It was a full house at the Sports Complex of the Yaba College of Technology in Lagos as over 400 athletes from all parts of the country participated in the African Youth Athletics Championships Trials and Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) 2nd All-Comers Competition, which took place on Wednesday.
Some of the athletes churned out good times in their races, but the fastest time for the day was done by former National Champion,Ogho-Oghene Egwero who lowered his time from the last All-Comers championship in Abuja. At the nation’s capital last month, Egwero did a time of 10.28s, but he improved to a Season’s Best (SB) of 10.20s, which won him the race.
In the different straight finals of the men’s 400m races, reigning National Champion, Isah Salihu emerged winner in his own event, with Orukpe Erayokan, Tobi Ogunmola and Noah Akwu also winning theirs. Salihu clinched his own race in a time of 48.15s while Eko 2012 winner, Erayokan ran the fastest time in the 400m (46.58s.), which was slower than the 46.38s he posted in Abuja.
Daniel Agboola defeated other athletes to win the men’s 800m event in a time of 1min: 53s, while Osuolale Taiwo won the 5000m event with a time of 15min: 19: 61s.
Nkem Ezeala won the double, clinching the women’s 100m event in a time of 11.53s. African Junior Champion, Praise Idamadudu won the 200m women’s youth category, beating other athletes to race to the finish line in a time of 23.71s.
Athletes who were at Top Sprinter Auditions
Some of the athletes who participated in the Top Sprinter Auditions organised by Making of Champions last month, were also part of the All- Comers event in Lagos. From the Top Sprinter Lagos auditions to that of Ibadan and Enugu, some of these athletes came out and rubbed shoulders with some of the best in the country.
Of all the athletes who competed at the Top Sprinter auditions, Olisakwe Chukwudi ran the fastest time with 10.64s in his 100m heats. He completed the double when he won the 200m race with a time of 21.99s. His friend, Igube Thankgod placed second in his race in the 100m Youth category, but made amends in the 200m event where he ran a time of 21.89s.
Abdulrahman Afeez was the other athlete who won his race in the Youth’s 400m. The Ilorin-based athlete won his heat in a time of 49.10s and afterwards told Making Of Champions: ” I am disappointed with my time,” he said after the race, adding that: “the curve was unending”, an unhappy Afeez who started in lane 8 said. Meanwhile, double champion at the Ibadan auditions, Emmanuel Arowolo, won his heat in 10.74s.
Olubukola Alagbe who was a double champion in Enugu, twice placed 2nd in her races on the day. Alagbe came second in the 100m heat, finishing with a time of 12.01s.
Trials for next week’s Africa Youth Championship
The AFN used the All-Comers championship to get some of the athletes with the fastest times and best performances to represent the country at the 2nd Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Youth Championships taking place from April 23 to 26 in Mauritius.
There were competitions in the field events ranging from the hammer throws, Long and Triple Jumps and also the Javelin. The stand-out performance came from Nere Omatsola, who broke the National Youth Record. The SS 3 student of Whitesands School in Lagos scaled the height of 1.85m to emerge tops in the competition.
‘Making of champions’
I start by congratulating you all for the con tributions to this topic.Fact is champions are made not born.All grory goes to God Al mighty of all living things visible&invincible As a born again Christian,i believe in the su premacy of the Most High God,the Alfa & Omega,with whom nothing’s impossible.Cr eating man in His image & likeness, made us mini creators ourselves & as such nothing’s is imposible for man to achieve if we align ourselves to God in obedience.
Gone are the days when Scientists tried to disaprove the existence of God in creation, but even the same science has also provide d clear evidence of the existence of a Supre me Bein.My personal experiences i believe will be of benefit to this forum and with time,i will shed some light on some salient & technical issues in Sports & Track&Field in particular nationally&Internationally.
First, who are those currently dominating the major Sports Events in some Sports worldwide?Track & Field Athletics in parti cular?Blacks no doubt. Origin is Africa. A result of the Slave Trade.Their outstanding developments & performances can be clear ly attributed to exposure to superior well established Structures & Institutions for effective growth & development put togeth er by good Governments.However that it took the USA well over 200yrs to get to where they are presently,does’nt follow we must thread that path.All that is needed is the resolve & commitment by a few to be ready to make the required sacrifice for the real changes to occur.This also will requir hudge structural & intitutional adjustments & not just dependent on foreign aids & emp loyments of technical assistants in the vario us fields of endevours.Untill all these are pu t in place only then can we stand shoulder to shoulder with the advanced Nations. Pre sently where i am in the US,Ft.Lauderdale,it is vertually impossible for anyone to rise up to Public or even Private Positions of Auth ority without adequate scrutiny of his quali fications or past life.
I can assure you,there are very competent Nigerians both in Nigeria & the diaspora that can set things right if the right if the right political system is put in place.Singapo r, South Africa,Ghana,South Corea & even Jamaica have made giant strides in improvi ng their situations.Somehow my feelings are that only with a true Federalism can our situation be reversed after our just concluded General Elections.Where each Federating State will have it’s own program to develope it’s own programs according to it’s own priority & availability of funds.With the States also determining weather they can participate in major continental events like the Olympics,Commonwealth Games etc. with the Federal Gov’t making counter part funding contributions.No doubt all our years of dependency on the Federal National Sports Commission has yielded us with nothing but a cronicle of failed results & in some cases leading to executive Panels set up by same Gov’ts to probe performanc es of past Administrations. With indicted officials recycled back to the various Sports Associations.Sure, we need a rethink of existing Structures & Establishment..more later
Your observation is quite apt sir. With the right systems/structures in place, Nigeria can definitely hold her own amongst the best nations of the world!