The Executive Chairman of Oredo Local Council, Dr. Tom Obaseki and the Permanent Secretary of Edo State Sports Commission, Dr. Igbinosa Emmanuel, on Saturday, June 29, led over 500 young men and women, including children in about 5km Road race in celebrating the 2024 Olympic Day.
The Chairman, Oredo Local Government Council a special guest to the host, Olympian Yussuf Alli, the Executive Chairman of Edo State Sports Commission, flagged off the 2024 Olympic Day Run in Benin at 8:00 am, in Benin City, Edo State.
The 2024 edition tagged ‘Let’s Move and Celebrate” was held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City with legendary Boxer Isaac Ikhuoria (Oly) in attendance.
The runners began the 5km race from the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium through Akenzua Road, Plymouth Road, King Square (Ring Road), through Oba Market Road, Zabayor Street and rounded off the exercise at the Stadium, where certificates of participation were given to the participants.
Speaking at the event, the Permanent Secretary of the Edo State Sports Commission, Dr. Igbinosa Emmanuel who represented the Chairman, Edo State Sports Commission, Olympian Yussuf Alli, said the Olympic Day is significant as it is a day set aside by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to celebrate sportsmen and women and to encourage mass participation in sports.
“Firstly, it is marked all over the world. That is why it is under the umbrella body of the ‘Sports For All’ in IOC. So, Nigeria being a full member of the International Olympic Committee is celebrating it. And that is why the IOC wrote to Nigeria and Edo State to participate in the exercise.
“It is happening all over the world and we are happy that we are a part of the celebration. It helps us to create the right awareness for fitness and also to bring people together because the essence of sports is coming together so that we can move forward and celebrate according to this year’s theme ‘Move and Celebrate’,” Igbinosa emphasised.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Oredo Local Government Council, Dr. Tom Obaseki highlighted the benefits of Olympic Day and sports as a unifying event that brings people together and promotes peace and health.
“We all understand that the Olympics is a unifying event that brings people together and promotes peace, statesmanship, and sportsmanship. So, wherever we are, we should understand that sports bring people together and in the process, we keep ourselves healthy.”
In the message of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by President Thomas Bach, delivered by Dr. Tom Obaseki, he told the Olympic community to celebrate the joy that only sports bring to us.
The IOC president expressed optimism that at the Paris Olympics, “The athletes will inspire us with their achievements – they will inspire the world by living our Olympic motto: Faster, Higher-Stronger-Strong Together.
“On Olympic Day, we celebrate the creation of the Olympic Movement by our founder Pierre de Coubertin. This year’s Olympic Day is a special one, taking place just ahead of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
“With the excitement building, the athletes; the fans, the entire Olympic community around the world -all of us -we are looking forward to a new era of Olympic Games; younger, more inclusive, more urban and more sustainable,” Bach stated.
