U.S.-based artist, E’Major set for South East Sports Foundation event

• Competition Holds March 19
A Nigerian-American afrobeat, hip hop and reggae artist based in the city of Minnesota, E’Major, is expected to jet into the country soon to thrill athletes at the maiden South East Sports Foundation athletics competition slated for Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium, Enugu, on March 19. The event originally billed for March 13 was moved forward to allow Rangers FC honour a league match in Enugu.

The South East Sports Foundation is a pet project of United States-based Nigerian former athlete, Victor Okorie, who was one of the most gifted hurdlers to rise from the nation’s school sports system. Okorie, who won a silver medal for Team Nigeria at COJA 2003 All Africa Games in Abuja, has been bankrolling a scholarship programme for athletes and training of some Nigerian coaches at the National Institute For Sports (NIS) in Lagos.

Okorie told The Guardian yesterday that E’Major, a native of Enugu, had offered to sponsor himself to the competition venue as part of his contribution to the South East Sports Foundation project.

“E’Major so much believes in what we are doing,” Okorie said. “He wants to show his support to the Foundation and he is sponsoring himself to Nigeria. He will use his music to entertain the athletes as support for the South-East Sports Foundation athletics competition on March 19 in Enugu.”

Apart from being famous as afrobeat artist, E’Major also makes wave as R&B/Hip hop and reggae musician in the United States and other parts of the world.

Okorie hinted that the South East Sports Foundation athletics completion is open for all Nigerian athletes, but the prize money will only go to athletes from the South East, which is the base of the Foundation.

“With the new date shifted to March 19, arrival date for the competition is now March 18. And the events to be competed for are 100m (male and female), 200m (male and female), 400m (male and female) and the jumps. There will be no hurdles event in Enugu because there are only few hurdle sticks available at the stadium. But there will be invitational relay events for some selected secondary schools.”

Okorie hinted yesterday that the South East Sports Foundation athletics competition would give Nigerian athletes the opportunity to test their fitness level ahead the Edo 2021 National Sports Festival which holds in April, as well as the Tokyo Olympics.