BetKing Celebrates Nigeria’s New Para World Champion from Morocco
By Adeniyi Ifetayo
Goodness Nwachukwu who returned from the Para Athletics Grand Prix in Marrakech, Morocco with two gold medals in shot put and javelin, was given a rousing welcome on Wednesday by BetKing Nigeria Limited at their corporate headquarters in Ikoyi Lagos.
The leading sports betting company are also supporting two other para athletes in the country.
Ms Nwachukwu who is the Commonwealth Games champion, launched 9.52m to break the women’s F42 shot put record in a dominant display in Morocco where four other Nigerian Para athletes where also on parade. She had earlier at the Birmingham Games set a World Record of 36.56m in the Discuss event on the way to winning the gold medal for Nigeria last summer.
The obviously elated athlete expressed her happiness at the show of love by BetKing. “I am short of words to express my joy at the way BetKing are showering love on me. May God replenish their pockets as they support the careers of Nigerian Para athletes.”
She however admitted that going to Morocco to set another world record this time in Shot Put did not come as a piece of cake. “After the National Sports Festival in Asaba where i won three gold medals for Delta State, athletes were decamped. I only trained for one week before heading to Morocco to win the two gold medals for Nigerian.”
Nwachukwu was unfazed that officials of the Grand Prix in Morocco wrongly presented one gold and one silver to her instead of the two gold medals she merited. An official complaint has been lodged while the organisers have promised to send the right gold medal to Nwachukwu in Lagos.
The world champion however stressed that after the Grand Prix, she was looking forward to the World Championships in July before the Paralympic Games in Paris next year. “We have the World Championship and the African Games for Para athletes coming up this year. I want to do well in these competition before heading to Paris 2024,” Nwachukwu emphasized.
Communications Manager of BetKing Nigeria, Anjola Martins, told THISDAY at the ceremony that BetKing decided to take up the responsibility of supporting three para athletes because “the athletes are not recognized enough despite the fact that they have won more gold medals for Nigeria than the able body athletes.
“We at BetKing are filling in that gap of celebrating these wonderful athletes not just in Nigeria but across the continent.”
She hinted that BetKing was ready to give all that these worthy ambassadors of the country need to emerge world champions at the Paralympic Games next year.
Other para athletes that are also enjoying the support of BetKing include, Temitope Hassan and Promise Emeka.
The sports betting company was the sponsors of the Para Athletics category of the last National Sports Festival in Asaba. It was the first of its kind and went a step further to support a number of individual athletes to with Funding and Gear.
Source: ThisDay on line
