First Grand Prix for Abuja on May 5

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Disclosing this in Lagos on Thursday, the President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Violet Odogwu Nwajei told our correspondent that the AFN was recently granted permit to stage the first African grand prix at the federal capital.

She said the Confederation of African Athletics Grand Prix would feature top world class athletes from Europe and America  for the Africa Grand including world champion, Ashafa Powel of Jamaica and host of others.

Nwajei disclosed that Abuja would be one of the five cities in Africa as the baton would move to other cities such as Dakar, Nairobi, Rabat,Morocco and Algiers.

"We are focus towards using this meet to project Athletics, provide top quality competition and boost the tourism potntials of Abuja," she said.

Nwajei said that to however make it a successful outing, interested corporate Nigerians as well as stakeholders to come forward and identify with the Grand Prix.

She on behalf of the AFN signed a Momerandum of Understanding with an Events Marketing and Sponsorship outfit, CSA to market the Prix.
Reacting on behalf of CSA, its CEO, Mr. Henry Nzekwe, said athletics was a universal sport that could be used to bring the youths of the world together.

He said sports in Nigeria was not commanding the sponsorship it ought to get today because of the structure.

Nzekwe explained that CSA would try its best to make sure that the one day sport extravaganza was a huge success.

The event he added would give the Nigerian athletes like Seyi Fasuba and Deji Aliu to rub shoulders with the best all over the world on their own soil.

Details about the prize money for all categories of athletes for the Grand Prix he said would be unfolded later.