ZARIA ATHLETICS GRAND PRIX ENDS .... Organizers Say Event Aims To Improve Nation's Economy Through Sports Tourism

Mr. Sunday Adeleye

"Such sporting events with a nationalistic look will greatly help the nation's economy and thus, attract more sponsors and partnership that will improve sports tourism." Adeleye.

The Meet Director of the just concluded Zaria Athletics Grand Prix held at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Mr Sunday Adeleye has stated that, the intention of the 2-Day sporting event is to support Nigeria's economy.

According to Adeleye, such sporting events with a nationalistic look will greatly help the nation's economy and thus, attract more sponsors and partnership that will improve sports tourism.

In his words; "We want to tell the world that it is not as bad as they say we are. From here, come next week, there will be an athletic event in Kaduna and we also still have the Garden City International Grand Prix, which will be coming up soon. We have the license to organize and it is going to be the "Mother of all Grand Prix in Nigeria,"  because, to qualify to be among contestant, you must be among the first ten in the world.

According to him, "the Zaria Athletics Grand Prix was electrifying with great performances by some of the athletes as it has prepared them for coming up competitions."

"We saw coming up athletes like Hajara Haruna, Ayenuro Taiye in the Women 100m, Oshiokpu Grace and Fejiro in Women Triple Jump. We also saw the the sustainance of performance by Oche Emmanuel in 100metres, Ogazi Samuel in 200 metres and Salisu Ibrahim in 5000m, who got a good challenge from Williams Sunday.

He said for the Zaria Athletics Grand Prix, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria is home for the competition and it will continue to be a yearly thing where home based athletes and more international ones will be converging.