Gov. Otu Champions Rural Sports Development With Agbokim Falls Green Marathon

By ETTAH EMMANUEL O.

Nenfort Matthias Gofwen Wins Cross River’s Agbokim Falls Green Marathon, Takes Home N2M

At the weekend, Cross River State Governor, Prince Bassey Edet Otu, officially flagged off the inaugural Agbokim Falls Green Marathon from Ikom to Etung Local Government Area of Cross River state. This landmark event, which is aimed at fostering  sports development and youth engagement across the state and beyond, was designed to cater for various categories of event which includes a 42-kilometer race for professionals, a 21-kilometer race for locals, and a 10-kilometer race for children.

Governor Otu, was represented by the Commissioner for Sports Development, Hon. Agnes Atsu. In her speech she retorted on the importance of decentralizing government activities to make governance accessible to all youth particularly at the grassroots level which is the mantra of the governor. She pointed out that such initiatives help citizens feel more connected to government initiatives, no matter where they reside in the state.

• PROMOTING YOUTH ENGAGEMENT THROUGH SPORTS

Governor Otu also highlighted the role of sports in keeping the youth engaged and away from criminal activities by providing platforms for young people to showcase their athletic talents with the aim of developing  local talent and transform them into international stars. "Engagement in sports is vital for the youth. It helps to combat criminality and gives them hope for a brighter future. He futher  revealed plans to expand the marathon event to other regions of the state in the coming years with hopes of elevating the event into a globally  recognized competition.
In his words
"Next year, the marathon is expected to grow, with enhanced sponsorship, increased participation, and an expanded global outreach". The governor urged all participants to remain resilient in their training and strive for improvement, whether they won or not. In his words  "Everyone who finishes the race is a winner, Keep practicing, and you will achieve greater success in future events," he advised.

• RECORD-BREAKING WINS AND TOP PERFORMERS: 
The marathon's professional category saw Plateau-born Nenfort Matthias Gofwen, 35, emerge victorious in the 42-kilometer race, taking home a grand prize of N2 million. Gofwen completed the challenging Ikom-Ajasor-Agbokim route ahead of Shehu Muazu Adamu and Nyango Gyang, both also from Plateau, who finished in second and third place, respectively, winning N1 million and N750,000.

In the women’s 42-kilometer category, local athlete Blessing Solomon Shambor from Boki claimed first place and the N2 million prize, while Agofure Charity from Delta (trained in Plateau) secured second place with a N1 million prize. Elizabeth Nuhu from Plateau took third place, earning N750,000.

The 21-kilometer race saw top performers like Effiong Orok, Emeka John, and Charles Umoh securing the top three spots in the male category. In the female category, Godsmind Nelson Eteng, Perpetual Happiness Ofoke, and Patience Eteobong emerged as the top three winners.

For the 10-kilometer races, Alexandar Saviour, Emmanuel Emmanuel, and Agbor Abednego won the top three spots in the male category, while Angel Nelson Eteng, Sophia Etim, and Immaculater Odu secured the first, second, and third places in the female category.
LOOKING AHEAD: EXPANDING THE MARATHON’S IMPACT:

The Director of sports Mr Moses Agbor expressed his satisfaction with the turnout and organisation, challenges not withstanding being the maiden edition, it is the first of it's kind in cross river state .He thanked the coordinator & Head of department  Sports Association & elite athletes Mrs. Ugobo Victoria the athletes, officials an members of the technical crew  headed by Coach Nelson Eteng for their efforts in ensuring that the event is organised an the turn out impressive as nothing good comes  easy. He noted, that indeed it is a dream come through for the community, state,  nation an the world at large.