BY ONOCHIE ANIBEZE
Two of the athletes that gave Nigeria name in track and field arrived yesterday from their US base.

Sunday Uti and Moses Ugbusien were in Nigeria’s 4X4 relay team that won bronze in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Nothing, arguably,  has been like their era in Nigeria’s track and field. It was the era that culminated into the Chidi Imo, Davidson and Osmond Ezinwa, Olapade Adenikan, Mary Onyali, Tina Iheagwam, Beatrice Utondu, Falilat Ogunkoya and Chioma Ajunwa.

The Ugbesien’s and Utis took the baton from the likes of Charlton Ehizuelen, Bruce Ijrigo, Seihga Porbeni etc.
“It’s good to be home,” Ugbusien and Uti said almost simultaneously last night shortly on arrival.

They were led by Athletics Federation President, Solomon Ogba who explained that the track buffs will watch tomorrow’s Golden League final leg in Warri but in the main will be part of the Delta team for the Garden City Games.

On arrival too were four US- based Nigerian athletes who will add spice to the grand finale of the 2011 Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) Golden League.

The athletes are Noah Akwu, Stanley Gbagbeke, Omotayo Talabi  and Naomi Osazuwa.  Ogba confirmed that they will participate in the final leg of the League of which N2m jackpot prize is at stake.

“The athletes confirmed to me over the weekend here that they will be coming to Nigeria to compete in the finals of the Golden League. Any of them that makes the standard for our National Trials in Calabar will be accepted to compete,” observed the athletics chief.

Interestingly, while the foreign based athletes are hoping to use the Golden League finals to test the challenge from the home front, all the four athletes in the race for the jackpot prize renewed their efforts to have their share of the money at stake.

Baba Ibrahim (Hammer), Shola Anota (Long Jump), Justin Agu (800m) and the NSCDC 4x100m team are the top runners for the N2m.