24 November 2008
Lagos — Former African sprints queen, Mercy Nku will be at the Obudu Ranch Resortin Obudu on Saturday to honour Senator Liyel Imoke, the Governor of Cross River state for sustaining and expanding the annual Obudu international Mountain Race. The fourth edition of the race holds that day and Nku, the second Nigerian and African woman to run in the 100m finals at the prestigious IAAF World Athletics Championships has said at the weekend she there to lend her support
She said: "I am right now a proud Cross Riverian, thanks to a governor who has shown he loves sport and would always support and identify with the games.
"He has not only sustained the annual Obudu International Mountain race, he has also expanded its scope. It shows he is a keen sports lover who is ready to develop the youths of the state. I am particularly happy with his decision to introduce youths to the race in this year's edition of the comptetition."
The Boki, Cross River born sprinter who won four gold medals in Bouake, Cote d'Ivoire at the 1984 African Junior Championships may presently be a student (in Canada), but she already deep in plans to plough back to the sport that made her a household name in the world.
She believes with a sports loving man at the helm of affairs in her state, her dreams of galvanizing the society to lift the games up would surely be a reality.
"I am seriously thinking about some projects that would arrest youth restlessness, which is a common feature in the Niger Delta area. With Governor Imoke displaying this undiluted interest in youth development, I think my plans will come to fruition sooner than I have been imagining it would.
"It takes like-minded people to appreciate the power of sport in youth development."
Still, the former top athlete was calling on all corporate Nigerians to join hands in the bid to make sport the new point of youth solace, arguing that they will not be doing the Governor a big favour in the process but actually helping the youths of the country, who in future, would never forget the good turn.
"This is the time for corporate Nigeria to fully embrace the Obudu international mountain race as well as other programmes lined-up by the Governor to develop sports in Cross River State, and by extension, Nigeria," she pleaded.
Insisting on the kind of image laundering the Obudu competition does for Nigeria, she said: "You need to know how people ask me on the streets in Canada
If it was true that top world mountain runners come to Nigeria to race. I always tell them it is true and that it was a proof that Nigeria is one of the safest countries in the world."
The Obudu International Mountain Challenge is a mountain race of 11.25km with 810m ascent that is up to a height of 1600m above sea level.
The host cattle ranch itself is one of the finest tourist destinations in the world.
Situated deep in the tropical and mountainous rainforest of Northern Cross River State; Obudu Cattle Ranch is noted for its beautifully enchanting landscape that evokes pleasure and vista.
The race remains the highest paying Mountain Race in the World, with $227,000 on offer and a star prize of $50,000 for both men and women.
Last year's race was dominated by the East Africans. Ethiopian Habtamu Fikadu Awash took home the $50,000 for the men with a time of 42.50-minutes, while Rita Jeptoo Sitieni of Kenya took the $50,000 for the women, with a new course record time return of 51.42.
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