Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon
The Secretary General in the Southwest Governor’s Office, Clement Fon Ndikum has invited members of the 15 commissions that make up the Local Organising Committee, LOC, for the 2014 Mount Cameroon Race of Hope to earnestly work for the complete success of the race and not come in to make money for themselves.
At the first preparatory meeting of LOC, Wednesday, January 22 2014 at the conference room of the Governor’s office, Buea, the SG of the Southwest Region said the success recorded last year in the race, something which has been rare to come by in many years, should spill over to the 2014 edition, with the bouncing back of a top and one time sponsor of the race, Guinness Cameroon. “The designated members should work selflessly for the success of the event, which we expect to be grandiose this time around. Let our work spur the sponsor Guinness Cameroon, which is back and we wish they have come to stay,” he noted.
Atheletes bracing up Mount Cameroon in 2013
Though no official of Guinness Cameroon was present at the LOC, Fon Ndikum explained that the President of the Southwest League of Athletics will convey the details of the deliberations to them for subsequent actions.
He will confirm that after earlier meetings with officials of Guinness Cameroon, the prizes for the winners in the male and female categories have been drawn as follows; FCFA 10 Million for the First Male and Female respectively, the second position is FCFA 5 Million and the third position, FCFA 2 Million.
On the totality of the budget of the race, the SG said the National President of Cameroon Athletics Federation, the General Manager of Guinness Cameroon and the Minister of Sports and Physical Education are in a better position to brief the public on the budget.
Andrew Eteki Njoh, President of the Southwest Athletics League expressed confidence on the readiness of his federation, saying that the test races in the Southwest Region and across Cameroon have been done with. “The publicity banners are already in place. They will be put up in the days ahead. The logo of the race is ready. Work at the take off point at the Molyko sports stadium is on the fast lane and the rest will be speed up in the days ahead,” he added.
Eteki Njoh welcomed the coming back of Guinness Cameroon to the race they abandoned 20 years ago and made a plea to the population to drop their apathy for the race and come be part and parcel of the sporting, cultural, touristic and international event.
The Southwest Regional Athletics President was clear that the house promised to be built and the keys handed to the Queen of Mount Cameroon and seven times winner of the Female Category, Sarah Liengu Etongue by the Cameroon Athletics Federation will be done so on February 14 2014, the eve of the race, which is Saturday, February 15 2014.
Other environmental and practical problems raised by members of the various committees were promised to be given prompt and in some cases make-do solutions as they build up to the race.
