As part of his long-term plans to develop long-distance running in Nigeria to a world-class standard, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare says the first National Cross Country championships to be organised by the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development will hold on February 18 in Jos, the capital of Plateau State.
The championship, according to the Sports Minister becomes necessary to enable the athletes to develop their strength and make them better runners.
“Cross-country running, experts tell us is excellent for developing strength,” says Dare who began the move to develop distance running in Nigeria last year.
“We have enormous potential to rival the east Africans and win laurels for the country at continental and international championships and games. More importantly, we want to positively engage the mass of distance runners in this country and make them earn a good living from running around the world like their east and north African counterparts.”
