I will continue to raise future athletes in Nigeria – Bozimo

The Convener, Warri/Effurun Peace Marathon, Joyce Bozimo, on Saturday said that she would continue to raise future athletes in the country.

Bozimo made the commitment at the seventh edition of the Warri/Effurun Peace Marathon in Warri.

The 10-km race commenced at the Airport Road and ended at the Warri Township Stadium.

The lawyer and sports enthusiast said that sport is a unifying factor, noting that it allows peace to reign in the society and by implications promotes economic growth.

Joyce Bozimo, the wife of the former Minister of Police Affairs, Broderick  Bozimo, however, called on government at all levels and well-meaning individuals to invest more in sports to endear peace in the society.

She identified the lack of sponsorship as a major challenge confronting the initiative and appealed to government and companies operating in Warri to assist in that direction.

“Businesses and sports will not thrive if there is no peace, so I am using sports as an avenue to bring about peace in Warri and environs.

“Sports does not recognise colour, religion or who you are. We are all the same when it comes to sports. We are using this avenue to bring about peace and unity and also to raise future champions.

“Of course, we have many challenges, including funding. It costs so much money to organise the project.

“When I started years ago, I did not know it will cost millions of Naira. The Delta Government gave us some token. This year, we have not seen it yet but Lee Engineering came to our rescue but we are still owning,” she said.

According to report, Emmanuel Gyang raced 30:38sec to emerge winner in the male category while Deborah Pam ran 35:09sec to clinch the first position in the female category.

Meanwhile, Omatseye Nesiama, the Delta South Senatorial Candidate of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), at the event expressed commitment to promoting the Warri/Effurun Peace Marathon initiative.

“It is going to be the first in my senatorial agenda. We will start attracting investors to the area in 2023. I will collaborate with Bozimo to ensure that the event gets international recognition by the special grace of God,” Nesiama said.