The Chief Operating Officer of Nigeria’s foremost sports management company, Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Mr. Ebidowei Oweifie, has declared that one of its prominent clients, Premium Trust Bank, has emerged headline sponsor of the 2024 Abuja City International Half Marathon which holds on April 20, 2024.

In an official statement released by Nilayo Sports Management Limited, Oweife stated that as a Bank that has sports running in its DNA, its commitment to the advancement of youth and sports development is evident through the bank’s continuous collaborations and active engagement in nurturing and supporting sports initiatives across the country.

“As a bank with a global outlook and deep-rooted belief in the power of sports to inspire, unite, and transform lives, Premium Trust Bank has made significant strides in promoting sporting excellence and empowering young talents across the nation”, he said.

Applauding Premium Trust Bank’s effort in promoting sports in Nigeria, he noted that apart from being the headline sponsor of the 2024 Abuja City International Half Marathon, last year the Bank in its dynamic nature of developing Nigerian sports and the athletes, went a step further in its commitment to sporting excellence, by signing the Women’s 100m hurdles World Record Holder, Oluwatobiloba Amusan, and Women’s Long Jump Gold Medalist, Ese Brume, who both dominated their respective sports at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, as brand ambassadors.

He also stated that as a Bank that is passionate about sports in Nigeria, the Bank signed a three-year partnership deal with the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

“This collaboration, which will include training programmes and grassroots initiatives will bolster the development of athletics, nurturing a new generation of track and field talents”, he added.

Nigeria emerged the overall champion of the 2023 ITTF African Para Championships which ended on Saturday September 23, 2023 in Giza, Egypt.

The three-day tournament had hosts – Egypt – Algeria, Nigeria, Mauritius, Cameroon, South Africa, Kenya and Cote d’Ivoire competing in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles events.

Nigeria carted home 12 gold medals to dethrone Egypt as the new para table tennis champion in Africa. The Nigerians asserted themselves as the new heavyweights in the continent’s para table tennis by dominating the singles event to pick up most of the tickets to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

From the 14 tickets available for the Paralympic Games, Nigeria picked nine while Egypt settled for five in the singles events. However, the host team dominated the doubles and mixed doubles events with five gold medals while Nigeria picked two.

In the overall medals table, Nigeria picked 12 gold while Egypt won 10 to surrender their dominance to the West African nation..
The medalists are: GOLD MEDALS: . Faith Obazuaye (women class 10)
Kehinde Lawal (women class 9)
Ifechukwude Ikpeoyi (women class 5)
Femi Alabi (men class 10)
Biola Adesope (men class 9)
Victor Farinloye (men class 8)
Kayode Alabi (men class 6)
. Bolawa Akingbemisilu (men class 5)
Isau Ogunkunle (men class 4) and the silver medalists are;. Shoremekun Ganiyat (women class 6 – 8)
, Faith Obiora (women class 5),Chukwuemeka Francis (men class 9),Femi Fabiyi (men class 8), Mustafa Isa (men class 6)while the silver medalists are; Kate Oputa (women class 5),Tajudeen Agunbiade (men class 9),Nasiru Sule (men class 5).
Reacting to this develo9ment,the president Para table tennis federation who also doubles as President,Paralympic Committe Nigeria (PCN),Sunday Odebode who expressed his excitement on the results commended the players for making the country proud and urged them to set their gaze on winning medals at the Paralympic games in Paris next year.

“We thank God for His goodness and thank you all for your prayers and support”,he said.

President, African Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Khaled El-Salhy commended all the participating teams and described the tournament as a success, especially with the facilities and hospitality provided by the Egyptian Table Tennis Federation (ETTF).

The Honourable Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh has congratulated Nigerian long jumper, Ese Brume for her silver medal achievement in the long jump event at the Diamond League, in Eugene, Oregon.

Brume came close to winning her first Diamond League title after leaping 6.85m, just as Ivana Vuketa, who won gold. The Minister lauded the Nigerian for finishing strong, despite missing out of first place by very small margins.

“Ese Brume has continued to make us proud time and again. From the Olympics to the Commonwealth Games, to Diamond Leagues, Ese has consistently ranked amongst the top athletes in her sports, globally.”

“While it is disappointing that she narrowly missed out on the Diamond League title, I want to state that the country remains proud of her achievements. I am sure that she will bounce back and take her rightful place. I urge her and other athletes likewise to stay focused on the bigger picture as we draw closer to the 2024 Olympic Games.”

Brume won a bronze medal at the last Olympic games in Tokyo, before going on to win silver medals at the 2022 World Athletics Championships and World Indoor Championships in Eugene and Belgrade respectively. In the summer of 2022, she won gold in Birmingham, during the Commonwealth Games.