Cheers as Okanlawon receives marathoners from Access Bank Lagos City Marathon 2023

The founder of Olusegun Okanlawon Foundation, Engr. David Olusegun Okanlawon and members of OOF received on Saturday evening Ibarapa marathoners from the just concluded Access Bank Lagos City Marathon race that was held earlier on Saturday morning in Lagos State.

Engr. David Olusegun Okanlawon had sponsored six winners of his foundation’s marathon race that was held in December 2022 to participate in the keenly contested Lagos City marathon and the team departed Ibarapa on Friday morning ahead of the race on Saturday.

Olatunji Segun, Muibudeen Sherif, Okesola Fowomola, Makinde Maisarat, Taiwo Wasilat and Adesina Bose were registered for the 10km category of the all-important race which also featured 42km category which saw whooping sums won by globally acknowledged athletes.

In a release by OOF Media and Publicity Team made available to Asako news, during the briefing, the committee led by Coach Kabir Ayanyemi and assisted by Coach Peter Obayemi reported that Olatunji Segun from Eruwa came fifth of the 10km category which recorded over 20,000 athletes that participated in it.

OOF could confirm that Olatunji Segun was presented a gold medal which was distinctly different in terms of quality from the ones presented to his native colleagues who also made it to the finishing line as of the monitoring time of the organizers.

A representative of the foundation, Mr. Yekeen Sunday Oladimeji who was also present at the competition reported that no prize was presented to the winners of the 10km category winners during the closing ceremony at Eko Atlantic except that of 42km.

Male category of the 42km race was won by Edwin Kibet (Kenya), Dekebe Tafa (Ethiopia) and Bernard Sang (Kenya) while female category was won by Alemeneshi Guta (Ethiopia), Urisa Chala (Ethiopia) and Naomi Mayo (Kenya) with cash prize of $50,000, $40,000 and $30,000 as the first, second and third positions respectively.

The athletes, however, registered their words of appreciation to Engr. David Olusegun Okanlawon for availing them cosy accommodation, feeding and transportation to participate at the competition.

Engr. David Olusegun Okanlawon remarked that he was fulfilled that he saw Ibarapa marathoners to have made debut in a big competition like Lagos City Marathon and made it to the finishing line to be presented medals which will everlastingly mark their appearance at one of the bigger stages in life and add to the profile of their fledgling career.

More delightful than making it to the finishing line, according to Olusegun Okanlawon, was that his team did not record any casualty despite the disturbing reports of breakdown of athletes during the race and further applauded Access Bank for attending to casualties with immediacy.

As he lauded efforts of the committee for the coordination before, during and after the race, Engr. Olusegun Okanlawon also charged the athletes to put more efforts in their training just as they witnessed their contemporaries in the Lagos City Marathon did.

He concluded by saying he believed that those who can run the 42km is with in Ibarapa and advised that those who has the capacity should reinforce their training strength and have focus of going for that next year, adding that he was optimistic that Ibarapa will make a name in sports.

Mr. Felix Oguntade (Àsá) who received the athletes at Femadex Royal Gardens, Idere also encouraged them not to let their spirit water down and that this is just a steppingstone of the greater height they will go if they believe and ready to invest heavily in themselves for the sake of their career.

He also appreciated Engr. David Olusegun Okanlawon for commiting himself to the deployment of talents giving to the fact that many opportunities have been lost in the past because no individual was available to give talented athletes the push they were in need of.

The entire members of Olusegun Okanlawon Foundation expressed gratitude to Mr. Ojoawo Adeyemi, an indigene of Eruwa but who demonstrated moral and financial support on a passionate stand for welfarism of the committee members and athletes that were in Lagos.

Mr. Ojoawo reached out upon knowing Ibarapa people were to participate in the competition and contributed financially when he could not be at the venue due to the total shutdown of major roads for hours that the competition lasted and our representative reported that he monitored their movement from the start to end of the competition.

The foundation also appreciated Mr. Adeyemo Adedayo Solomon (Drey) who is also one of the professional staff members of Engr. David Olusegun Okanlawon who also donated to aid transportation of the athletes. The foundation found these gestures noteworthy and described individuals who made them as lovers of development.