Onyali returns to the tracks?
- I will wait till she tells me, says Ogunkoya
By Olukayode Thomas
AFRICA's foremost woman quarter-miler, Nigeria's Falilat Ogunkoya, has described as untrue insinuations making round that Mary Onyali plans to return to the track in 2006 and that she is warming up for the Commonwealth Games.
"I refuse to believe it, even if I read it in the paper, I will still not believe it, but if I see Mary and she tells me she will be competing in 2006 herself, then I will believe it," said Ogunkoya.
Ogunkoya and Onyali were both budding athletes in the early 1980s. Both went to school in United States and reached the peak of their trade.
At the 1986 World Junior competition, Ogunkoya beat Onyali to win the gold in the 200m event. Onyali won the silver. She had earlier ended the 100m empty handed.
At the senior level, Onyali has two Olympic bronze medals, one in 4 x 100m relay at Barcelona and another bronze in the 200m at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.
In the IAAF World Championship, indoor and outdoor, Onyali never won save for making finals. She, however, won two silver and two bronze medals in the IAAF World Cup in 1989, 1994 and 1998.
Ogunkoya on the other hand won an Olympic silver and bronze medals. In the IAAF World Championship Indoor, she won a silver. In the IAAF World Cup, she won a gold medal, a silver and a bronze.
Ogunkoya stopped running in 2002 because of injury. Onyali had earlier called it quit with athletics, but she returned in 2003 for the Abuja 2003 All Africa Games.
The games was her best moment on track. Save Funke Oshinaike, who won four gold medals in table tennis, Onyali's two individual gold medals in the women 100m and 200m, and a 4 x 100m gold medal makes her the most celebrated athletes in Abuja.
After the games, she announced her final retirement from the track. She promised never to return. But the tune changed in December of the same year when she started training for the European Indoor circuit.
She was listed for the European indoor championship but failed to show up.
In the build up to the Olympic trials sponsored by Mobil Producing, Onyali performances in the circuit was below expectation. Her best was 11.40 sec.
So, many were not surprised when she didn't come home for the trials. But she still made the Athens team through the back door.
In Athens, her performance was worst than what happened at Sevilla '99 and Sydney 2000, which was consider her worst moment on the track.
After the Olympic, Onyali announced her retirement from the track. But no sooner had she announced her retirement that she told the world on a popular radio programme that she would return in 2006.
Many believe that Onyali choose to return in 2006 because the IAAF gave Nigeria only four slots for the Helsinki 2005 World Championship. Her chances of making the team to Helsinki is rather tight.
But in 2006, it will be another jamboree since it is the Commonwealth Games and it is taking place in Melbourne Australia. The government is likely to go with many athletes.
Besides, while Onyali has an outside chance of winning an individual medal, she has good one at winning a relay medal.
The absence of America, Russia, China, Greece, France, Germany and other power horses of athletics mean the coast is clear for Onyali and other members of the Nigeria quartet. She could even get to the finals in the individual events.
But Ogunkoya refused to believe that her friend would return to the track in 2006. She has not discussed it with me, and I doubt it she will want to come back in 2006," she said.
Ogunkoya, who is now a special assistant to Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel on Sports, however, argued that Onyali has every right to come back.
"If she can train and be fit, why not. After all, Merlene Ottey is not only running at 44, she did an 11.07 this year. So, if Mary wants to continue she has my support.
"Let's not forget that athletics is an individual sports. She does not need to give anybody a chance, if those behind want a chance they have to beat her. To be the best, you have to beat the best.
"And if they can't beat her, that means she is the best. Let the young athletes go and train and work hard. Let them stop complaining about being given opportunities.
"We beat the girls before us and forced them to retire. So, the present generation should beat the old and force them to retire." `
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