The Chairman of the Nationwide Sports activities Fee (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, and the Director Normal, Hon. Bukola Olopade, made a strong assertion of dedication on Saturday morning as each high sports activities directors arrived properly forward of schedule on the ending zone of the PremiumTrust Financial institution Abuja Metropolis Worldwide Half Marathon.
Their unusually early arrival on the Velodrome of the MKO Abiola Nationwide Stadium set the tone for what would develop into a landmark version of the race—freshly embellished with a World Athletics Bronze Label, one of many quickest recognitions ever achieved by any highway race in Nigeria.
Observers famous that Dikko and Olopade took time to examine the ending services, work together with technical officers, and be certain that each operational element aligned with world requirements.
Their presence earlier than dawn drew reward from athletes, volunteers, and organisers, who described the gesture as “a transparent signal of real management and hands-on dedication to sports activities improvement.”
Based on organisers, the early arrival of the NSC management marked a symbolic second, reflecting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed prioritisation of sports activities beneath the Nationwide Sports activities Fee framework.
Nilayo Sports activities Administration CEO, Yetunde Olopade, whose firm organises the occasion, stated the unprecedented help is without doubt one of the key causes the race soared to worldwide recognition in such a short while.
“We’ve management that exhibits up, helps us, and pushes excellence. Their presence right here at daybreak says every part,” she remarked.
Technical Director and three-time Olympian Yusuf Alli added that the backing of the NSC has elevated the race’s credibility and helped entice over 30 elite athletes from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Nigeria.
Because the race flagged off at precisely 6:30 a.m. from Muhammed Buhari Means, the ambiance in Abuja was electrical—fueled in no small half by the symbolic, early-morning endorsement of Shehu Dikko and Bukola Olopade.
