Till date, Olympian and All African Games (AAG) gold medalist, Maria Usifo, thinks and dreams sports, especially the track and field events.
Maria Usifo
From Iguodala Primary School, Benin City, to Our Lady of Lourdes Secondary School in Uromi, and New Era College in Benin City, where she had her post-primary education, Usifo was adored for her excellent performance on the tracks.
She is a household name in athletics in Nigeria; for all the time she spent schooling in the United States in the 1980s, Usifo has contributed to the success story of the country in major international and national events.
While some call her the “Wild lady on the Track”, others call her “Mistress of Hurdles” and yet Usifo remains humble in her achievements.
She was one of the best athletes of her time and was part of a golden generation of athletes that included the likes of Chidi Imoh, Olapade Adenekan, Mary Onyali, Falilat Ogunkoya, Adewale Olukoju, Fatimah Yusuf, the Ezinwa brothers (Davidson and Osmond), Beatrice Utondu, to mention a few.
This generation of athletes put Nigeria on the international athletics map with their impressive performances in the 1980s and 1990s.
She recounts her early days as an athlete for the country: “Those were glorious days for the country, as we were very dedicated and proud to wear the national colours. With support from every corner, we were always happy running for the country, as it was a privilege for the few of us selected to represent the country then.”
According to her, success in those days was borne out of a personal determination to triumph and make the country great.
“My dominance in the hurdles was mainly because of my determination to become a world-class hurdler, and I ensured that I put in my best for the country in those days,” she recalled.
“My most memorable moment was when I became the first women’s champion from Texas Southern in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) meet history, winning the 400m hurdles in 55.16secs. That was in 1986.
“The time broke the stadium record of 55.47secs set by Anna Kastelskaya of the Soviet Union in 1982, and I was happy being a Nigerian.”
The NCAA is a non-profit association that regulates athletes of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organisations and individuals, organising the athletic programmes of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.
She, however, lamented what befell her during the 1988 Seoul Olympics when she represented Nigeria.
“I regretted not going far at the Seoul Olympics due to what happened to me at the Games. It was the second round of our 400m hurdles and an athlete crossed my lane and collided with me.
“I fell down and could not finish the race. I was rushed to the hospital and ended the Olympics with the Plaster of Paris (POP).
“I was very sad because I was unable to achieve my aims and target and I will never forget that incident in my life,” she said.
Usifo, however, advised sports administrators to do more for the country by producing world-class athletes like it used to be in their glorious days.
“The development of a world class athlete is a long process. We need to put the process or system in place to discover and develop new athletes. The best way to do this is to start from the primary and secondary schools.
“Any potential athlete needs to be taught the basics in whatever event they are likely to participate in. Right now, we do not have enough coaches to do what is needed and this is what the people at the Athletic Federation of Nigeria (AFN) need to do.
“There is no reason for us not to send young athletes and some Nigerian coaches to International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) training centres. We will benefit greatly from what they will learn,” she said.
According to her, when she retired as athletics coach, the next port of call will be a “familiar terrain”?
“I would have been a good farmer if I did not go into athletics. As a village girl from Uromi in Edo State, I grew up with my grandparents and doing all the farming works with them whenever we go to the farm.
“As it is now, when I eventually retires back to my village in Uromi, I will still take up farming because it is in my family and I like it so much,” she said.
Usifo’s fact file
• 1989 African Championships – gold medal (400mh)
• 1988 African Championships – gold medal (100mh)
• 1988 African Championships – gold medal (400mh)
• 1985 African Championships – gold medal (100mh)
• 1985 African Championships – silver medal (400mh)
• 1984 African Championships – gold medal (100mh)
• 1987 All-Africa Games Nairobi, Kenya – 1st 100mh 13.29;
1st 400mh 55.72
• Personal Best – Outdoor: 400m 53.64secs Roma (Stadio Olimpico) August 29, 1987; 400mh 55.16secs (Indianapolis) June 6, 1986
Personal Best – Indoor: 60mh 9.23 Indianapolis (Hoosier Dome) March 6, 1987.