Catching them young is a prerequisite to success. At the International Youth Summit 2022 Sports Fiesta of the Church of God Mission International in CGMI, Balm of Gilead City Edo State, Eke Progress Nwakaego set herself apart as a golden girl with four gold medals and was the cynosure of all eyes with her sterling performance

The 15-year-old won gold in the 100 metres sprint, gold in the 200 metres and powered her team to gold in the 4×100 metres relay. She also won gold in Volleyball. Her blistering pace set her apart and when she moved, she ran like a cheetah.

At the closing ceremony, she was given an ovation, with many people jostling to take pictures of the golden girl, for the sake of history.

She is gifted and it is plain to see. The versatile 15 year old started her progress early. In March, she was the highest goal scorer in her school’s football event at the annual Inter-house Sports Competition. That was not enough for the highly gifted Progress, she further won three gold medals in track events. It is safe to say that she is made for gold. Everything she touches in sports turns to gold

This is time to harness this gift and set her on a part of stardom, to represent the country in the near future, perhaps in the junior athletics.

Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili, Nse Uko Imaobong, Grace Nwokocha, Joy Udo Gabriel, Rosemary Chukwuma, and other stars started as young girls and the result of being proactive is clear

Progress is an SS1 student of the Presbyterian Model School, Ehere Road Ogborhill Aba. It is safe to say that soon, her journey will be “from Aba to the world”.

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria and local athletics coaches should seek out this gem and make her the next Tobi Amusan or Chioma Ajunwa.

The Abia State Government and the Sports Ministry can adopt this budding star and help actualise this dream, that of winning gold medals at the bigger stage. The National Sports Festival is a good start

Eke Progress Nwakaego has risen, the golden girl is set to fly on the tracks and her target is to win gold

The quartet achieved this feat in record breaking fashion, running 42.10 seconds to break the barely one month old 42.22 seconds African record they set in Oregon, USA at the World Athletics championships.

World and Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles champion and record holder, Amusan started the historic run with a brilliant first leg before handing over to Ofili who ensured Nigeria maintained the advantage before giving Chukwuma, the individual 100m finalist the baton.

Chukwuma ran the curve perfectly and handed over to reigning Nigerian 100m queen, Nwokocha in first position.

The 21 year Nwokocha maintained the advantage despite the threat by Great Britain’s anchor leg runner, Darly Neita to bring home Team Nigeria’s first women’s 4 x 100m relay gold.
The men’s team of Udodi Onwuzurike, Favour Ashe, Alaba Akintola and Raymond Ekevwo also made history with the bronze medal win.

The medal is the first by the men’s 4x100m relay team since 1982.

Tobiloba Ayomide Amusan has made history as the first Nigerian track and field athlete and the second in history to successfully defend a Commonwealth Games 100m hurdles title.

The petite, 25 year old also set a new 12.30 seconds Games Record on the way to winning the event’s gold.

Amusan, the reigning World champion and world record holder in the event also became the first Nigerian track and field athlete to win gold at two editions of the Games.

With the gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Amusan has now become the only Nigerian athlete in history to complete a grand slam of titles at the continental, Commonwealth and world levels after winning gold at the 22nd African Athletics championships in Mauritius in June and the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA last month.

Amusan’s gold has now brought to 10 the number of gold medals won by Nigeria so far, one short of the 11 won in 1994, 2010 and 2014.

It is also one short of the three gold medals won by the track and field team in 1990,1994 and 2014 with the 4x100m relays and the women’s long jump final coming up later Sunday afternoon and evening respectively.

The only Nigerian, of Kogi State extraction, Olajide Peters, given a visa to represent the Country in Finland world Masters ATHLETIC championship is stranded and may not be able to travel for the international event.

Speaking with the Nigerian Post, Olajide Peters, who hails from Yagba East LGA of Kogi State, expressed appreciation that he was given a visa, but with mixed feelings wondered how he would be able to make it.

According to Olajide Peters, the championship is billed to hold from 29th June to 11th July 2022, appealed to the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello to come to his aid

The Athlete has represented the State in many National and International meet, which he won, appealed to private individuals, corporate organizations to kindly assist him with support to enable him attend the Master Athletic.

Olajide Peters, is a Member of the  appointed and constituted committee by the Nigeria Athletics Masters for the organization of the World Masters Championship in Tampere Finland 2022, begged Gov. Bello whom he described as a sports loving Governor, with unquantifiable love for Youths to grow, for assistance to enable him make the trip.

Olajide Peters has represented Nigeria in world Athletics tournament over the years, commended Gov. Bello for his passion in Youths development, described him as most friendly youths development governor the State has ever had.

Olajide commended the Governor’s support for Youths of the State that has enabled them to prove their talent in National and International competition, said his successes in Athletics would not have been made possible without the encouragement and enabling environment created by the government.

For further information about Olajide Peters, can be reached on telephone No: 0813 378 4111.

This is the second medal for team Nigeria at the ongoing World Athletics Championship in Kenya.

Nnamdi who set a National U20 record of 78.02m in qualifying on Thursday finished in the 3rd position with a throw of 74.48m.

He becomes the first Nigerian Athlete in 19 years to win a field event medal at the championship since Esther Aghatise won a medal in the long jump in 2002.

It would be recalled that he got a scholarship few days ago, by Baylor University in the US.

Team Nigeria 3 medals hopeful are women’s Favour Ofili in 200m, Imaobong Uko who set record of the fastest time in the ongoing World U20 athletics championship and Udodii Onwuzurike who has proven to be the best in the field with a new championship record of 20.1s.

The Kasarani Stadium, Nairobi is hosting athletes from over 200 countries for the championship which begins today with the final of the 4×400m mixed relay event with Team Nigeria fielding Bamidele Ajayi, Johnson Chidira (men), Oke Opeyemi, and Ofili Favour (women) in the race, this will run till August 22.

Team Nigeria will begin its chase for medals this morning with the duo of Godson Brume and Ashe Oghenetejiri Favour joining the contest for qualification tickets in the men’s 100m event.

In the women’s 100m event, Team Nigeria’s duo of Tima Godbless and Ofoku Praise will contest for qualification to the next round.

Also today, U.S.-based Nigerian junior sprinter, Dubem Amena, and Bamidele Ajayi, will compete in the 400m heat event for men, just as Oke Opeyemi and Imaobong Nse Uko will race for qualification tickets in the women’s category.

AFN President, Tonobok Okowa, said “We are hoping for medal hauls in this competition, the athletes are in high spirit ahead of the opening ceremony.”

It was a great spectacle for the fans that thronged the Yaba College of Technology Sports Complex in Lagos on Thursday, June 17, the opening day of the 2021 National Olympic Games trial as Nigeria’s undisputed queen of the track, Blessing Okagbare and rave of the moment Enoch Adegoke gave them something that will linger in their memories for a long, long time.
The 32 year old Olympics, World and Commonwealth Games medalist stormed to a 10.63 seconds finish to win the women’s 100m title.
It was her eighth National 100m title to pull clear of Endurance Ojokolo as the second most decorated sprinter in the blue ribband race after Mary Onyali who won 11 titles.
Okagbare showed a glimpse of what to expect in the semi final heat when she scorched to a 10.99 seconds finish.

Okagbare’s 10.63 seconds finish is the fastest time ever run in the national championship and the 2014 Commonwealth Games double sprint gold medal winner said she is in great form ahead of the delayed 2020 Olympic Games.
“Since the start of this season, i see myself as very ready,” she said.
“I feel healthy, stronger and like the real Blessing Okagbare again. I am really happy that this time came down today, it will boost my confidence, my faith and trust in God. I just hope this same thing happen at the Olympics.
“I have been working on everything and I hope it counts at the big stage, that’s the Olympics. I was very disappointed at my last meet when I ran 11.2, I was like this is not me, so when they mentioned the trials, I said I am going to be there, not because I just want to run, but because I really want to compete and run well.
“But above all, I am healthier and when you have good health, the confidence will be there, and I am hoping for the best in Tokyo.
“I have to go to the Olympics, do better than I did or better still replicate it, you might not need to run like this to win the Olympics, at the Games you just want to get to the finishing line.”
Another US-based athlete, Rosemary Chukwuma finished second in 11.07 while National Sports Festival winner, Grace Nwokocha finished third in 11.11 seconds.
In the absence of US-based Divine Oduduru and Raymond Ekevwo, the fans were looking up to Edo 2020 Festival duo of Alaba Akintola and Enoch Adegoke winning the trials.
Akintola however cupped an injury in the semis leaving Adegoke who raced home in a new 10.00 seconds personal best and in the process confirm his place in Team Nigeria’s flight to the Olympics in Tokyo. Adegoke thought he had made the 10.05 seconds entry standard in the semifinal but he was just one hundreth of a second off the time as he was timed 10.06 seconds.

Other opening day results saw Fatoyinbo Gbenga and Fadekemi Olude winning the 20km Race Work for both men and women respectively.

Okagbare, who is eyeing her eighth 100m title to move one clear of Enduarance Ojokolo as the second most decorated sprinter in the blue ribband event after Mary Onyali (11 titles) last competed in the competition in 2016 when she ran an 11.02 seconds Championships record in Sapele.

The Olympics, World, Commonwealth and African Games medallist will be wary of the form of Nwokocha who stormed to an 11.09 seconds personal best at the end of March on the track of the Yaba College of Technology track, venue of the 2021 National Championships.

It was the fastest 100m title by a home-based sprinter in about two decades and the fastest since Okagbare ran 11.02 seconds five years ago in Sapele.
Okagbare will also be looking to become the first Nigerian sprinter to run inside 11 seconds at the championships.

The Commonwealth Games double sprint champion is the reigning Nigerian record holder in the event ( 10.79) and the only one who has run under 11 seconds among the competitors for the 100m title.

She holds a personal season’s best of 10.90 seconds she ran at the second leg of the Wanda Diamond League in Doha, Qatar in April and has broken 11 seconds thrice this season.

She has already booked her ticket to the Olympics in Tokyo where she will be aiming to become the first Nigerian, man or woman to make a podium appearance in the most glamorous track event.

The key event for the opening day of the Championships is the 100m with both the men and women’s finals taking place in the evening after the preliminaries set to hold in the morning.

Morning events will witness the 20km women and men final, the 100m prelims, 400m heat (men and women), 1,500m women’s final and the hammer women’s final.

Also on Thursday, reigning African Shot Put king, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi will be the cynosure of all eyes as he eyes his first National title in the event.

Enekwechi, who has also secured a place in Team Nigeria’s flight to Tokyo is the only Nigerian shot putter who has hit the 21m mark and over so far this season.

Sprint hurdler Tobi Amusan will be praying for a favourable weather as she aims to challenge not only the 12.63 seconds Championships record set by Amgela Atede in June 1997 in Lagos but also the 12.44 seconds African record she came close to breaking early this month at the NACAC New Life Invitational at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida, USA where her 12.43 seconds finish was aided by a +4.5mps tail wind.

Amusan will also be looking to become the third athletes after Atede and Glory Alozie (twice) to run inside 13 seconds in the history of the championships.
The petite sprint hurdler’s only sub 13 seconds run in the event (12.97) was achieved in Ozoro, Delta state at the Warri Relays in 2017.

The atmosphere around the Yabatech Sports Complex is currently wearing a new look ahead of the 2021 National Championships and Invitational Relays starting on Thursday, June 17.

The trials, which will be used to select Nigeria’s contingent to the delayed Games of the XXXII Olympics in Tokyo which is scheduled to hold from July 23 to August 8, 2021, will see 11 events taking place on the opening day.

The fans will have the opportunity of watching queen of the track, Blessing Okagbare (100m and 200m) competing alongside other top athletes like Tobiloba Amusan (100mH), Ese Brume (Long Jump), Grace Nwokocha (100m and 200m), Ruth Usoro (Long and Triple Jump), Annette Echiunwoke (Hammer Throw), Chukwuebuka Enekwechi (Shot Put) among others.

The National Championships is the flagship event of the AFN where the nation’s top athletes will converge to compete for honours and qualifications for major Championships and Games.

Morning events will witness the 20km women and men final, the 100m prelims, 400m heat (men and women), 1,500m women final and the hammer women final.
Apart from the 100m finals expected to take place in the afternoon, there will be the shot put men final with all eyes on Chukwuebuka Enekwechi.

Tobi Amusan will be geared up towards erasing the African Record in the women’s 100m hurdles when she takes to the track in the heat with the men’s 110m hurdles also taking place on Thursday.

Other events on the opening day are javelin men final and the 5000m men final.

Speaking during the inauguration of the new AFN board by the Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, in Abuja on Tuesday, Alao said he would be working alongside other state chairmen to develop track and field in the zone.

It would be recalled that Alao defeated the former vice president of the AFN, Olamide George, in the zonal election and has assured athletes and officials of a new dawn.

“Foremost I will say there was no winner as all we are looking forward to is the development of athletics in our zone,” he said.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank those who came out to vote, but I will say the work starts now.

“There are lots of programmes we have experimented with in Lagos since we came on board as an association that yielded positive results, and with this election over, we are going to see how we can replicate them throughout the zone.
“Now, we have to do things in the right way, we have to start earnestly, we have to rebuild, Nigeria must take back its rightful place.

“I have been in sports in the last 20 years, I will bring my experience to bear, on all assignments, I want to tell you that things will begin to change at the Southwest zone.
“I already have a lot of support, I also have a strong pedigree behind me, not just mine alone, but everyone supporting me.”