Disappointing Olympics Renews Calls for GCU Relays
Team Nigeria’s devastating and disastrous performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics has resonated with the Government College Ughelli, GCU Relays as well as similar Grassroots Athletics Competitions.
Team Nigeria went to Paris with huge hopes of harvesting medals in Track and Field, especially in the Relays, Hurdles and Jumps, but sadly returned without podium finishes.
And now, Athletics followers and enthusiasts, have renewed Calls for a speedy return to the erstwhile Inter-Collegiate Athletics Competitions, Nationwide, such as the GCU Relays, in its Sixth annual edition.
Indeed, fundamental to the Aims and Objectives of the GCU Relays is ‘’the development of outstanding secondary school Athletes for schools and nation’’.
‘’More importantly, to promote Sprint events in which Nigeria has a comparative advantage over the Marathon. Nigerian athletes are natural sprinters. GCU Relays will give greater prominence to the short-distance races of 100m -400m and their corresponding Relays’’.
The inaugural edition of the GCU Relays produced Godson Oghenebrume as the proud winner of the Victor Ludorum prize, whilst wearing the colours of Afiesere Grammar School, Ughelli and was part of the Paris Olympic Relays Quartet that fell by the line. He progressed steadily from the GCU Relays into national stardom before betting in the United States of America on a Sports Scholarship.
Sunday Akitan, representing Yewa College, Ilaro carted home the Victor Ludorum diadem in the second edition before making the natural progression to the national Track Team, first with the juniors and later into the senior team.
In the meantime, massive support for Sprint events has come from both GCUOBA Ancient mariners Prof. Oritsegbemi Omatete and Roy Odoko, urging Bank Executives to focus more (Sponsorship) on Sprints rather than the Marathon events.
The 2024 GCU Relays holds on November 9th, at the school’s Tartan Tracks with the hopes of producing and discovering Future Olympic talents.
