By Onochie Anibeze

It was meant to be a brief interaction to discuss something very private. But it ended up a long exciting day. It was rewarding in terms of ideas exchanged. I was better informed on a variety of issues some of which are better reserved for another day even as some are not for public consumption. It was a worthwhile day. From politics to social and personal life and from state of Nigerian economy to sports. And in sports, the discussion was further broken down from football to athletics. Yes, sports excites. And it takes not only skills and knowledge but also passion to attain the height Mike Itemuagbor has reached in sports.

Mike Itemuagbor

He played football and now markets it. So, he is comfortable on technical matters, administrative issues and when it comes to marketing of sports you may begin to sing a song. Having made name in sponsorship drives and hospitality business of football  arketing, Itemuagbor who also had stints in athletics three years ago initiated a 10 kilometer race in Okpekpe, a town near Auchi in Edo State. State Governor Adams Oshiomhole keyed in, added his impetus and today Okpekpe is global in the sense that it is not only an international spectacle but also an event of International Association of Athletics Federations,

IAAF. Local and international athletes gather in Okpekpe every year to race for recognition, to race for money and for the competitiveness of the sport. This year, another dimension has been added to the Okpekpe Road Race. Athletes will be racing for humanity. Yes, they will be in Okpekpe to race for the good of the human race. And Nigerians will largely be the beneficiaries. This year’s event will mark athletes racing not only to win money but also to promote the awareness and treatment of cancer.

It will be an aspect that will see organisers conduct free breast cancer tests for all around especially the rural women. It may not end there. Okpekpe may turn a series event, spreading the road race to other areas. “If you knew Okpekpe some years before the race started there you would appreciate the huge development and awareness the event has attracted to the area,” Itemuagbor said, relishing in the success of the race that promises loftier heights this year.

A series event will ensure greater development especially in rural areas which are most suitable for long races. Itemuagbor has dreams and he is hopeful. Cancer is ravaging humanity and Okpekpe Road Race organisers and hosts want to contribute their widow’s might in helping out in a way. “We could conduct the free tests a day or two before the race and provide some direction,” Itemuagbor says, raising other matters that could benefit the rural people. The plan to make Okpekpe a compact race in which participants, orgainsers, fans and all around will have a story to tell is dear to Itemuagbor.

And when it turns a series event, the prize monies may not be a mere dream for locals but also a reality. The picture Itemuagbor was painting portrayed more than prize monies. It’s a picture of rural development, a picture of humanity, an inspiration for the common man, an encouragement for the participants, a spectacle for the media and a pride for IAAF, Oshiomohle, future sponsors and Itemuagbor himself. It’s still the only IAAF sanctioned road race in Nigeria. That alone makes it a class.