Mobil Championships:Nigerian athletics titans clash in Calabar
There is always a whiff of excitement each time the Mobil track and field championships draw near. It is the period, top Nigerian athletes are called upon to give a summary of their build up for the year’s top contests.
Track down... Nigeria’s Ogho-Oghene Egwero challenging UK’s Edgar Tyrone and America’s Michael Rogers during the Berlin 2009 quater-final. Egwero clocked 10.19 seconds can he do any better today.
Calabar is the venue of the 2010 edition, a selection trial for the season’s double banger. The African Championships and the Commonwealth Games billed for Nairobi Kenya and the New Delhi India respectively.
By this evening when the sunsets on the U. J Esuene Stadium, all the Nigerian athletics titans that have gathered here would have known their 2010 fate. But the question many athletics buffs would love to ask…will any of the long standing records be broken? And who is on the field to do justice to these marks that are looming large on the history books.
Only quite a few athletes can answer the question. They include Ogho-Oghene Egwero, who blasted his way to a personal best of 10.13 seconds during the AFN golden League, Blessing Okagbare unarguably Nigeria best female sprinting act. With a winded aided 10.98 seconds, she has done creditably well for herself this season, and she seemed primed to take a shot at the women title and perhaps crack the 1999 women 10.80 100m record held by Gloria Alozie.
There are others like Stanley Gbagbeke who is trying to make a statement in the men’s long jump. With a season’s best of 7.99m, he will be fighting to go near Yusuf Ali’s 8.27m set since 1987. Gbagbeke has flamboyant Samson Idiata to keep him company on the pit.
In the men’s sprint, one athlete will direct the flow. Egwero, who tops the list of Nigerian male sprinters. He is expected to take the title as the likes of Olusoji Fasuba, Obinna Metu are so out of season. Nothing much has been heard of Metu who took the title last year with 10..27, after a photo finish job with Egwero. But Metu is in Calabar to run, having made few appearances this season.
The diminutive sprinter has stated his intention to break the 10 seconds barrier and perhaps this could be the season he would make it happen. This depends on how much, Obinna, Benjamin Adukwu and Peter Emelieze can push him.
In the women 2007 African women double champion Damola Osayomi is hoping to make a strong comeback, but it seems she has a tough task ahead. She has to come with clean with a low 11 to stand any chance of causing an upset over Okagbare.
Last season Osayomi battled with her running form after suffering a groin injury. She was champion in 2008 with 11.08. But Okagbare won the 2009 trials with 11.16 seconds not bad for a long jumper who was just moving down the sprint.
This season both athletes are in sparking form and it promised to be an exciting race. Osayomi season’s best is 11. 26, while Okagbare wind assisted 10.98 translates to an 11.21 seconds run.
There are others like Halimat Ismaila, Josephine Omaka and Agnes Osazuwa who will provide the usual back up excitement.
The women 400m is another event that holds an attraction. Up and coming Margaret Etim is an athlete to watch and it will be quite a race featuring 2009 champion, Folasade Abughan whose season’s best is 52.55. Etim dominated the golden league and she ran a personal best of 51. 24 to remain the top performer of the season.
