Lagos – Ezekiel Essien, a 2004 National Sport Festival silver medalist, has urged the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to groom long distance runners with interest and
passion.

Essien said on Tuesday in Lagos that distance running had not received the due recognition accorded to the sprint events.

He said that talented Nigerian athletes deserved moral support and good exposure to distance running to excel like their American and Kenyan counterparts.

“Not that we do not have the athletes, or we do not have the resources, it is because we are shifting all attention to sprints but you see in distance running, it is interest, passion.

“Even in the sprint, if you do not have passion, you will not go far.

“ In Kenya, they have taken it as a tradition, but we are not looking at it like that here.

“They have altitude that they are taking advantage of; we have altitude here as well.

“ The Americans today are coming up in distance running because they are doing research and they are investing in it.

“ So, what are you telling me is that it is not our stronghold.’’

He also urged the federation to set up a body that would identify the best distance runners, who should partake in international competitions.