By Ben Efe

At the conclusion of the 100m race at the Cross River All Nigeria Championships, Obinna Metu pumped the air in wild jubilation, but  moments later he was stunned to discover that he wasn’t the winner of the race.

His rival Ogho-Oghene Egwero was adjudged by the photo-finish judges to be the champion.

While Metu refused to come to terms with the judgment, two coaches were on the sidelines shaking their heads in pity. They are Tobias Igwe and Lee Evans.

Metu spent most of December 2010 and February 2011 training with the coach of world record holder Usain Bolt in Jamaica, but that seems not to have translated into his performance. His best this season was a 10.27 seconds.

“Metu should move into the 400m, he has no future in the short sprint. He is wasting his time running the 100m,” coach Igwe submitted.

He argued that Metu has all the attributes of a 400m runner and with good conditioning, he could post a low 45 seconds any day.

“He is a smooth runner and he has the advantage to do well in the 400m. He is presently doing 10.2 and what is that in modern day 100m. Metu could conveniently do a 45 and with that he could get into the final of the world championships and Olympics and this would bring him international respect,” added coach Igwe.

At the 2009 Worlds in Berlin, Germany coach Evans advised Metu to switch to the 400 but Metu brushed off the old man who had seen it all in the 400m.

“I told him before and he wouldn’t listen. He would do himself a world of good to switch,” Evans said.