Ogazi, Okon, Okwose to meet at Godswill Akpabio Stadium as AFN takes Golden League to Uyo
By Uzor Odigbo
No fewer than 10 reigning Africa U18 and U20 champions will be in action when the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, Golden League train makes its final stop at the Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom state on Saturday.
The athletes will be led by Samuel Uchenna Ogazi who successfully completed a 200m and 400m double at the Championships with a 46.01 Championships record as the icing on his cake and National Sports Festival double sprint silver medalist, Faith Okwose who also successfully ran a sprint double at the Ndola, Zambia event.
Ogazi leads the men’s 400m line up with 20 points, four ahead of second placed Chidera Johnson albeit the final will be a winner takes all affair.
The 17 year old has remained unbeaten in the local athletics circuit so far this season and will want to prove his performances so far have not been by a fluke.
Ogazi will have to contend with the senior duo of Sikiru Adeyemi who holds a personal best of 45.93 and is seven years older and Samson Nathaniel, 25, the two time Nigeria 400m champion.
In the women’s 100m, Okwose, 17, who set two championships records on her way to winning the 100m and 200m titles at the African U18 championships will go head to head with Praise OFOKU, the 20 year old who ran in the final of the World U20 championships in Nairobi, Kenya in 2021.
In the men’s 100m, it may be a battle between 18 year olds as Kanyinsola Ajayi, the reigning African U20 champion will be up against Sunday Akitan, who incidentally holds a 5-1 head to head record against the African champion.
Reigning National Sports Festival 100m champion, Fakorede Adekalu who will be 20 on June 28 will be seeking to prove he still has the big ocassion temperament that fetched him the blue ribband gold in Asaba last December.
Charles Edward Godfred, the reigning African U20 long jump champion and Grace Oshiokpu, the U20 triple champion champion will also be looking to prove they have come of age.
Patience Okon George, one of the most decorated athletes that will be in Uyo will be aiming to assert her superiority as the best in the women’s 400m event.
The 31 year old has been unbeaten so far this year and will seek to extend that on her home track.
Meanwhile, the AFN has appealed to all state association chairmen and secretaries as well as Military/Para Military and Clubs have been urged to release any of their athletes for the competition which may serve as their final preparation for the World Athletics Championships in Benin City, capital of Edo state next month.
