From Magnus Eze, Enugu
Pascal Onyia and Esther Afigbo have won the first prizes for the males and females athletes who took part in this year’s Gouni Marathon.
Francis Chukwu and Happiness Eze took the second prizes for the males and females contest while Vintus Egu and Genevieve Odinaka were 3rd place winners respectively for the two categories.
Vice-Chancellor of Godfrey Okoye University Enugu, Reverend Father Professor Christian Anieke presided the closing ceremony and award of prizes to winners of the competition held at the main campus of the university, Ugwuomu.
Rev. Father Anieke presented N500,000 to the 1st prize winners, the 2nd prize winners took home N200,000 while those that came 3rd received N100,000 each.
Participants who placed 4th to the 20th positions picked consolation prizes of N20,000 each.
The Vice-Chancellor explained that the objectives of the Gouni Marathon was to link the Thinkers Corner and Ugwuomu campuses of the university, discover sporting talents and engage the youths meaningfully.
Enugu State Director of Sports, Boniface Onovo explained that the exclusion of professionals from the competition was to help fish out local sports youths interested in marathon.
One of the sponsors of the Marathon and Chief Executive Officer of Tribu Hotel, Thinkers Corner Enugu, Nnamdi Ozor, commended the management of Godfrey Okoye University Enugu for initiating the competition. He noted that it will help train international athletes for Enugu State.
Ozor said that his company, would continue to support Godfrey Okoye University in the promotion of youth friendly programmes and education in the state.
Highest participants in the competition were the 13 students of Queen’s school, Nsukka which won the 2nd and some consolation prizes for the females athletes.