Organisers Set For Cadbury Bournvita Duathlon Tourney In Lagos

 SUNDAY AKINTOYE

The much awaited first edition of Cadbury Bournvita Duathlon Championship will hold on Sunday, 10 February, 2019 at the National Stadium, Lagos.

 Speaking at the press conference to herald the tournament in Lagos, President of Nigeria Triathlon Union (NTU), Prince Wale Oladunjoye said the one day event is organized to create awareness around the sports and ensure that the sports gains ground in Nigeria.

 Oladunjoye who thanked Cadbury Nigeria Plc for its sponsorship said the endurance sports which involve swimming, biking and running will soon be incorporated into schools curricular that will ensure that students pursue sports and education side by side.

“Triathlon as you aware is made up of three sports in one: swimming, biking and running. On this occasion, we shall be doing a variant of the sport called DUATHLON which is ‘run, bike and run’ on Sunday,” he said.

Oladunjoye noted that clubs, states and schools are eligible to participate in the competition and it involves various categories.

 According to him, only those participants who fall within the ages of 9 through 13 and 14 through 16 are cadet category, while 17 through 18 years old falls under the junior category. He said any participant that is 23 years above would involve in elite category

 Oladunjoye revealed that they would have used more than a day for the competition, but noted that the National Stadium has been locked down for some days now because the President of Nigeria, Mohammed Buhari would be coming to Lagos to continue his presidential campaign for the election.

 In his own comment, Mr Bala Yesufu, Director Corporate and Government Affairs, West Africa, Cadbury Nigeria Plc said the competition will feature both male and female athletes in the junior and senior categories across some states of the federation including some schools and clubs.

 He said the idea of the competition is to create awareness about the competition and secure more buy-in of relevant stakeholders.

The winners, according to the organizers, would go home with prize monies and gift items from the title sponsor.

PM EXPRESS reports that the organisers will carry out tour guide and mark routes with logistics necessary for the event on Sunday between 7 and 9am, while race start time will be 9:30am prompt.

No fewer than 20 technical officials will handle the one day event.