Kunle Adelabu
-Exercise closes tomorrow
About 450 students from both public and private secondary schools across the Ikorodu Division of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, have so far been screened medically for the 2021 edition of the Oba Kabir Shotobi Independence Day Mini – Marathon.
The medical screening, which commenced on Wednesday, September 21, 2021, and was initially supposed to end today (Friday), has been extended till Saturday (tomorrow), because of the engagements of many of the schools in competitions.
When our reporter visited the Hon. S.O.B. Agunbiade Constituency Office, venue of the screening exercise on Friday (today), students were seen being screened for sugar level, blood pressure and weight.
Officials of the Lagos State Sports Commission (LSSC) were also on ground to monitor the exercise.
THE IMPACT gathered that the officials would, at the end of the exercise tomorrow, leave with the list if the participants and their screening tests to determine those eligible to participate in the October 1 mini – marathon that has turned into a big sporting event not only in the state but in the whole of the country.
Also at the screening was an ambulance from the General Hospital, Ikorodu.
According to Mr Samson Soneye, the Coordinator of the race and the Personal Assistant to the Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Agunbiade who is the initiator/sponsor of the annual marathon, he said that the final list of participants would be pasted at the Hon. Agunbiade’s constituency office, starting from Monday, September 27, 2021.
“We started the screening on Wednesday and since then, students interested in the race and who have obtained and submitted their registration forms have been coming around for the medical screening”, he said.
“We have the officials of the Lagos State Sports Commission on ground who are monitoring the exercise and at the end of the screening exercise on Saturday, they will be going with the list and screening tests to determine those eligible to partake in the race.
He said that they are expecting more turnouts tomorrow.
“We are not going to extend the exercise. It’s definitely ending tomorrow and we are expecting others to come for the screening which is a prerequisite for their participation. I know they will be here in large numbers tomorrow and we have the capacity to accommodate them”, Mr Soneye said.
“This has been a major part of the process since we started the race seven years ago. We have always been mindful of the fact that only those that are medically fit are allowed to participate in the race. More so, the initiator/sponsor is always particular about the fitness of the participants and that is why we have not recorded any casualty since the commencement of the marathon”, he added.
One of the screening officials, who spoke with THE IMPACT, said that they have been able to detect that some of the students that came for the screening have high blood pressure and high pulse.
She also added that they have been able to discover that some of those that applied to participate in the race are above the required age while some are still in primary school.
