Daily Independent Online.
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Thursday, July 08, 2004.
Olympic trials commence in Abuja
By Peter Edema
Senior
Correspondent, Lagos
Expectedly, the la
cream of Nigerian athletes would converge for three days, beginning from today
at the National Stadium in Abuja with the sole aim of making the national
athletics team to the Athens Olympic Games in August.
The trial sponsored
by oil giants, Mobil Nigeria Unlimited ends on Saturday. Mobil has made public
its intention to withdraw from sponsorship of the national trials next year.
Before today, the
Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) had set qualifying standards in all
events that athletes wishing to make the team must meet, though the standards
are higher than that of the International Olympics Committee (IOC).
This has generated
controversy with athletes kicking against the federation standard on the
premise that the AFN standard was an invitation to the use of performance
enhancing drugs in the absence of assistance to athletes by concerned
authorities to prepare for the Athens Olympic Games.
A face saving
camping was called by the AFN on behalf of the Sports Ministry leaving out
certain athletes that ordinarily should have made the team. The 24 invited
athletes embarked on a training tour of Germany and are expected to slug it out
in the Mobil trials, almost jettisoned by the ministry for the selection of
Nigeria athletics team to the Olympics, now to determine the fate of athletes
wishing to be part of the Athens Olympics.
In the absence of
any concrete effort on the part of concerned authorities to prepare the
athletes for the Olympics (No Nigeria athlete has received the $4,000 training
grants promised them) what is expected from the athletes?
100m men
This is the king of
the tracks. The Nigeria king today is Deji Aliu, with Uchenna Emedolu fast on
his heels. Both athletes placed first and second respectively in the last All
Africa Games in Abuja. And both ran sub 10 sec in their athletic career for the
first time last season. Deji posted 9.96 while Emedolu clocked 9.99sec.
However, Emedolu’s time of 10.05sec is the best Nigerian time this season
with Aliu posting his best time of 10.07 of the season at the weekend. Both
will be the cynosure of all eyes and expected to win the event. There is
however, upcoming Olu Fasuba, Afro-Asian gold medallist with 10.27 and also
running same time to win the West African University Games last December has an
outside chance. Aaron Egbele, who was eight years old when he left Nigeria for
the US first trial was the Mobil event in 2003. His personal best before coming
to Nigeria was 10.30 and improved on this to 10.10 in the All Africa Games.
Even if he fails to win the event, he is an athlete of the future that should
be invested on. There is also Musa Deji, the brother of Aliu Deji that cannot
be ruled out of contention for the national title. These athletes were part of
the hurriedly assembled athletes that embarked on training tour of Germany. The
finals on the trials last day will determine how far the tour has imparted on
them.
100m women
Athletes tipped to
win this event, among the horde, have won it at one time or the other. They are
Mercy Nku, Endurance Ojokolo and Mary Onyali-Omagbemi. Nku has won it once
Ojokolo thrice, while Onyali-Omagbemi has won it severally. But on current
form, they’ve not run impressive times this season. Onyali-Omagbemi in her first race of
the season returned 11.6; Ojokolo’s best has been 11.4 while Nku’s
time was 11.25sec. Nku has been an athlete that fails when it matters most. On
several occasions, he has come into the trials as the most favoured only to
disappoint when it mattered most. Will this year be an exception? Only time
will tell. Ojokolo, though has fallen apart with Nku following what happened in
Paris last August, this may be an opportunity for one time best friends to
settle their differences. Uduak Ekah, who refused to be part of the camp called
and was subsequently barred from the camping exercise, Emem Edem could help
push these athletes to do their best in the race. There is Funmi Ogundana, an off and on athlete, always a
finalist can spring surprise.
200m men
The standard set by
IOC is 20.59sec while AFN is 20.30sec. The 200m men belong to Emedolu, safe the
unexpected happens. Emedolu, who beat African Champion, Frankie Fredricks to
the title in the All Africa Games held in Abuja last August has not, run the
race in the year. But stiff opposition is expected from the likes of Ambrose
Ezenwa, Bamidele Taiwo and Tamunosiki Atoribido.
200m women
The Olympic
qualifying standard is 22.97sec while the standard set by the federation is
22.60sec. Meeting the standard is no problem to the top athletes. But the 200m
is a preserve of the African queen of the tracks, Mary Onyali-Omagbemi. She has
lost the title safe on few occasions that she failed to compete. However, with
opposition from the likes of Nku, Chinedu Odozor, -Shade Ogundemi and Benedicta
Ajudua a new champion is certain to emerge.
400m men
400m used to be
Nigeria’s strong event in major championships. From the time of Innocent
Egbunike, late Dele Udoh, Sunday Bada, and Daniel Effiong among others, the
country has not lacked a quality athlete of hope. But events have changed.
Today, Nigeria cannot boast of an athlete in this event that can be relied upon
in the Olympics. At the Sydney Olympics, it was Anefiok Udo-Obong against all
expectation that anchored the quartet to the silver. But today, it is a different
story. Udo-Obong has been plagued by injury with his fitness state uncertain.
Bada has quit the stage while not much is heard of other athletes in this
category. With the IOC setting 45.55 as its standard and AFN setting 45.50sec
not much should be expected.
400m women
The story of the
400m women is not different from that of men. Falilat Ogunkoya-Osheku is out.
Charity Opara and Fatimah Yusuf have called it quits with track and field. Bisi
Afolabi no longer has what it takes to win at the international stage.
Senegalese Fatou Bintou (51.31sec) beat Doris Jacob the only known athlete left
in the event to the second position at the last All Africa Games in Abuja.
Jacob’s time of 51.41sec at the All Africa Games is a far cry from the
Olympic qualifying time of 51.35sec. Presently, she is not in the good books of
the sports ministry over her refusal to report to the hurriedly assembled
athletics team that embarked on training tour of Germany.
