• U.S.-Based Victor Okorie Wins Southeast Ticket
• No Winner In Southwest Zonal Election
As Nigerians look forward to the Elective Congress of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) on Monday in Abuja, one of the presidential aspirants, Chairman of Delta Sports Commission, Tonobok Okowa, says his administration would tackle the issue of funding by partnering with the private sector to reduce the burden on the government.
Okowa, who emerged as South-south zonal representative in Benin City, Edo State yesterday, told The Guardian that the issue of poor funding would be a thing of the past if he gets elected as AFN President on Monday.
Okowa, who led Team Delta to win the last two editions of the National Sports Festival held in Abuja (2018) and Edo 2020, said brighter days await every athletics lover in the country if he wins the AFN presidential election.
“This issue of no fund to run the AFN and sponsor our athletes to competitions will be a thing of the past,” Okowa said.
Meanwhile, former hurdler, U.S.-based Victor Okorie emerged winner in the AFN Southeast zonal election yesterday. He was unopposed at the election held in Enugu.
It was a different scenario in the Southwest zonal election held in Ibadan, Oyo State, as it failed to produce a winner between current board member, Olamide George (Ondo State) and Dayo Alao (Lagos State). The vote ended 3-3.
Sports Ministry zonal coordinator in South West, Femi Ajao, told The Guardian that the fate of two contestants would be decided at the AFN Extra-Ordinary Congress in Abuja tomorrow.
Olamide George had protested even before the election that the unprepared notification endangered the lives of aspirants and electorates by forcefully pushing them to travel into headquarters of various zones with such an eleventh-hour approach, adding that it was against the resolution reached with World Athletics/CAA.