Olopade pledges N6m for Athletic Heat 10th anniversary meet

Bukola Olopade, Director-General of the National Sports Commission, has pledged N6 million for the 10th anniversary edition of the Athletic Heat Meet, which is taking place on Saturday at the Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex in Lagos. The N4 million allocated for winners will be divided equally among the eight throwing events.

An additional N2 million will be used for the logistics of the event. Athletic Heat CEO Ese Oguma expressed gratitude for Olopade's support, emphasizing the importance of administrative backing and stakeholder commitment in raising competition standards, rewarding athletes, and providing opportunities for young talents. The anticipated attendance of over 850 athletes includes Nigerian international stars such as Miracle Ezechukwu, Samson Nathaniel, and Adams Samuel Kure.

Teenage sprint sensation Ezechukwu, who has won multiple gold medals at youth championships, is expected to participate in the women’s 100m event. Other notable participants include Nathaniel, an Olympic competitor, and Kure, a javelin thrower who won a bronze medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Saudi Arabia. Organizers have completed event seeding and bib number allocation, with athletes advised to check their schedules via the Roster Athletics app.