Tears for Oluwaseun, as Schneider Electric sponsors two Nigerian athletes to Paris marathon

One of Nigeria’s female marathon runners, Olamide Oluwaseun, wept openly yesterday in Lagos on seeing her opportunity of competing in the famous Paris marathon race stumbled. The Paris marathon is one of the biggest marathons in the World and Oluwaseun has been looking for a chance to be part of it.

The young Oluwaseun had finished second behind Mary Akor as the first Nigerian female to cross the finish line at the recently concluded Lagos City Marathon race. Yohanna Donatu was third.

The golden opportunity to run in Paris came yesterday in Lagos, when Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management and automation decided to sponsor the Nigerian male and female winners to the 2016 Schneider Electric Paris Marathon scheduled to hold in Paris, France, on April 3, as part of the company’s launch of its brand and business campaign called Life Is On.
 
The company picked Philip Sharubutu, the first Nigerian male to cross the line in the Lagos City marathon and Yohanna Donatu (the third female finisher), but Oluwaseun (who finished second) was left out.

Since the first female finisher, Mary Akor, was declared ‘ineligible’ for the sponsorship, Oluwaseun was so sure she would pick the sponsorship ticket to Paris. But it was not to be.

Oluwaseun was left out on age ground. She is not up to the required 19 years yet. She will turn 19 in August, three months after the Paris marathon race.

The girl broke down in tears, as officials of AFN and Schneider Electric handed the ticket to Yohanna.

I came here thinking I will be part of the trip to Paris. My God, when will this opportunity come again?” Oluwaseun lamented while speaking with The Guardian at the Teslim Balogun Stadium yesterday.

The 42.195km Paris Marathon is in its 40th edition.
 
Speaking on the sponsorship, the Country President, Schneider Electric Nigeria, Walid Sheta, said: “We are excited to support and sponsor two Nigerian athletes to this year’s Paris Marathon because the experience will further motivate our athletes and spur them to greater achievements.”