Blessing Okagbare to lead world stars to the Jamaica Invitational !

Just a week after the 2015 World Relays held in the Island nation of Bahamas, another frenzied championship will take centre-stage this weekend at the Jamaica International Invitational Meet. Top athletes from around the world will be on parade, competing against each other as they look set to get into shape with the new season already on the horizon.

Blessing Okagbare who last week led Team Nigeria to win GOLD in the women’s 4x200m relay event in Bahamas, will be looking at making it a double win in successive weeks when she files out against other renowned athletes from across the globe.

Last year Okagbare won the women’s 100m event in a time of 11.19s, beating the Jamaican duo of Kerron Stewart and Carrie Rusell who finished second and third respectively. Being the defending the champion, she will be in the limelight as the attention will be on her to see if she will be able to retain the honours this weekend.

This week, Okagbare called out the jury on the Athletics Federation of Nigeria(AFN), lamenting how the country has spent a lot of funds in recruiting foreign athletes to run for Nigeria, which the AFN themselves followed up with a response.  Would these internal wranglings affect Okagbare in Jamaica?

Athletes are peaking at the moment and would maximise the opportunities any of the meets can afford them to fine-tune preparations, especially with the IAAF Diamond League commencing next week in Doha, Qatar in the first meet of the year.

Taking place in Jamaica, there will not be a shortage of outstanding Jamaican athletes on the track, although the big man, Usain Bolt is yet to confirm his participation for the tourney. Fresh from his defeat with his national teammates, losing to a USA team anchored by Ryan Bailey in the men’s 4x100m relay race in Bahamas, Bolt might not be too eager to be back on a meet, although his sights could already be on the Diamond League.

However, his compatriot Asafa Powell has confirmed his participation in the meet this weekend in Kingston. Powell was not selected in the Jamaican team that was in Bahamas, he could be angling to prove a point when he steps out to race having now come back from a drug ban in 2013. Other top Jamaican athletes like Nesta Carter, Kemar Bailey Cole are some of those who will be in the championship.

There have been mooted talks that Bailey has been billed to compete in the invitationals this weekend, but the American is yet to confirm if he will be on the plane to Jamaica. It is left to be seen what kind of response he will get since his provocative celebration when USA defeated Jamaica at the World Relays, mimicking Bolt’s trademark pointing to the sky, then ending it with a slaying sign.

However, his teammate Tyson Gay will be in Jamaica, as he begins to ease himself back into contention following his comeback from a drug ban. 400m hurdles world champion, Jehue Gordon is another top athlete signed up for the tourney, with the Trinidad and Tobago hurdler boosting the calibre of people coming for the event.

In the women’s category, so many top female athletes have confirmed their participation in the event. Olympic and World Champion Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce will herald the roll-call of the elite athletes who will be competing on Saturday, as she is expected to go up against Okagbare in the women’s 100m dash this weekend.

Also, Olympic champions, Allyson Felix and Sanya Richard-Ross would equally compete on Saturday alongside their American compatriot Tori Bowie also confirming her participation.

With just a week to first Diamond League meet for the year, there couldn’t have been a better competition to get ready than the Jamaican Invitational championship.