By Toyyib Alawode
To propagate Islamic teachings and tenets among the people in the community through sports, Ahmadi Muslim Students’ Association, Federal College of Education (sp), Oyo has held its third annual marathon event between 20th and 21st April, 2018.
The event, held on Friday within the school and on Saturday at the Palace of Oba Amoorin of Akinmoorin Land, was opened to students of FCE (sp) Oyo , Oyo residents, AMSA members across the nation and MKAN members.
The yearly event also took another dimension by giving the visually impaired (blind) students of the school the opportunity to understand Ahmadiyya better by participating in the exercise, as efforts to sensitize, propagate and integrate the peaceful message of Ahmadiyya Community to the Handicapped People, the Unit believed sporting event was a channel to reach them.
The Ahmadiyya Blind Race, the first of its kinds in the school, covered almost 5-6km within the school premises, starting from the school pavilion to the provost office to college admin, to the school market and to some schools in the college and finally to the school pavilion with 12 competitors in attendance and many spectators both Students and the staff in the college.
The male marathon race covered 15km from Akinmoorin Palace to Durbar Police Station to Oyo Stadium to other urban areas within Oyo environs with 27 athletes.
The Walker-ton race was organized in the form of peace trek where the female participants wore Lajna Imaillah ‘Walk for Health’ Cloth. It covered 10km from the start point to the end point with 23 AMSA female members from ECOED, FSS and SPED respectively.
However, the public lecture was held at the Palace of Amoorin, delivered by Bro. Abdul Waheed Ahmad on the topic ‘Plagues in the Latter Days: Islamic Viewpoint’.
Meanwhile, the organizer rewarded the best athletes with gift items. In blind race, Korede Olamide (1st), Lawal Mutiu (2nd) and Michael Joshua (3rs) emerged the best; Hamzat Tajudeen (1st), Hamzat Tijani (2nd) and Tijani Habeeb (3rd) emerged the best in male marathon race while Adetoro Roqeebah (1st), Adeyemi Mariam (2nd) and Lawal Zainab (3rd) took the walker-ton prizes.
41 male and 48 female were in attendance at the programme.
