Abuja meets kicks off

The maiden edition of the Hope Athletics Meet has began at the main bowl of the Abuja National Stadium.

The competition is open to primary and secondary students across the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory.

Mohammed Alim, coordinator of the championship said N2 million of the prize-money would be won in the secondary school category, while the balance of N1 million would be won in the primary school category.

Alim said that winners in each of the 15 Track and Field events in the secondary school category would take home N40, 000 while those in the primary school category would win N20, 000 each.

He said apart from prize-money, computers as well as scholarship would also be awarded to some of the winners.

The events to be competed for include: 100, 200 400, 800 and 5,000 metres, High jump, discuss, long jump, javelin, short put and triple jump.

The organisers said that the primary school students were excluded from the 5,000metres, discuss, javelin, short put and triple jump.

The coordinator added a cross country and a marathon races would also hold at the championship.

"The championship is aimed at encouraging friendship among the youth through sports as a step toward peace and unity of the country," Alim said.