS measured Okpekpe race course ahead of the May 12,2018 race in Okpekpe, near Auchi.

    Spokesman for the race, Dare Esan revealed that the committee and the route and participation coordinator for the race, Ebewele undertook the inspection of the course with a view to putting finishing touches to all the technical needs that will ensure a successful race.

    ‘Organising a race is a complex operation, and will almost certainly take up more of your time than you anticipate. This is why the technical committee is working round the clock to ensure all the t’s are crossed and i’s dotted. They will have to recruit more hands and knock the job down into component parts, each with its own team leader and/or director and working staff. For example there will be people in charge of the start and the finish who will be saddled with the responsibility of setting up the area, including toilets, baggage handling, refreshments, crowd control barriers, timing system and a few other things.’

    ‘There will also be people in charge of the course, the route marshals who will be responsible for the signage, water and medical stations as well as those who will handle the entries and issue race numbers and instructions. There are also the starter, timekeepers, recorders and the race referee. You can see it is really a complex operation,’ said Esan

    The elevation of the race to a first ever silver label road race in West Africa has made it imperative that we leave no room for errors,’ he further said.

    Meanwhile, organisers of the race have secured accommodation for Nigerian elite athletes who wish to participate in the competition.

  • Ecobank CEO praises Okpekpe road race upgrade

    Ecobank CEO praises Okpekpe road race upgrade

    The Managing Director/CEO, Ecobank Nigeria Limited, Charles Kie, has commended Pamodzi Sports Marketing, organisers of 10 kilometre Okpekpe International Road Race on the recent upgrade of the Road Race to silver Labe. The upgrade was done by International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

    He said the elevation does not only lend credence to the standard and popularity of the Race, but also represents a milestone in the development of sports in Nigeria.

    Kie said the upgrade further justifies Ecobank’s consistent support to the annual event. He reiterated that the Okpekpe’s vision of a top quality competition that affords top athletes from across Africa the opportunity to compete and socialize ties with the bank’s pan-African posture.

    He maintained that the bank supports and encourages creativity and excellence among Africans, especially the young people, who are the future of the continent.

    In his words “we are delighted to be a strong part of the success story of the Okpekpe Road Race, especially on this latest elevation to the Silver Label Race, which is the first to be so recognised in West Africa”.

    The annual Okpekpe international 10km Road Race has had Ecobank Nigeria as its major banking partner. The Road Race is the first and only road race in Nigeria that has been granted full membership of Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) and recognised as one of the prestigious road races in the world.