Towards a better life for the people DAILY NEWS FROM NIGERIA
SPORTS
Zenith Bank backs Abuja Grand Prix
By Miebi Senge
Posted to the Web: Friday, May 05, 2006
LAGOS - The maiden Confederation of Africa Athletics (CAA) Abuja Grand Prix II which seems to have jumped into troubled waters even before the first blast of the starters’ gun may have finally found some succour as Zenith Bank, one of the mega banks in the post consolidation programme has thrown its weight behind the one-day event with an undisclosed amount.
“Yes, Zenith Bank is throwing its weight behind the Abuja Grand Prix Meet as our own contribution towards the development of professional athletics in the country in particular, and also ensuring that Nigerian youths benefit from sports generally,” Chukwuma Eluwa, a publicist of the bank told Sports Vanguard in Lagos Thursday.
Eluwa noted that “Zenith was interested in the development of a healthy youth and as a corporate responsible citizen, we just want to be a part of this new movement that would ensure athletics is taken to the next level of development.”
The CAA Abuja Grand Prix II is part of a new Africa track and field circuit aimed at getting the athletes of the continent engaged in continuous races both to earn points and money.
The first leg of the four-city tour took place in Dakar, Senegal before an amazing 60,000 spectators watching from the stands last weekend. Abuja will host the second leg this Saturday, and then to Nairobi in Kenya and finally to Johannesburg, South Africa.
Zenith Bank’s involvement is coming at the time the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) is going cap in hands seeking sponsorship for the event and when the top stars have decided to stay off the Nigerian meet due to its low pricing.
In contrast, the Jamaica International Invitational in Kingston taking place this Saturday has attracted all the big names in the sport.
Asafa Powell, who ran the World record in 9.77secs in Athens last year leads the creame of super stars which include the World Championship silver medallist Michael Frater, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Marc Burns and Dwight Thomas, 5th at the World Championships, among other challengers.
The women’s 100m features Commonwealth Games winner Sheri Ann Brooks, World Championship 200m silver medallist Rachelle Boone-Smith and such notables as Olympic Games 200m bronze medallist Debbie Ferguson, Muna Lee and Peta-Gay Dowdie.
The women’s 200m will have Jamaica’s Olympic champion Veronica Campbell squaring off with American Lauryn Williams, who won World gold in the 100m last year at Helsinki, a race in which the Jamaican was runner-up.
I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E: Super Stars shun Abuja, as AFN quarters Zakari in Mainland
By Miebi Senge (Lagos) & Fidelis Ebu, Abuja
Posted to the Web: Thursday, May 04, 2006
WITH barely 48 hours to go before the first CAA Grand Prix II Meet in Abuja, the much taunted ‘super stars’ expected to grace the event are no where in sight and in desperation, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) has made do with local athletes and others from neighbouring West Africa states.
But incredible enough, the federation in its characteristic penny pitching manner quartered the Ghanaian duo of Aziz Zakari and Vida Anim, at the unauspicious Mainland Hotel, situated in Oyingbo, a market :eek: slum in Lagos.
When Sports Vanguard called at the Hotel to interview the Ghanaian duo who ran at the highly successful Dakar leg of the CAA continental track and field circuit last weekend, a hotel staff confirmed their presence but said they had gone out.
“Yes, they are lodged here, but I would not be able to give you their room numbers since you had no prior invitation or appointment,” the staff said pleading not to be quoted.
Zakari is ranked 3rd in the world behind America’s Justin Gatlin and world record holder Asafa Powell, of Jamaica.
But Anim, who is Ghana’s number one sprinter is out of the top 50 women ranking in the IAAF issue released April 24.
Meanwhile, at Abuja itself, nothing seem to be happening as everyone in the Ministry of Sports and Social Development feign ignorance of the international event which is expected to be a showpiece of athletics.
Ben Ahante, spokesman of the federation told Sports Vanguard that :eek: 53 athletes have confirmed participation in the Abuja Grand Prix meet, but our checks did not show any indication of the sort.
“Aziz Zakari, of Ghana is already in the country and I can assure you that others will be here for the meet,” the spokesman said.
The indications only point to the fact that the forthcoming event would not attract the hitherto high profile names, a development that would reduce the Meet to gathering of local athletes in an inter house sports competition.
Although local athletes like the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games triple jump women silver medalist, Otonye Iworima expressed optimism on the success of the forthcoming meet.
“I’m prepared for the event, hopefully, I would be in my best performance and pray that everything works out well,” she told Sports Vanguard near the AFN secretariat in Lagos Wednesday.
The Americans and European top athletes were understood to have suddenly dropped the decision to participate in the Abuja meet possibly due to “financial consideration,” a source said.
Funding has being a major source of concern for the AFN and it had hoped the Sports Ministry would play the ‘Father Christmas’ in bankrolling the event, but met a brick wall.
“The :rolleyes: ministry said we should source funds for the Meet, but so far, we have not being verysuccessful in that regard,” a dependable source in the federation told Sports Vanguard on Wednesday.
The Federation’s Technical Director, Sunday Bada in a face saving remark told Sports Vanguard in Abuja last night that “said a good number of athletes would be in attendance.”
Ahante, while listing the number of athletes that would be on parade in the Grand Prix, said some Egyptian athletes would be in attendance.
The event was a big success in Dakar, Senegal attracting an amazing crowd of over 60,000 spectatorship who thronged the Leopold Senghor stadium to cheer the athletes.
The Abuja stadium has been declared free for the one day meet.
The event also coincides with this year’s IAAF annual worldwide festival of youth, the World Athletics Day, one of the busiest weekends.
This annual promotion of Athletics for Youth, which was inaugurated in 1996 remains as popular as ever, with 156 IAAF Member Federations taking part in the IAAF World Athletics Day 2006.
The AFN hopes to marry both events together with the school children event preceding the Grand Prix at the Abuja Stadium.
Abuja Grand Prix Meet as our own contribution towards the development of professional athletics in the country in particular, and also ensuring that Nigerian youths benefit from sports generally,” Chukwuma Eluwa, a publicist of the bank told Sports Vanguard in Lagos Thursday.
inter house sports competition.
The Americans and European top athletes were understood to have suddenly dropped the decision to participate in the Abuja meet possibly due to “financial consideration,” a source said.