With the 2016 African Athletics Championships ongoing in South Africa, Team Nigeria’s trio of: Blessing Okagbare, Seye Ogunlewe and Ogho-oghene Egwero will be competing this evening at the IAAF World Challenge taking place in Madrid, Spain.
Okagbare and Egwero were initially listed in the Nigerian team to Durban, with both athletes eventually not making the trip. However, both sprinters alongside Ogunlewe and another Nigerian, Patrick Chinedu will compete in the 100m events.
In the women’s 100m, Okagbare is not expected to be ruffled as she is the most high-profiled athlete named in the field. She will be coming up against the likes of Nigerian born Norwegian athlete, Ezinne Okparaebo, and also Angela Tenorio who is the only other athlete alongside Okagbare to go under 11s in the startlist.
Meanwhile in the men’s category, the Nigerian representatives will sense an opportunity to finish on the podium as the field seems balanced with no big names to instil fear. Only two athletes have run a sub 10s in the startlist, Daniel Bailey with a 9.91 and Kemar Hyman with a 9.95s . Egwero has the third fastest time in the startlist with 10.06s.
With Okagbare, Egwero and Ogunlewe all unavailable for Nigeria in Durban, no doubt these three would have bolstered the Nigerian team, but competing in Madrid also provides a competitive edge for them.
Other notable names to look out for this evening include the ageless Ruth Beitia who will be competing in the women’s High Jump, and Orlando Ortega in the men’s 110m Hurdles. Mohammed Aman and Amel Tuka will both compete in the men’s 800m.
