Nesiama give kudos to Okpekpe organisers

The Technical Director of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, has poured encomium on the organisers of the annual Okpekpe 10km Road Race.

Speaking with our correspondent recently, Nesiama said for the organisers

to have been consistent for the past three years, it shows that they knew what they were doing.

“We need to encourage our marathoners and that was the reason why we have been involving them in our programs,” Nesiama said. 

“I am using this opportunity to give kudos to the organisers of the Okpekpe Road Race. They have been giving their all to organise a befitting meet for the past three years and I am happy for their efforts.”

Speaking further, he said so many organisations have been coming to the federation to organise such international meet like the Okpekpe Road Race, but they have failed to meet up with the requirements.

The Naval officer said: “Lot of organisers want to come around and have competitions, but most of them cannot meet up with the requirements needed.

“We have had issues in the past where promoters held meets and they were unable to pay the athletes even the foreign athletes and the federation was sanctioned for it.

“There was a time IAAF almost sanctioned AFN because of issues like this, but we never experienced that with the Okpekpe meet.”

He however declared that the federation will continue to give support to the organiser and any organisation that want to organise a good meet.