A 10-year-old Miss Godstime Nelson from Excellence Standard Institute of Success, Calabar in Cross River has won the female category of Talents Afrique Reservoir Foundation’s marathon in Calabar.
The 12 kilometer marathon which was organised to commemorate the World AIDS Day 2021 went through the Carnival route in Calabar and featured 30 athletes from secondary schools across the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 13- year-old Martina Ugo of St Marks Secondary School, Bekwara LGA came second while 14-year-old Agnes Eyo of Government Secondary School Big Qua came third.
In the male category, 19-year-old Samuel Solomon, from Government Secondary School, Bakassi clinched the first position.
Sunday Bassey of Rainbow High school, also in Bakassi came second and Clement Imoh of Technical College, Calabar, took the third position.
The Founder of the foundation, Dr Daniel Okwoche, said that the competition was part of the programme lined up to commemorate the 2021 world AIDS day with the theme; “End Inequalities, End AIDS”.
According to him, the competition was the 4th edition of the Governor’s Wife, Dr. Linda Ayade’s quarter marathon for secondary schools in the state.
Okwoche said that the quarter marathon for young Athletes at the secondary school level was meant to create awareness on the Human Immune Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) pandemic.
“It is a Quarter Marathon because the athletes are adolescents and teenagers between the ages of 10 and 19, we think it is proper to limit them to this level of the competition.
“Apart from the advocacy and awareness creation against HIV and AIDS, their participation in this race will keep them healthy and also help the sports sector of the nation catch them young.
Similarly, the team coach, Mr Austin Ellah, said he was impressed with the competition.
Ella, however, advised that proper modalities should be put in place to enhance better performance from the athletes in their future competitions.
NAN also reports that the World AIDS day is commemorated annually on Dec. 1, to raise awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. (NAN)
