Pamodzi Sports Marketing,organisers of the prestigious Okpekpe international 10km road race has assured of staging another world class event come next weekend in Okpekpe near Auchi, Edo State.
Zack Amodu,the director of organisation for the race said all logistics,both technical and administrative are in place for a bigger and better Okpekpe race this year.
“We are set to go.We have concluded all arrangements for a hitch-free and successful race on Saturday May 12.We have the elite athletes list compiled and visas will be secured at the point of entry when they come in next week,” said Amodu who also revealed arrangements for the live telecast of the race have also been concluded.
“Last weekend Supersports, our official media partner were in Okpekpe to do a pre-production planning and set up required for a live telecast of the event.
“We have also made arrangement to accommodate as many as 400 Nigerian elite athletes that will participate in the race.This is unprecedented in the organisation of road races in Nigeria,” Amodu added.
The director of organisation also disclosed that arrangement for a seamless doping control had also been concluded.
Amodu said: “We have the doping control station built in Okpekpe. It has a waiting room,a working room and toilets for both men and women since the race is mixed gender.
“We also have the sample collection equipment vis the collection vessels for collecting urine/blood from the athletes as well as sealable and tamper-evident bottles and lids for securing the samples.
“We also have key officials that will ensure a smooth and incident-free organisation of the race in place.
“We have the start and finish managers whose jobs will be to set up the start and the finish area including the mobile toilets,changing facilities,baggage handling, refreshments, crowd control barriers and the timing system among other things.
“Of course we have announced that Dr Akin Amao will be in charge of the anti doping unit.We have the starter,timekeepers, recorders and the race referee secured as well as technical officials that will handle the race entries and issue race numbers and instructions.”
Amodu is confident Nigerians will be delighted with the organisation of this year’s race.
“It is going to be different from what Nigerians have seen in the past editions because this is a silver label race,the first of its kind in West Africa.
“Are we equipped enough to deliver a truly world class race on May 12 in Okpekpe? I will tell you we are.We have the experience of organising the first ever label road race in Africa to draw from.We also have the trust of the IAAF that we can do it. Of course we would not have been given the silver label if the international governing body thinks we can not.
“We have the technical support of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria and the administrative and logistics support from the government of Edo State under the leadership of his excellency, Godwin Obaseki who has been part of the race from inception in 2013,” he added.