Edo Deputy Gov, AFN President hails Athletics Supporters Club of Nigeria

The 2022 Nigeria Athletics Championships ended Sunday night with an unlikely group emerging as heroes with commendations pouring in left and right from the creme de la creme of the sporting world.

The Athletics Supporters Club took the shine all through the 3 day Athletics Championships as the administrators of the game took turns to sing and dance with the group as they light up the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium with their trumpets and ceaseless music.

The Edo state Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Philip Shaibu and the president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, chief Tonobok Okowa both at separate times, left the ambience of the comfortable VIP lounge to sing and dance with members of the Athletics Supporters Club as they cheered the Athletes on, all through the national championship.

The President of the Athletics Supporters Club of Nigeria (ASCN), Olutoye Orishabiyi in an exclusive interview with rulers world in Benin, couldn’t hide his excitement when cornered after the closing ceremony.

“This is reward for passion. My members were passionate, dedicated and sporting all through the 3 days we spent at the stadium. For the big dignitaries to have left their comfort zone to felicitate with us, then it means that our hardwork has been rewarded”, he stressed jubilantly.

When asked what was discussed when some of the dignitaries came over to their side, the president of the Athletics Supporters Club albeit reluctantly, revealed that they were discussing about plans to storm Oregon and Birmingham for the World Athletics Championship and the Commonwealth Games respectively when he was sighted with Chief Tonobok Okowa, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria President but when the Edo Deputy Governor came over, the discussion was a totally different kettle of fish.

“The Deputy Governor is a lover of sports, being an athlete himself and that’s not a secret. The number 2 man in Edo told us that we are great and we shouldn’t relent because we are the most important part of the events as mobilizers of the athletes and the fans. He went on to pass more words of advice to us”, the ASCN President concluded.

Ese Brume, Grace Nwokocha, Rosemary Chukwuma, Mike Edwards, Seye Ogunlewe, Favour Ashe, were some of the stars that graced the tartan tracks of the Benin stadium at the National Athletics Championships.