Organisers of the Okpekpe International 10km Road Race have announced the payment of prize money to Nigerian winners of the 11th edition of the race, highlighting a development they said was significant in a country where athletes have often complained of delayed payments after road races.
The prize money, sponsored by Peter Dunia, a security expert and chief executive of security company Oceanwaves, was paid after the race held in May.
Dunia had personally presented dummy cheques to the winners immediately after the event, while the organisers have now publicly announced the completion of the payment after the completion of international doping-control requirements.
The prize money was three million naira for first place, two million naira for second and one million naira for third in each gender category.
The organisers said the public announcement was intended to recognise the Nigerian athletes and demonstrate that their participation in the race was valued. Nigerian runners competing in the event are provided accommodation and are recognised during different stages of the race, they said.
Although the athletes have yet to reach international elite standards, four Nigerian runners broke 31 minutes at the 11th edition. Raymond Iliya Gyang ran 30:28, finishing 28 seconds outside the 30-minute mark.
‘We have noticed the significant improvement in the performances of Nigerian elite athletes and will continue to provide the enabling environment and the reward to encourage them,’ Okpekpe Race Director Zack Amodu said.
Amodu thanked Dunia and Oceanwaves for sponsoring the prize money.
‘This is very commendable and Dunia has proved that his company is not only helping to secure Nigeria but also secure the career of Nigerian road runners,’ he said.
He called on other individuals and companies to support the development of Nigerian athletes, saying greater investment could help athletes compete internationally, create employment and encourage more young people to take up sport.
Okpekpe was the first road race in West Africa to receive World Athletics label status and the first in the region to have its course measured by a World Athletics-accredited road race course measurer.
The race has also met international requirements, including those relating to doping control, as organisers have established the event as a benchmark for road racing in the region.
