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By Yemi Olus
In a few days, the rest of the continent will converge on the Stephen Keshi stadium of Asaba, in the Delta State, for the long awaited African Senior Athletics Championships. . Fans and spectators will certainly have a great track record in athletics, as some of the top athletes in the championships are some of the best in the world.
Countries like Kenya and South Africa have registered their "A" team for the championships, and of course both countries will revive their age-old rivalry with Nigeria, with each country wanting win the table medals at the end of the five-day competition
South Africa has won three of the last five editions of the African Championships, topping the medal table in Addis Ababa 2008, Marrakech 2014 and Durban 2016. Kenya hosted and won the 2010 championships, while Nigeria dominated the 2012 Africa Championships in Port Novo, Republic of Benin.
As the host country of Asaba 2018, Nigeria has a team of about 90 athletes. Led by the Beijing 2008 Silver Medalist and the multiple 2013 Moscow Medalist, Blessing Okagbare and Divine Oduduru, both of whom are indigenous to the Delta State. Setting a precise figure of athletes representing Nigeria at the African Championships may pose some challenge because of the developments that followed the publication of the list of teams. The initial list was about 95 athletes, but about 20 names were dropped without any explanation.
Nevertheless, the latest information suggests that athletes who were abandoned were recalled to the team. This is not the kind of controversy we should be doing so close to the championships, and my first reaction to the news of athletes abandoned by the team was one of disbelief. Why would one or more well-meaning administrators deprive their own athletes of the opportunity to rub shoulders with their contemporaries from other parts of the continent at a very minimal cost?
Nigeria will not incur much expense trying to secure visas or return tickets for its big team since we host the championships in the first place, so why try to steal your own athletes from one? opportunity of a lifetime? However, I am glad that the issue has been rectified, so that we can now face the arduous task of running the highly anticipated championships without any hitch.
Our main rivals, Kenya and South Africa, hosted the championships in 2010 and 2016 respectively, and won the championships on their own ground. As a Nigerian patriot, I would love to predict that Nigeria will win the championships, but according to the facts on the field, I think we will most likely finish third on the medal table. We can win the most medals, but I predict that South Africa and Kenya will end up with more gold medals.
South Africa, for example, will be Olympic champion and 800m world champion, Caster Semenya. Semenya will visit 400m, 800m, 1500m and 4x400m in Asaba. She has proven herself an badet in the 4x400m for South Africa in Durban 2016 while her bloated anchor leg has earned her team the gold medal in front of Nigeria. After winning the GOLD Commonwealth Games in the 800m and 1500m earlier this year, Semenya will likely win more than one medal for his country.
The South African team is also among the top 2 Long Jumpers of the continent: Luvo Manyonga and Ruswahl Samaai. They also have the best African athletes in the following events: the 110m hurdles, the women's 400m hurdles, the men's discus throw and the women's javelin, as well as Akani Simbine who won the men's 100m at the Commonwealth Games in April.
The team includes a world record holder in the 3000m Steeplechase Beatrice Chepkoech; world champions Conseslus Kipruto (3000m Steeplechase) and Elijah Manangoi (1500m); former world champions Julius Yego (Javelin), Eunice Sum (800m) and Nicholas Bett (400m hurdles), and current world leaders Emmanuel Korir (800m), Timothy Cheruiyot (1500m) and Hellen Obiri (5000m). The Ivory team may not count a big team, but it will not fail to win medals in men's and women's 100m and 200m while Botswana will be the favorite to win the silver medal. in the 400m (men and women), leaving Nigeria less medals because we considered that the shortest sprints were considered as strong events. This time, however, we will have to look for medals in other competitions.
One of our greatest hopes for the African championships will be the 100m women's hurdles where Tobi Amusan will be in a good position to add the title of Africa champion. at its GOLD Commonwealth Games.
Ese Brume should also dominate the long jump and clinch his third consecutive title at the competition. Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, who won silver in the men's shot put at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, can also fight for gold, while Queen Obisesan can do the same in the women's hammer throw . Wishing all the athletes of the Nigerian team the best at the African Championships.
Bound
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