The last preparatory meeting for the upcoming race of Hope took place in Yaounde on Thursday February 16, 2017.
The 2017 edition of the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope will take place in Buea in the South West Region on Saturday February 25, 2017. The information was made public on Thursday February 16, 2017 during the last preparatory meeting in Yaounde. Stakeholders met to seek ways and means of assisting the Cameroon Athletics Federation as far as the organisation of the race is concerned.
The meeting was presided at by the Secretary General in the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, Oumarou Tado. It was equally an opportunity for the representatives of the different sub committees to present the level of preparedness in their various domains.
The South West Regional Delegate for Sports and Physical Education, Ekema Abel said everything is in place and certain major technical aspects have been taken care of such as the selection of athletes, hostesses, clearing of the mountain track and the field is ready. The President of the Cameroon Athletics Federation, Emmanuel Motomby Mbome said selection for athletes began in November 2016. He reiterated that the sociopolitical situation of the South West Region cannot affect the race.
The president of the competition committee, Michel Nkollo said 600 athletes are expected to take part in the race this year. Already, test races had been organised in seven regions in the country notably Mount Mbankolo, Centre, Mount Beedi, Littoral, Mount Mekou, West, Mount Oku, North West, Mount Cameroon South West and Mount Ebolowa in the South Region. At the end of the competitions 574 athletes were selected. He said 26 places have been reserved for athletes from Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya, France, Nigeria and Great Britain. The athletes will compete in various categories namely seniors, ladies and gentlemen veterans. The departure and arrival points will be inside the Molyko Stadium. The Secretary General instructed the committee members to work hand-in-hand to ensure a successful event.