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By Our Reporter
Nigeria’s best athletes are set for Trials at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba, to fight for tickets to enable them fly the nation’s flag at the Africa Games scheduled for Accra, Ghana, in March.
The National Trials, being organised by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) in collaboration with Making of Champions (MoC), will hold from February 17-20.
The focus will be on the Women’s 100m event, were Tima Godbless, Favour Ofili and Rosemary Chukwuma are the overwhelming favorite for the 100m title.
Chukwuma ran a PB of 7.11sec in her debut 60m race of the season. Youngsters such as Faith Okwose and Tiana Eyakpobeyan will be hoping to cause an upset and perhaps, secure their first senior national call-up in the 4x100m relay team in Asaba Trials.
The men’s 400m is another highly anticipated event, having the presence of NCAA standout athlete, Dubem Nwachukwu.
Nwachukwu was exceptional in the NCAA, in 2023 and expected to make a mark this time around, being the second time the US-based lad would be representing Nigeria.
He was at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, where his target was to win his first Nigerian title and helping the 4x400m relay team hit the standard. But that could not happen.
Also in the mix to win his senior title is new sensation, Samuel Ogazi, who is undefeated on home soil in 2023 season. Ogazi blazed to sub-46sesc at AFN Golden League in Abuja, last year, and he is one of the US-based stars expected to light up the Trials in Asaba.
Ifeanyi Ojeli has found his groove back, just as Raphael Egbuchilem and Samson Nathaniel are also top podium contenders for Nigeria at the Africa Games.
In the field events, all eyes on Ese Brume and Ruth Usoro in Long Jump
World silver medallist, Brume, will be the outright favourite for the Women’s Long Jump title, if she comes to Asaba. But this time, she will have a mouthwatering clash with Ruth Usoro, who is also at her best this season.
Tough contest between Africa long jump record holder, Brume and Usoro will be one of the major highlights at the Trials.
Usoro soared to the fifth-best jump in the world in Bermuda last year, while Brume has continued to improve this year.
In the women’s Discus throw, defending champion, Chioma Onyekwere, NCAA silver medallist, Ashley Anumba, and National Sports Festival champion, Obiageri Amaechi are capable of being crowned the winner in Asaba. Onyekwere is the defending champion in the women’s Discus event.
United States-based Chukwuebuka Enekwechi men’s shot putter, and Nnamdi Chinecherem in the men’s javelin throw (if present), will be unchallenged for the title in their events.
There are also new stars to watch out for at the Asaba National Trials.
United States-based high jumper, Temitope Adeshina, made big headline a few weeks ago, when she shattered the national high jump record held by Doreen Amata since 2016.
Adeshina, who made her second appearance in competitive meets in the USA, cleared the height of 1.96m to erase Amata’s 1.93m indoor and 1.95 outdoor records at the Corky Classic in Texas. The 1.96m is just a fraction below the Olympics qualification standard.
Adeshina will be the cynosure of all eyes at the Africa Games in Ghana.
Another new comer, Consider Ekanem,
Will be attract attention in Asaba. Many athletics-loving Nigerians were in celebration mood a few days ago, when World Athletics finally acknowledged Ekanem’s 100m performance of 10.10sec as fastest time in the world so far this season.
He set the record at the Dynamics Athletics Meeting held at the Navy Sports Ground in Ojo, Lagos at the end of January.
Ekanem, trained by former African record holder, Seun Ogunkoya, stormed home first in an impressive, lifetime best setting 10.10 seconds. It remains the fastest time in the world over the distance, supplanting the 10.13sec Cameron’s Itoungue Bogognie ran some days earlier.
Many expect him to follow in the footsteps of his coach, Ogunkoya, who also stormed the Nigerian athletics scene with a big bang in 1996, running 10.15sec on the road to winning the National Sports Festival title before breaking 10 seconds the following year. He also upstaged the great Davidson Ezinwa to win the Nigerian Championships.
