BigiAbeokutaMarathon: Okowa motivates long distance runners with over a million naira

 

…charges athletes to be ready for African Youth Games

The President of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria, Chief Tonobok Okowa, has lifted the spirits of some long-distance runners with more than N1 million after meeting with them in Abeokuta on Saturday.

Okowa revealed during the meeting that there is need to invest in the athletes so as to make the country proud in international competitions.

With the African Youth Games expected to take place in Ethiopia next year, the president urged the coaches to pick the best three U-18 athletes, male and female, with the motive of preparing them for the Games.

While agreeing on the date to start camping in Jos, Plateau State, the national team coach, Steve Nuhu, was tasked with the duty of preparing the athletes alongside some of the senior athletes in the team.

Emmanuel Gyang, Ismael Sadjo and Rose Akusho, were also drafted into the team to help the junior athletes gain experience.

To this effect, the AFN president released the sum of N1million to the team to start the camping from December 1, 2021 with the athletes and the officials expected to go home for holiday by December 22 before returning on Monday January 3, 2022.

“We are looking at the athletes competing favourably with their counterparts from Kenya and Ethiopia,” Okowa said.

“Now that we have identified some of the problems affecting the athletes, like not eating well and the likes, there is need to invest in a solution and that we have done with the agreement of the athletes and the coaches.

“There will also be need to monitor what they are doing and to make sure they have the best  before we release them to the Federal Ministry of Youths and Sports Development.”

While appreciating the AFN president, the athletes and the coaches promised to give it their all as they have been looking for such opportunity for so long.

Avoid sex before sporting activities, medical expert charges athletes

A medical practitioner and a former Footballer at the University of Ibadan, Dr Adedamola Mosuro has advised sportsmen and women to avoid sexual intercourse before their game. 

 Dr.Adedamola Mosuro who is a Family Physician and Owner of Feathers Medical Clinic, Ophthalmologist FWACS (Ophth), Saskatchewan, Canada, spoke as a Guest of the Ex- University of Ibadan Footballers Association virtual platform at the weekend, said sex

 carried within the period of an activity that requires physical exertion and concentration, might not be advised as it has the tendency to drains  energy, and could slow down ones performance. 

The medical expert who was popularly known as Sparrow  during his football playing days in the University, however said sexual activity, well timed, is not contraindicated, and in can be advised by some experts.

He insisted that proper lifestyle is advised for optimal performance of every sportsman and woman. 

On ensuring general well-being of athletes, Dr Mosuro said "It's tough advising authorities in general if there is no initiative to cater for the well-being of athletes. All sports administrators always want the best from athletes, no matter the consequence" .

Continuing, he said "In an ideal world, having a physiotherapist, a physician, a nurse, a massage therapist will be the starting point. It would also help if they know what to do in the setting of an emergency. A physician with training in sports medicine will be ideal". 

"Having a functioning AED on standby would also save lives if there is a cardiac arrest, as we saw at the Europe recently " he concluded.