The National Coordinator and Technical Director, Race walking event, Samuel Babatoba yesterday urged secondary schools games masters and sports officials in institutions of higher learning to embrace the sport.
Babatoba, a certified Level Four Coach in race walk, told newsmen in Lagos that athletes should be given the opportunity to feature in the event.
The coordinator said that race walk would give athletes better chance of exhibiting their skills, noting that those from the northern part of Nigeria had better body mass for the walk.
According to him Nigerian athletes should  create the passion for long distance events, especially race walk.
“Some of them see it as a new event but it is old; they have better chance with the race.
“People are familiar with sprints and we have seen how far we can go; if any of them can embrace race walk, it could be a way for them to excel in sport.
“And it is only when they try that they will discover their ability. I implore them to please come, develop interest, have the passion and let us see the beauty of the race.
“The race, to some people, is a normal way that you can walk anyhow for fitness; but to me, it is a competitive walk that has techniques,’’ Babatoba said.
Babatoba said that it was easier for marathoners to embrace race walk, adding that the techniques would be the first thing to be mastered.
The coordinator, who demonstrated the event at the 2017 Nigerian Universities Games Association (NUGA) Games in Makurdi, said he was happy with the association’s decision to feature the event at the next edition.
“I am happy that some athletes who participated in NUGA Games have been showing interest that they want to try the event,’’ he said.
Tidesports source gathered that race walking is a long-distance discipline within the sport of athletics.
Although it is a foot race, it is different from running in that one foot must appear to be in contact with the ground at all times.
This is assessed by race judges and it is typically held on either roads or on running tracks, common distances vary from 3,000m up to 100 km.