OVERVIEW (1) – Asaba 2018 Athletics Africa Championship: Can Nigeria host to win?



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The 21st edition of the African Athletics Championship will begin Wednesday at the Stephen Keshi stadium in Asaba, Delta State, with Nigerians filled with hopefuls. Another glorious arrival 29 years after the home and victory of the country in Lagos. Sports & DER ESAN plans selected events where Nigeria will be very present. But can the strong presence translate into podium places as champions of Africa? You will find answers in this overview in two parts of the events ..

Males & # 39; 100m

WL: 9.88 (Noah Lyles and Ronnie Baker of the United States)

AL: 9.93 (Akani Simbine of South Africa) [19659005] CR: 9.94 (Seun Ogunkoya of Nigeria)

On paper, the race should be between Akani Simbine of South Africa and Arthur Cisse de Cote d & # 39; Ivoire. Simbine, the African leader of the event at 9.93 seconds, is only one of only two African sprinters to have broken 10 seconds this year. The other, of course, is Cisse who holds a personal best of 9.94 seconds and will want to make sure that Ivorians make it a third consecutive win of blue gold. The odds however favor Simbine who is the most consistent of the two up here this season (ran inside 10 seconds four times this year). The South African will also want to improve his bronze medal two years ago

Can Nigeria overturn the basket of apples? The trio of Seye Ogunlewe, Enoch Adegoke and Oghooghene Egwero will have to set new records for life if they want to climb the podium as Africa's champion 10 years after Olusoji Fasuba achieved a 100m hat-trick, the first in the history of the championship

Men's 200m

WL: 19.65 (Noah LYLES, United States)

AL: 19.69 (Clarence MUNYAI, RSA)

CR: 19.99 (Frankie Fredericks, NAM

That should have been It was a race between Isaac Makwala of Botswana and the rest of Africa, and the rest of Africa would have been led by South Africans who found themselves in command after the withdrawal of the star from Botswana.

The absence of Makwala, the Divine Oduduru Nigerian who won the NCAA title last June with an incredible performance of 20.10 seconds (not recorded by the IAAF on its top list in 2018) came into force.The last time q Nigeria has won the gold medal. event was 12 years ago when U Chenna Emedolu ran 20.61 to make it the sixth gold medal of Nigeria.

Oduduru, however, has the South African obstacles in front of him and these are big obstacles, almost insurmountable, if the times are back. Clarence Munya who holds the African The leader at 19.69 seconds seems to have fallen into oblivion while Ncincihli Tili and Luxolo Adams hope to recreate the performance in April and March of this year, with respectively 20.00 seconds and 20.01 seconds.

Men's 400m

WL: 43.61 (Michael NORMAN, USA)

AL: 44.21 (Immanuel Kipkurui KORIR, KEN)

CR: 44.23 (Isaac Makwala, BOT )

When mice are away, says the proverb, rats play. With the injury, the undisputed king of the quartermile came out of the race with two very fat rats, Emmanuel Kipkurui KORIR of Kenya, who ran to a new personal best and a 44.21 lead at the Kenyan championships in June and Baboloki Thebe of Botswana

Botswana has dominated the event since Wakwala won the title in 2012 and Thebe who triumphed in the absence of Makwala two years ago in South Africa hopes to make four consecutive 400m titles .

Korir However, it appears to be a return mission to Kenya to become the third Kenyan to win the title after Samson Kitur in 1990 and Kennedy Ochieng in 1993.

Where is Nigeria going? to argue here? By miracle. Unless miracle, Nigeria will extend its drought to 10 editions (20 years) since Clement Chukwu became the second Nigerian after Innocent Egbunike (1985, 1988) to win the title in 1998 in Dakar, Senegal.

Chidi Okezie, who won the bronze medal two years ago, is the fastest Nigerian athlete in the absence of Emmnauel Bamidele who has beaten 46 times twice this year . 19659005] WL: 12.92 (Sergey SHUBENKOV, ANA)

AL: 13.31 (Antonio ALKANA, RSA)

CR: 13.43 (Antonio ALKANA, RSA)

They say that lightning does not never hit twice the same place, but for South African Antonio ALKANA, he will hit twice in the same event as the reigning champion is on track to win the victory at Stephen Keshi stadium in Asaba [19659005] Alkana, the fastest sprinter in Africa is the bookies favorite to retain his title as the second man in the history of the championship after Kenya's Philip Sang (1982 & 1984) to defend successfully a title of 110m hurdles.

With the exploits of Alkana in the circuit this year, do you still want to know where Nigeria will end up in this event? The answer: can be a final placement. Two years ago, a Tyrone Akins, imported and disguised as a Nigerian, won the title in South Africa.

Akins disappeared nowhere. Even his American compatriot, Antwon Hicks, who also borrowed Nigeria's green and white dress and ran 13.27 to Sapele two years ago to put what is unfortunately a Nigerian record, also disappeared into oblivion. and rightly at 35! ] 400m hurdles Men

WL: 46.98 (Abderrahman Samba, QAT)

AL: 48.88 (Nicholas BETT, KEN)

CR: 48.29 (El Hadj Amadou Dia Ba, SEN)

may betting against 2015 World Champion Ken Nicholas Bett to succeed his countryman, 2016 Olympic silver medalist, Boniface Tumuti as champion of Africa? Have not I heard anyone? Yes, Bett, barring unforeseen circumstances, will become the fourth Kenyan to win Quarterhile's barrier here in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria

Bett who failed to build his global success in Beijing two years ago in Rio De Janeiro at the Olympics is back to form and ready to prove that it is not a marvel of a season

The real battle will come in the rush to the Silver and bronze where Aron Koech of Kenya will face an Algerian, Abdelmalik LAHOULOU who is the second fastest African of the test this season with 49.01 seconds, the South Africans led by Lindsay HANEKOM and the Former warhorse Cornel FREDERICKS and a Nigerian in the form of Rilwan Alowonle.

Alowonle will however run more than 49.49 seconds he ran in April at the Commonwealth Games for a chance to get on the podium where he will see Kenya's national anthem be sung for the second successive edition.

Men's Shot Put

WL: 22.67 (Walsh T omas, NZL)

AL: 21.22M Chukwuebuka ENEKWECHI, ​​NGR)

CR: 21.02m (Janus Robberts, RSA)

For pool stakers, safe bankers are numbers that they are somehow fixed and can lead to a winning jackpot. For Nigerians, Enekwechi Chukwuebuka is a safe banker, not just for a podium, but for the ultimate gold!

Since 2000, Chima Ugwu has won the last of his two gold medals in the event, which is the last of the two By Nigeria, the closest black nation the most populated got near the title the bronze arrival of Stephen Mozia two years ago in South Africa.

Now Enekwechi has raised expectations and has the numbers to claim the gold. He lost the Commonwealth Games gold medal to the world's leading event, Tomas WALSH of New Zealand last April at the Gold Coast in Australia. In Africa, he was untouchable. He holds not only three of the top five grades of an African up here this year and he is the only African to have 21m and over. One of his main opponents is Orazio CREMONA of South Africa, winner of the event four years ago in Marrakech. He finished in fifth place at home and hopes to return to gold at Asaba.He holds the best time of the season 20.71m.

Franck ELEMBA of Congo, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio finalist who finished second two years ago in Durban at the 20th edition of the championships. He has a personal best of 20.52m but can reach 21.20m in Rio to finish fourth.

Egyptian Mostafa Amr HASSAN looks like an outsider. The African leader in 2017 with his imposing 21.31m carpet holds a personal best of 20.44m that he reached last month in Eugene, USA

Men 4x100m

WL: 37.61 (UK & NI) [19659005] AL: 38.24 (South Africa)

CR: 38.75 (South Africa)

This is an event that Nigeria has won 10 times out of 20 with the last victory of Nigeria only four years ago in Marrakech, Morocco. Can the quartet led by Seye Ogunlewe make an 11th gold medal in the test for Nigeria? Can the team replicate the feat achieved at home in 1989 by hitting the gold? The answer does not seem to match the form and number of South African sprinters who have dominated the African roster so far this season. In their first match this year, the South Africans dominated the list of the best African players with 38.24 seconds to become Commonwealth Games silver medalist while Nigeria was disqualified for giving up the relay. final. Interestingly, the 38.52 seconds that the Nigerian quartet ran on the Gold Coast are the fastest for over 10 years!

Men 4x400m

WL: 37.61 (Great Britain and N.)

AL: 38.24 (South Africa)

CR: 38.75 (South Africa)

Who could believe that the Nigeria has won this event only three times since the event debuted at the inaugural edition of the championship in 1979! In fact, the last time Nigeria climbed onto the podium as African champion in Algiers in 2000.

With favorite bookmakers, Botswana without his best paw, Isaac Makwala, can he take advantage of the podium as a champion? Kenyans and South Africans will certainly have something to say about this. With only one of four Nigerians, Chidi Okezie (45.65 seconds) expected to fight for the honor in this event, a 45-second runner this year, a big qualifying mark will certainly find his way behind the odds of Nigeria. Kenya, which has African leader the event, Emmanuel Kipkurui KORIR with a performance of 44.21 seconds this season and as many as four others who have made 45 seconds this season, the coast seems clearer for a three-way battle: Botswana who has 800m runner, Nijel Amos at the party as he did two years ago en route to a gold finish, Kenya and of course South Africa which should be led by Derick MOKALENG who holds a record of 45.08 seconds and three others who dived within 46 seconds. ] PREVIEW (2) – Tomorrow: Overview of Nigeria's chances in the women's events plus some facts about Nigeria in the championship …

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