Countdown to Access Bank Lagos City Marathon: Shaibu to run alongside Sanwo-Olu in February

 

The sports-loving Deputy-Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu will add to his huge sports resume on February 12, 2022.

He will be joining the Governor of Lagos State and host of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon Babajide Sanwo-Olu to participate in the 2022 edition.

Speaking while signing the entry form over the weekend Shaibu said he has been a distance admirer of the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon.

“I congratulate the good people of Lagos State, especially the Executive Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for putting together the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, the biggest one-day sports event in Africa and one of the top ten marathons in the world in terms of prize money and participants. 

“Having participated in the highly competitive Okpekpe 10km Road Race on a tough terrain because it is hilly, it will be a great joy to experience the Access Bank Lagos City Marathon alongside my brother Governor Sanwo-Olu. It will be fun to run in Lagos because the course is flat”. 

An avid golfer, Shaibu is also a passionate footballer. He etched his name in sports history when he led the Team Edo football team to win the male football gold medal at the 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) in Benin.

In the match, Edo bounced back from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Lagos team 3-2 in the final at the main bowl of the University of Benin Stadium Complex.

Apart from organizing the best NSF ever despite the challenge of Covid-19, Shaibu the man in charge of sports in Edo State is leaving a legacy of giving Edo State world-class sports facilities and equipment including building the best gymnasium in Africa.

Yussuf Alli General Manager Access Bank Lagos City Marathon urges politicians and celebrities to emulate Shaibu, “being active in sports cure many illness and diseases. Our leaders and celebrities that the masses emulate should join Shaibu by embracing sports culture. This will translate mass participation in sports leading to a healthier workforce and less spending on healthcare by the government”.

Shaibu is an excellent choice for Sports Personality of the Year - Yussuf Alli

 

 

The General Manager Access Bank Lagos City Marathon Yussuf Alli on Monday described the award of the Sports Personality of the Year (2020) bestowed on Comrade Philip Shaibu, the Edo State Deputy Governor by The Sun Newspapers as a perfect fit.

 The Sun Newspaper on Saturday named Shaibu as the Sports Personality of 2020.

“It is a perfect fit. In the last five years, Shaibu’s contributions to sports at the local, state, national and international levels has been huge, the award is a perfect recognition for a man who worked with sports-loving Governor, Godwin Obaseki, to reposition sports in Edo state and Nigeria.’’

Alli posits that today Shaibu is more synonymous with sports than activism, “he is not just a sports administrator par excellence, he is also a participant, he is the first governor or deputy governor to register and play in the Nigeria Football League. He is also first major political office holder to win a football gold medal at the National Sports Festival, after leading Team Edo to a 3-2 win over Team Lagos in the final of the men’s football event at the festival.”

Alli said supporters of Edo Insurance Football Club of Benin will remain grateful to him for the role in reviving the club while players and staff of  Edo Queens will not forget that he ensured they earn equal salaries and allowances with their male counterparts, the players of Edo Insurance FC”.

 Alli recalled that as head of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival hosted by Edo state, Shaibu did an excellent job,

“ With the support of his Governor, Shaibu worked tirelessly to ensure that Edo put world-class sports facilities and equipment in place, the organization was seamless despite enormous challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.’’

The General Manager of Access Bank Lagos City Marathon also recalled the contribution of Shaibu to the meteoric rise of sprint sensation Enoch Adegoke cumulating in his making the final of the men's 100m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

“At a stage in his career when few believed in Adegoke, Shaibu invested his time and money in the sprinter, the result was his specular showing in Tokyo where he became the first Nigerian to make the Olympics 100m final in 25 years”.

Alli also commended the management of The Sun Newspapers for giving honour to whom it is due.