Sports Fastest Way to Achieve Stardom, Alleviate Poverty, Says Adebayo

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 general election, Prince Adewole Adebayo, has advised the youth to take to sports as it is one of the hidden but fastest ways to not only quickly get out of boredom but poverty.

Adebayo made the advice during his maiden annual Prince Adewole Adebayo Christmas Marathon held in Ondo weekend.

The event saw participation from athletes within and outside Nigeria, including some Kenyan athletes. 

Notable attendees included a former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, and former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung.

Adebayo, the initiator of the event, discussed the motivation behind this initiative, stating that the event has come to stay and expressed his commitment to nurturing sports talents in Nigeria. 

“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.

He emphasized that 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 Olympics Committee.

The event, which he said would now hold annually on December 30 for the next 1,000 years, reinforced his commitment: “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.”

Although the Kenyan athletes missed the race, 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. Despite being initially prevented from participating, he was allowed to compete with adults and outpaced them.

The winners received cash prizes of N1 million for first place, N500,000 for second place, and N300,000 for third place. Additionally, the organizers awarded N50,000 as consolation to other participants.

The athletes were later received by the Osemawe of Ondo kingdom, Oba Adesimbo Victor Kiladejo. The athletes were adorned with garlands at the palace.

During the reception, Solomon Dalung described the marathon as well-attended and successful, noting its potential to promote tourism in Ondo, as participants will continue to visit the hospital kingdom. 

“We will support all efforts that bring glory and honour to the kingdom,” the former Sports Minister said.