Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has congratulated Nigerian sprinter, Divine Oduduru on his emergence as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Male Athlete of the Year in the United States of America.
An elated Governor Okowa, excited that Oduduru also got nominated for the Bow man award, the highest award in the U.S for Collegiate Athletes; noted the rising star is the second Nigerian to be so nominated after Blessing Okagbare equally from Delta State.
The governor in a statement made available to journalists in Asaba said: “Oduduru’s nomination is sequel to his superlative performance this season in the U.S Collegiate Championships winning the 200m Indoor title, the 100m and 200m outdoor titles in 9.86secs and 19.73secs respectively.”
“Oduduru who was a student of West End College Asaba, before he travelled to the U.S on scholarship at the Texas Tech University, Lubbock, was discovered at the annual Awoture Eleyae Junior Athletics Competition in Delta State.”
“I also wish to congratulate other Delta athletes who have done well like Raymond Ekevwo, who led Florida Central University to break the NCAA 4×100m record and ran the second fastest time of 10.02secs in more than ten years, behind Divine Oduduru”, he said, adding “another Deltan Mr. Itsekiri Usheoritse also ran the third fastest time of 10.07secs behind Oduduru and Ekevwo.”
“We are grateful to God because they are part of the modest contributions of Delta State to Sports Development in Nigeria. It will be recalled that all of them including Ese Brume, Uruemu Odjesa, Favour Ofili, Princess Kara, Hannah Kemele and a host of others are products of our yearly Awoture Eleyae Junior Athletics Programme.”
“In the build up to this year’s programme holding from 20th-22nd June at the Delta State Polytechnic Ozoro Stadium, i urge all our young Athletes to be encouraged by the successes recorded by Divine Oduduru and others to put in their best and be counted,” the governor added.
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