The president of Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Chief Tonobok Okowa has lauded the introduction of Ben Aghazu Prize for Excellence ahead of the forthcoming national trisls in Lagos.
Sports247 reports that Okowa also showered encomiums on AFN’s second vice-president, Akuchukwu Chineze Aghazu for floating the elaborate cash prizes in honour of her late father, Ben Aghazu.
It was further gathered that, under the scheme, outstanding athletes will get N100,000 each for achieving performance standards in 14 events during the natuonal trials holding from June 20th to 22th at Yaba College ofTechnology, Lagos.
Aghazu also announced that two exceptional coaches, one male and a female, have already been selected to receive the athletics excellence award for tacticians in various track and field events.
In reaction to the development, Okowa expressed delight with the initiative, which he described as a commendable gesture that will inspire athletes to put in extra efforts towards getting better results during the trials.
Okowa declared, “I am excited by this thoughtful initiative from our second vice-president, Aku Aghazu. This is the kind of support that motivates our home-based athletes to give their very best during these all-important Commonwealth Games Trials.”
Okowa, who is also the senior vice-president of Confederation of African Athletics (CAA), used the opportunity to call on corporate organisations and philanthropists to support athletics and invest in the country’s sporting talents.
“We appeal to individuals, corporate bodies and stakeholders in the private sector to throw their weight behind athletics and our athletes. There is enormous talent in Nigeria and with the right support, our athletes can continue to make the nation proud on the global stage,” Okowa solicited.
AFN’s media committee chairman, Maxwell Kumoye added in a press statement, “The Ben Aghazu Prize for Excellence in Athletics covers the men’s and women’s 100m, 200m, 400m, 1500m and 5000m, as well as the long jump and javelin events.
“To earn the N100,000 reward in the men’s 100m, an athlete must clock 10.10 seconds, while the women’s benchmark is 11.20 seconds.
“In the 200m, male athletes must run 20.60 seconds, while female athletes are required to achieve 22.70 seconds. The qualifying standards for the 400m are 45.30 seconds for men and 51.00 seconds for women.
“For the 1500m, athletes must run 3:50.00 for men and 4:20.00 for women to claim the prize, while the 5000m standards have been fixed at 14:00.00 for men and 17:50.00 for women.
“Field event athletes have also been included in the incentive package. Male long jumpers must soar to 7.90 metres, while female athletes are expected to reach 6.50 metres. In the javelin throw, the targets are 81 metres for men and 55 metres for women.
“Should athletes meet the required marks across all 14 events, a total of N1.6 million could be disbursed during the three-day competition, (ahead of which) the scheme sends a powerful message that outstanding performances will be recognised and celebrated.”
Sports247 gathered further that, with the Commonwealth Games trials fast approaching, athletes now have an added incentive to produce world-class performances with Aghazu’s gesture, which honours the legacy of her late father.
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