By Lucky Isibor
The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has commended organisers of the annual 10km Okpekpe International Race for their new status as an International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Silver Label event.
The governor said the elevation acknowledges the standard and relevance of the race in promoting sports development.
In a statement, the governor, who expressed excitement over the news of the 10km race elevation to IAAF Silver Label event, said his administration will continue to support the organisers in strengthening the event to ensure that it records even more deserving global acclaim.
“The elevation of the race to a Silver Label event is cheering for us all, as it will open the state to more opportunities to leverage its new status for sports tourism and youth development. This will lead to further drive socio-economic development of the state,” he said.
He added that the recognition by the renowned athletics body is testimony to how well the organisers of the event have professionally managed promoting the event, with sufficient support from the state government, adding “This is once again a proof that the projects driven through Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the state are of international repute.”
Obaseki said, “The state has a mission to use sports to drive youth engagement. The recognition is a morale booster for these youths and we hope that with the increased traffic expected to accrue from it, we expect more patronage and creation of direct and indirect jobs for youths involved in the project.
“We are committed to pushing for more reforms to attract similar laudable projects to the state to drive development of the state and prosperity for Edo people.”
