Podium finishes at the 8th Government College Ughelli (GCU) Relays will come with added rewards as organisers introduce customised gifts for medal-winning athletes at the annual intercollegiate athletics competition.
The latest initiative will see every gold, silver and bronze medalist receive a specially branded beverage cup, marking the first time the organisers are extending this recognition to all podium finishers.
The gesture comes on top of the souvenir packages traditionally distributed to participating athletes.
The expanded reward scheme adds to the incentives that have made the GCU Relays attractive to secondary schools. Outstanding performers in the boys’ and girls’ categories will receive additional prizes, while the school adjudged best in the march-past display will also be rewarded.
The organisers have equally retained the competition’s all-expenses-paid arrangement for invited schools, ensuring that participating institutions do not have to bear the cost of transportation, accommodation and feeding during their visit to Ughelli.
Academic support has also been part of the competition’s legacy. Previous recipients of the Victor and Victrix Ludorum honours have benefited from scholarships introduced during the administration of former PGWW President-General, Charles Majoroh. His successor, HRM Albert Akpomudje, SAN, has continued the tradition of rewarding outstanding young athletes.
Since its introduction, the GCU Relays has attracted several schools that have gone on to claim the overall honours, including Government College Ughelli, Hussey College Warri, Urhobo College Effurun, Afiesere Secondary School and Federal Government College Warri.
The competition’s reach has also extended beyond Delta State. Igbobi College, Lagos, participated in the maiden edition, setting an early precedent for the inclusion of schools from other parts of the country.
Established to bring back the intense inter-school rivalries that once fuelled secondary school athletics in Nigeria, the GCU Relays continues to combine competition, talent discovery and recognition in its effort to strengthen the foundation of the sport.