By Ben Efe
At the All Africa Games in Maputo, Mozambique it is only Nigeria that is parading all their elite athletes.

A look through all the startlist of the Maputo 2011 athletics event showed that top African athletics countries like Kenya, Ethiopian and South Africa are not parading their elite athletes.

After the world championships in Deagu South Korea, Nigeria headed straight to Maputo with its top athletes, while the East Africans rested their big name athletes some of who are now participating in the IAAF Diamond League.

The East African countries and their top athletes see the All  African Games as a development programme, but for Nigeria it is all about winning in Africa and then not doing well at the Olympics and the world championships, where Kenya and Ethiopian win as many as five gold medals.

“Over the years elite East African athletes did not participate in the Africa Games. They would rather go to Europe to run in the IAAF meets where they can make money.

“As for the Nigerian athletes they have to run in the All Africa games to get endorsements. This is because they cannot win at the world championships and Olympics” observed Atlanta’96 long jump gold medalist Chioma Ajunwa. African elites like Janeth Jepkosgei, David Rudisha of Kenya, Almenesh Belete of Ethiopia and Caster Semenya of South Africa are not in Maputo.

Others who are not there include Vivian Cheruiyot  of Kenya, Meseret Defar, Sentayehu Ejigu of Ethiopia. “Even during our time most of the African elite athletes did not participate.

But personally It would have been nice if they grace the occasion, because this would give more credence to the All Africa Games and we would have more sponsors for the Games,” Ajunwa added.