Guardian Nigerian athletes outrun Americans, Jamaicans, others WEDNESDAY, 10 JULY 2013 20:34 FROM GOWON AKPODONOR, DONETSK, UKRAINE SPORT - HOME • IAAF says Edoki too young to compete NIGERIA’S quest for medals in this year’s IAAF World Youth Championship, Donetsk 2013, began on a bright note Wednesday, as all the athletes, who competed on the opening day made it to the next round. Africa’s fastest youth, Divine Ejovwokoghene Oduduru was in his best form, as he dusted his challengers from Great Britain, Argentina, Norway, Hungary and Switzerland to win heat one of the boys 100m race. His time of 10.67 seconds was adjudged as one of the best in the sprint events yesterday. Oduduru is Team Nigeria’s lone contender in the 100m race. He has a personal best of 10. 61 seconds, which he ran during the African Youth Championship (AYAC) in Warri in March this year. He told The Guardian, which is the only Nigerian medium covering the championship that he had what it takes to win a medal in the event Before Oduduru’s fantastic race in the 100m, Omeiza John Akerele had opened the gate of success for Team Nigeria in the boys 400m, when he dusted all contenders to qualify to the next round. As the first Nigerian to test action here in Ukraine 2013 championship, Akerele wasted no time, as he raced to the first position in heat 2, beating tough challengers from Italy, Spain, Colombia, South Africa and the host country, Ukraine. He returned in a time of 48.29 seconds. Akerele has a season best of 47.35 seconds and he is being tipped for a medal in the event, which semi-finals will be decided today. The finals will take place tomorrow. He told The Guardian soon after his race yesterday that he would approach today’s semi-final with all seriousness, adding that his target is to win a medal in the championship. Another Team Nigeria athlete in the boys 400m event, Samson Oghenewegba Nathaniel ran a slow race to qualify in heat 6. Nathaniel ran 47.90 seconds to place third, but was lucky to scale through to the next round as one of the fastest runners. Abimbola Junaid also made it to the next round despite a slow race in the girls 400m heat 2. She returned at 55.62 seconds in the race to place fourth, but was also lucky to move on as one of the fastest runners. United States’ Olivia Baker won that heat in 54.41 seconds. The other Nigerian female contestant in the 400m race, Edidiong Ofonime Odiong was applauded by the spectators for her fantastic performance in heat 4, where she out ran her challengers from Italy, Canada and Norway among others, to win in a time of 55.18 seconds. Like her male counterpart, Odiong also promised to do her possible best to put smile on the face of Nigerians by winning a medal in the competition. Meanwhile, the 8th IAAF World Championship began Wednesday at the Olympics Stadium in the city of Donetsk, Ukraine with a shocker from the World Athletics governing body to all the participating countries, including Nigeria. In the build up to the Games, the IAAF asked countries to submit the name of at least one under-age athlete to compete in the championship, which is meant for U-17 athletes. The idea was for the athlete to use the championship to learn. Based on that arrangement, Team Nigeria entered 15-year old triple jumper, Fabian Edoki from Cross River State. He was born in 1998. Other countries also entered athletes of their choices. But the IAAF shocker came a few hours to the commencement of the championship. They barred those below the age of 16 years from competing, meaning that one of Nigeria’s medals hopefuls in Ukraine, Edoki, won’t compete. The IAAF followed with an apology to all the participating countries, saying, “we have an unprecedented attendance this year and we have to cut down.” However, officials of Team Nigeria see the decision as ‘not too good’ for the game. Technical Director of the AFN, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nasiama told The Guardian that the IAAF should have communicated such decision to the countries before their arrival so as to adjust accordingly. At first, the AFN found it difficult to break the news to Edoki, whom the coaches had tipped for a medal in the triple jump. “We have to let him know about it and he was very sad all through the day. He is actually one of the athletes we are preparing for the future and he has to understand that. He was not prevented from competing on the ground of being over-aged. The mistake is from IAAF and we have to take it,” Nesiama stated. AFN coordinator of coaches, former hurdler, Seigha Porbeni said Nigeria could have replaced Edoki with another athlete if the IAAF had made its decision known to the participating countries early enough. Over 130 countries are participating in this year’s IAAF World Youth Championship, a record the organisers describe as ‘unprecedented.’ To meet the championship deadline, the IAAF has raised the qualification standard of the competitions, especially in the field events. In the high jump for boys, the athletes must jump 2.09m and 1.79m for girls. In the pole vault, it is now 4.85m for boys and 3.90m for girls. For the long jump, the athletes must jump 7.35m for boys and 6.00 for the girls. Others are shot put (19.40 for boys) and 16.00 for girls, triple jump is 15.30m for boys and 12.80m for the girls, discuss is 58.00m for boys and 48.58m for girls, hammer is 71.50m for boys and 64.50m for girls and javelin (71.00m boys and 51.00m girls.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Jul 2013 07:26:13 +0000