ExxonMobil’s Sponsorship Withdrawal Not Surprising

Henry Amike, President, Nigeria Olympian Association (NOA), said that the decision of ExxonMobil to withdraw from the sponsorship of the All Nigeria Athletics Open Championship was not surprising.

Amike told newsmen in Lagos that NOA was unhappy that the oil giant was pulling out of the championship that they had been sponsoring for more than 20 years.

The Cross River State Government has stepped in with an annual sponsorship of N50 million for five years.

“Though some of us are not surprised that Mobil is pulling out of the championship, we believe that at this age and time, athletes should be well rewarded.

“A situation where athletes are not paid their prize money immediately after the competition is not acceptable.

“We have been complaining about the treatment the organisers have been giving to the athletes; they are not given accommodation and feeding when participating in the championships.

“They are not well motivated; this has resulted in our athletes’ downward performance in recent years in international competitions,” Amike said.

He said the N11 million annual sponsorship deal with ExxonMobil was too small for such a championship.

“The championship is the biggest in the AFN calendar; our best athletes throughout the globe come home to participate. But the whole arrangement was usually not commensurate with the standard of the championship.

“We have been telling the sponsor to make the welfare of the athletes their top priority, but they are not listening to us; they prefer to listen to their consultant who is not a sportsman.

“So much money is spent on advertisement, while the welfare of the athletes is relegated to the background; this is not acceptable to us,”