By  Ben Efe

Abadoni abandons Nigeria athletics

Nigerian athletes eager to keep themselves busy with local competitions would have to wait a little longer, as the Athletics Federation of Nigeria’s ‘Golden League’ has been put on hold.

The first leg of the series was billed for Kaduna this weekend, but as at yesterday there was no indication that it would hold. AFN technical director, Sunday Bada said that the political climate in Kaduna made it impossible to run the competition there.

“We took the political climate in Kaduna into consideration. If things do not improve we would move it to Abuja,” Bada stated.

But it seems that was just a ready excuse for the Golden League not to hold today as advertised. Sports Vanguard checks revealed that funds are not available to keep the Golden League afloat and the federation is looking at certain individuals to provide the money.

Coaches and athletes confirmed that they have not been informed of when the Golden League will commence.
“I don’t know of any Golden League meeting. We tried to reach the AFN secretariat for information but I learnt that since the president (Chief Solomon Ogba) is busy pursuing politics in Delta State everything has taken a back seat,” said a coach.

Ohuruogu, Felix clash at Manchester Games

Three-time world 200m champion Allyson Felix will clash with Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu next month at the Powerade ION4 Great Manchester City Games in Manchester’s City Centre on May 15.

The pair will compete over 200m on a straight track and is set to be one of the highlights in the 13-event programme. Felix is itching to retain her title and improve her own record, having set a world best performance for 200m on a straight track with 22.55 last year.

Felix has faced Ohuruogu twice before, winning over 400m on both occasions in Zurich in 2009 and Doha last year.
“I love this concept of street athletics where the spectators are virtually rubbing shoulders with you and make it so exciting,” said Felix.

Elsewhere in Manchester, world and European heptathlon champion, Jessica Ennis will take on European indoor silver medallist Tiffany Ofili in the 100m hurdles, their first ever head-to-head outdoor clash in the sprint hurdles.

Ennis will also defend her title in the 150m, which she won last year in a Personal Best of 16.99 secs.

There she will face three of  UK’s top sprinters – Commonwealth 100m silver medallist, Katharine Endacott, Commonwealth silver medallist, Abi Oyepitan, and double UK sprint champion, Laura Turner.

Abadoni abandons Nigeria athletics

The list of Nigerian coaches moving to the Middle East to work is on the increase. Coach George Abadoni is the latest to join the bandwagon and he has settled down well in Saudi Arabia.

Abadoni was invited to oil rich Saudi Arabia by much traveled Nigerian coach, Taiwo Ariyo who himself is the head coach of the Saudi athletics federation.

“Abadoni is working with me in Saudi Arabia now, I brought him to be my assistant,” confirmed Ariyo who had preciously worked in Cyprus.

He noted that they have tremendous support from the Saudi athletics authority and are carrying on well with the work.

“We  have started our preparations for the world championships and the Olympics next year. And this is what we lack back in Nigeria. We know what it takes to get good results, but we are not doing it.

This is why we will continue to lose our best coaches and athletes to other countries,” said Ariyo. Nigerian coaches working in the Arab world include Innocent Egunike who is in Qatar, Shade Olalekan (United Arab Emirates), John Obeya (Bahrain) and Tony Ocheku (Libya).