The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has charged Nigerians to pay more attention to sports and entertainment as a means of tackling poverty and becoming self-reliant.
He advised youths to take sports seriously as its one of the hidden but fastest ways to not only quickly get out of boredom but poverty.
Adebayo gave this advice in his maiden annual Prince Adewole Adebayo Christmas Marathon held in Ondo State over the weekend, a statement from his media office stated.
The event saw participation from athletes within and outside Nigeria, including some Kenyan athletes. Notable attendees include former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye and the former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung.
Revealing the motivation behind the marathon, the politician stated that the event has come to stay and expressed his commitment to nurturing sports talents in Nigeria.
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He said that “I believe it is important for Nigerians to engage in sporting activities because sports, music and entertainment are powerful means of transforming impoverished individuals into stars within a single generation. We are currently in a period of human history that celebrates talent.”
He said promoting sporting events would help reduce poverty and highlighted the role of discipline in sports, noting that anyone who can run a marathon is a disciplined person.
Adebayo expressed his hopes for the marathon to be featured in Nigeria’s sporting calendar next year and to gain recognition from the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF).
“This will be a regular occurrence. People came from all over the world and Nigeria, spanning various communities and age groups. These are initiatives we can pursue without waiting for government assistance,” Adebayo added.
Although the Kenyan athletes missed out on the medals table, an athlete from the Republic of Benin secured the second position. Among the participants was a 14-year-old who had never run a marathon before.
The winners received cash prizes of N1million for the first place, N500, 000 for second place and N300, 000 for third place. Additionally, the organizers awarded N50, 000 as consolation to other participants.