25th June, 2013
Blessing Okagbare and Ogho Oghene-Egwero top the list of 19 athletes that would fly Nigeria’s flag at the World Athletics Championships in Russia.
The athletes were picked after the national trials held at the U J Esuene Stadium Calabar, include Men: Ogho-Oghene Egwero B standard- 100M (probation ) Noah Akwu B standard -400M (probation) Leoman Momoh B standard – 800M (probation) 4x400M Relay team, Noah Akwu, Abiola Onakoya, Isah Saliu, Tobi Ogunmola, and Gerald Odeka. Women: Okagbare A standard, 100/200/long jump, Ajoke Odunmosu, A standard -400MH, Regina George , A standard – 400M, Gloria Asumu A standard -100M, Oluwakemi Adekoya , A standard, 400MH (Probation) and Omolara Omotosho B standard- 400M (Probation) others are, Josephine Ehigie , B standard- 400M (Probation), 8. Patience Okon, B standard 400M (Probation) Stephanie Kalu, B standard-100M (Probation) and Ugoma Ndu. B standard- 400MH (Probation)
Women’s 4x100M relay team – Blessing Okagbare, Gloria Asumu, Peace Uko and Stephanie Kalu,4x400M relay- Regina George, Omolara Omotosho, Patience Okon, Josephine Ehige and Bukola Agbokunlogo. The following athletes who were close to the qualification mark were therefore given three weeks grace to qualify for their individual and team events. They included high jump athlete Doreen Amata, Ugonna Ndu (100mh), Tosin Oke (Triple jump), Selim Nurudeen (110MH and 400M and Abiola Onakoya and 4x100m men’s relay team.
Meanwhile, some coaches have expressed their concerns, over the time; Nigerian athletes were able to record at the just concluded All Nigeria/Cross River Open Athletics championships in Calabar.
The coaches’ concerns, stemmed from the fact that most of the athletes failed to meet the qualification standard set by the International Amateur Athletics Federations, IAAF.
The Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) before the competition in Calabar said, that they would use the competition to select some athletes that will represent Nigeria at the World Athletics Championship in Moscow in August.
Edo state coach Mutiu Oluwa said that the Calabar championship is quite expository as to the big task that awaits Nigerian athletics.
“My assessment is that the athletes still have a lot of work to do. Only a few of them have hit their qualification mark, but most are still struggling,” he told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN
“We’ve only qualified for the women’s 4x100m and 4x400m. The 4x400m men have not qualified, they have to be among the first 16 best relay teams in the world,” he said.
Chief Coach of Kwara State Athletic Association, Johnson Abiodun, said it was sad to see the athletes struggling to meet the IAAF qualification requirements, stressing that it is time to go back to the grassroots.
“Much of the athletes haven’t met the international standard and to my own understanding, we still need to go back to the grassroots,” he said.
“The athletes must be engaged regularly in competitions. We need more competitions to bring out the best in them, but right now, we have to just hold on to what they’re able to offer,” he said.