A male athlete from Plateau State, Gyang Nyango and a female from Kenya, Peninah Arusel have won the 45km Elite Race in the male and female categories of the 2024 maiden Rivers State Marathon.
Green also said that Rivers United Under-17 Team won gold medal in the maiden National Under 17 Football League tournament in Benin; Rivers Hoopers Basketball Club won the Premiership Basketball Tournament here in Nigeria, all within less than one year of Governor Fubarautes and 23 seconds to clinch the Gold Medal and win the prize of $10m and N5m support from the State Government.
Iliya Pam Nwanta from Plateau State was the first runner-up, winning silver medal; Isti Fanus Peter Maham from Plateau State got the Bronze Medal.
Rivers Governor Siminialayi Fubara in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Nelson Chukwudi, announced a complimentary award of N1m to the athletes in the first 20 places behind the gold medal winners as encouragement to them, saying that it would motivate others to consider joining in the competition in the future.
In the 30 meters race, Governor Fubara emerged winner and had his medal presented to him by Chairman, Governing Council of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Chief Adokiye Amiesimaka.
Lady Valerie, the wife of Fubara, won the second place in the 30 meters race and had her medal presented to her by the Deputy Governor, Prof Ngozi Odu.
Fubara explained that, in sponsoring the Rivers International Marathon 2024, many challenges were overcome to ensure it was successfully hosted in order to open up the economy of the state to global investment opportunities.
The governor also said that his administration was already committed to youth development by expanding the space and exposing them to a variety of sporting activities to groom potential talents for excellence and attainment of their aspirations.
Fubara spoke at the closing ceremony and presentation of prizes and medals to the winners of Rivers International Marathon 2024, with the theme: ‘Power On, Conquer the Distance’, which took place at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
The governor expressed delight that the event, first of its kind in the state, had been successfully hosted, despite the initial difficulties to reconcile the position of the organisers and the sponsors.
He said: “When we started the planning, we had a lot is issues, but some how along the way, we finally agreed and resolved all the bottlenecks, challenges, more especially, finances to host this event.
“But, I can say, on our part as a government and also as host of an event that has never taken place in Rivers State before, we were a bit afar on our part from the organizers.
“This is because all they were saying was like, if I could liken it to anything, the cost could even help me renovate a school.
“So, I asked, why should I spend such money for just marathon? But they convinced us that this event will open the doors economically to the world and for Rivers State.
“And for that reason, we gave them all the support that was needed for it to be a success. And I can say to the glory of God that I am happy that we are here today witnessing it live and direct.”
Fubara assured that there would likely be a second edition, adding that it would be better than the first because the mistakes would be corrected in order to achieve the desired expectation.
The governor, who congratulated the winners of the competition, assured that his administration would sustain support for all youths who wanted to explore their sporting talents in the state and help them to blossom.
He said: “Let me also say that, we might not have gotten it very, very right in this first one because it is the first.
“I strongly believe that when we are going to host the second one, most of our mistakes, most of the areas that we did not consider, we will consider them and make the second event a more glamorous one that will be better than this.
“For us as a government, we know the importance of sports. We know that sports and youth development go together. For that reason, we are not going to joke in the aspect of youth development. We are not going to joke in the aspect of sports development.”
Fubara commended the Commissioner of Sports, Christopher Green, for his leadership in the ministry that had led to winning of lots of trophies for the State.
The Governor said such winning, on the side of women teams and on the side of the male teams, clearly showed that so much has been done right to place the sports sector on a good footing in the State.
“So, I want to commend the Commissioner, continue to do what you know how to do best. We didn’t bring you here for nothing, we know that you are a man that has made his name in the sports industry, continue to make us proud.”
Fubara decorated the winners with their medals and presented them with their prizes while also announcing N5m to each of the first place winners.
In his remark, the State Commissioner for Sports, Christopher Green, said it was well known that the state had become the hub of sports in Nigeria.
He said: “Only yesterday in far away Kigali, for the first time in the history of the Basketball African League, Nigeria ended on the podium. They came back home with a Bronze Medal.
“It has never happened before, and if we have to follow history, we will find out that in the entire country, no club has won one match.
“But these guys that you sweated, sponsored, encouraged and motivated, went to far away Kigali to not only win the Bronze Medal, but their coach was declared as the best coach of the tournament.”
Green also said that Rivers United Under-17 Team won gold medal in the maiden National Under 17 Football League tournament in Benin; Rivers Hoopers Basketball Club won the Premiership Basketball Tournament here in Nigeria, all within less than one year of Governor Fubara in office.
