Yomi Omogbeja (14/11/2004)

Namibia’s Frankie Fredericks will be honoured for his distinguished career and dedication to the sport in Africa at the Mauritius national sports awards 2004.

The event holds on Saturday, 11 December at the Beau Rivage Hotel.

Fredericks, 36, is the guest of honour at the awards organised by L’Express, Powerade and Naïade Resorts to pay tribute to the best Mauritian sportsmen of the year.

He will also unveil a commemorative tablet at the Primo Nebiolo House, the headquarters of the Mauritius Amateur Athletics Association (MAAA).

Africa’s greatest ever sprinter will become the second world class athlete, after Merlene Ottey in 1998 during her visit in the context of the Year of Women in Athletics, to have his name in the hall of Fame of the Primo Nebiolo House.

During his visit Fredericks will conduct two workshops, with home track star Stéphan Buckland for the cream of Mauritian athletes at Maryse Justin Stadium.

And then another to more than a thousand teenage kids at the Auguste Vollaire Stadium at Flacq on Wednesday, 8 December, and at the Maryse Justin Stadium on Thursday, 9 December.

These workshops will deal with topics ranging from performance enhancement and motivation to sports injuries, high level sports and doping in sports.

Fredericks retired from international athletics competitions at the end of the 2004 season, but will continue to serve on the IOC Athletes Commission.

see also: Fredericks in farewell win