The Athletic Heat 10th Anniversary Meet has received an additional sponsorship for the men’s 800m from the Proprietor of Samkay Athletics Club, Dr. Samuel Kolawole Oredipe.
Dr. Oredipe, is the Bayelsa State Athletics Chairman, an Auditor of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), and Special Adviser on Bayelsa New Media to the Bayelsa State Government.
As part of his contribution, Dr. Oredipe is providing an additional ₦200,000 in prize money for the men’s 800m. His sponsored prize allocation will be:
🥇 1st Place — ₦100,000
🥈 2nd Place — ₦50,000
🥉 3rd Place — ₦30,000
4️⃣ 4th Place — ₦20,000
With Dr. Oredipe’s additional sponsorship, the total prize money available for the men’s 800m at the Athletic Heat 10th Anniversary Meet now stands at ₦400,000, with the overall prize distribution being:
🥇 1st Place — ₦200,000
🥈 2nd Place — ₦100,000
🥉 3rd Place — ₦60,000
4️⃣ 4th Place — ₦40,000
For Dr. Oredipe, the decision to support the event is deeply personal. The 800m was his favourite race during his competitive years between 1995 and 1999.
“The 800 metres is my favourite race. It is for the strongest and fittest, a test of anaerobic strength,” Oredipe said.
He believes Nigeria has the potential to do well in the event with greater investment and attention.
“Nigeria has got the potential to do well in the race with more investment and attention. We need to encourage those doing the race because it’s never an easy event. This is a boost.”
Oredipe also highlighted Edose Ibadin’s appearance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as an important step for Nigerian 800m running.
“I am happy with Edose Ibadin’s appearance at the Paris Olympics. Nigeria can build on this. The event must continually feature in Nigerian contingents, the athletes must be exposed through regular competitions and training tours.”
Oredipe competed in the 800m during his own athletics career, including appearances at the NUGA Games at Bayero University Kano in 1997, the NUGA Games at the University of Lagos in 1998 and Athletics Classics.
His additional sponsorship of the men’s 800m is a way of supporting athletes competing in an event he knows firsthand while contributing to the development and visibility of the discipline in Nigeria.
The Athletic Heat 10th Anniversary Meet will take place on November 7, 2026, at the Yabatech Sports Complex in Lagos, bringing together athletes for a major celebration of competition, community and a decade of Athletic Heat’s commitment to athletics.
To register for this prestigious meet, click the link below
https://www.a3tickets.com/event/Athletic-Heat-10th-Anniversary-Meet/