Athletes Set For 2nd AFN All Comers

The Athletics Federation of Nigeria All Comers Championship enters its second series this weekend at the Shagamu Township Stadium and the Ijebu Ode Stadium.

Just like the first edition, the second is also going to be free as the federation could not get sponsors for the event.

As the day draws closer, top Nigerian athletes have reacted to the event which some says is a good development as it will help in capturing young athletes.

According to 2010 ECOWAS Games U-23 gold medalist, Agbaje Ovie Fredrick who said that though the event is free, he is set to do what he knows how to do best, by going to Ijebu Ode to run.

The Ososo in Edo state born athlete said commendation should be given to the AFN for this very sound and innovative initiative of trying to catch young athletes for the future.

“Though athletes are not getting the necessary support, we have to commend the AFN for putting this up, I did not take part in the first edition, but I am all set for the second edition this weekend, I am going there to do what I know best, which is winning,” he said.

Also speaking on the 2nd All comers, another ECOWAS 2010 gold medalist, Onakoya Abiola, who had a swell time in the first edition by running a personal best of 1.18 seconds in the 600m and also having the second fastest time in the 300m with a time of 33.4 seconds said the All Comers series is a good sign that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria is serious about bringing out the best of athlete’s by keeping them in shape and discovering new once. He said he is ready to reignite the spark that saw him performing well in the first edition.

“This is a good sign that the Athletics Federation of Nigeria is keeping to it’s word that Nigeria athletics will be better this year, this All Comers thing is really good, it will help in keeping the athletes in competitive mood and also discover new once”.

Similarly, 2010 IAAF Junior World Athletics Championship in Canada and Africa Senior Athletics Championship gold medalist in Kenya, Abogunloko Bukola has commended the AFN for the 2nd All Comers Championships coming up in Ijebu Ode and stated her readiness to give her best just as she did in the first edition.

Bukola, who represented Ekiti state in the championship, ran the fastest time in the female 300m dash.

Track events of this 2nd All Comers are to take place in Ijebu Ode while all field events will take place in the same Shagamu Stadium where the first edition took place.

Events to be competed for at the two-day track fiesta in Ijebu ode and Shagamu include 60m, 150m, 300m, 600m, 1,000m, 5000m, 60m hurdles, 3000m hurdles. Others include High Jump, Pole vault, Long Jump, Triple Jump, Short Put, Discuss, Hammer, 4x200m, 4x400m, Decathlon (Heptathlon for women).

Adedoja Reassures Nigerians On All African Games Preparations

The Minister of Sports, Professor Taoheed Adedoja has reassured Nigerians that preparations for the 10th All-Africa Games to be held in Maputo, Mozambique from September 3 - 18, 2011 is on the right track.

Prof. Adedoja, who doubles as the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) said in Abuja that Nigerians should be rest assured that the Commission was preparing Team Nigeria adequately for the games.

“Preparations for the All-Africa Games is an on-going exercise. It is continuous and camping of athletes is just one aspect of it,” Adedoja said.

“Camping is only an aspect of the preparation; there are other very important aspects, such as the exposure of athletes to various competitions both home and abroad so if we don't have all athletes in camp for the games at the moment, Nigerians should not be alarmed. We are really preparing.

“The competitions they are partaking in now helps to keep them busy and not just being kept in camps. The point is that our athletes are currently busy in many competitions across the world.” “For example, our Paralympics athletes are in Dubai for a competition and they have been doing well and setting new records."

“This, I can confidently inform, is part of their preparations not only for the AAG but the 2012 Olympics in London,” he added.

Adedoja who noted that Nigeria will be participating with about 800 athletes, also mentioned that various sports federations whose athletes would be representing Nigeria in Mozambique had been staging various local competitions while also sending them to international competitions.

AFN Moves 2nd All Comers to Ijebu Ode

…All field events to hold at Sagamu Stadium

The 2nd edition of the 2011 All Nigeria All Comers and 10km Road Race earlier scheduled for Ado-Ekiti has been moved to the Gateway International Stadium in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

According to Mrs. Rita Akande, the assistant secretary of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) the need to move the championships to Ijebu Ode was precipitated by what she called ‘logistic reasons.’

While admitting the short notice the change of venue may cause invited states, clubs and athletes, the AFN scribe pleaded for understanding, stressing that the dates of competitions remain March 18 and 19.

“We want the best environment for our athletes to compete and when plans were not going as scheduled, there was the urgent need to relocate to Ijebu Ode,” observed Mrs Akande.

Just like the first edition which Sagamu hosted last month, the AFN stressed that states and clubs coming to the Ijebu-Ode All Comers and Road race should brace up to be responsible for their upkeep during the competition.

“We have no provision for subsidy of any kind for any athlete or official. This is not a sponsored event and so do not have money to give out,” observed the federation staff.

Meanwhile, Sunday Bada, the Technical/performance director of the AFN has confirmed that only track events of this second All Comers are to take place in Ijebu Ode while all field events, including Long Jump and Triple jump will take place in the same Sagamu Stadium where the first edition took place.

He listed events to be competed for at the two-day track fiesta in Ijebu ode and Sagamu include 60m, 150m, 300m, 600m, 1,000m, 5000m, 60m hurdles, 3000m hurdles. Others include High Jump, Pole vault, Long Jump, Triple Jump, Short Put, Discuss, Hammer, 4x200m, 4x400m, Decathlon (Heptathlon for women).

NCAA Division 11: Nkeruka In Another record Jump

Nigeria triple jumper and The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) long and triple jumper, Nkeiruka Domike during the weekend won her second consecutive national title with a meet record jump of 43-11.75 at the NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

The Omaha’s jumper only had one legal triple jump, but it turned out to be the only one necessary to win the triple jump competition.

Domike, who had fouled on five of her six attempts, leaped 13.40 meters (43-11 ¾) on her second attempt to set the meet record in the process.

It would be recalled that

Nkeruka Domike, early In February, broke the MIAA record in the triple jump during the league indoor track and field championships at Central Missouri, Warrensburg, Mo.

Domike, who was the record holder in the Div 11 toppled her own record and posted the winning jump of 43-8 on her third jump, setting the conference and Central Missouri fieldhouse record in the process and earlier in January, she posted the 19th-best jump in the world and shattered her own Division II-leading mark on day two of the prestigious Tyson Invitational at Arkansas.

NCAA Division 1: Abinuwa Finishes Fourth, Earn All-American Crown

University of Texas in El Paso (UTEP) and Nigeria sprinter, Endurance Abinuwa finished fourth in the women's 400-meter race crossing the finish line at 53.06 in the second of two heats at the just concluded 2011 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships.

The Miners will have two more awards to hang on the All-American walls when Endurance Abinuwa and team mate, Risper Kimaiyo return home from the 2011 NCAA Track and Field Championships.

Abinuwa traveled to College Station during the weekend and added to the UTEP track and field legacy giving her first-year head coach, Mika Laaksonen his first All-Americans as a head coach. The All-American honors will be official when announced by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

While speaking of her feat during the weekend, Abinuwa said that, “This is a great accomplishment for me; it is my first top finish at a national meet. I had the worst lane to run in section two. It is hard to break fast and get into position from that lane and I was trailing everybody else in the heat at the 200m mark. I succeeded because I stayed patient and finished strong in the last 100 meters to gain one position in my heat and probably two in the competition.

“It is difficult to see student-athletes succeed at this level but my working hard on and off the field really helped me.”

Abinuwa scored five points with the fourth-place finish.

Abinuwa will open outdoor competition on March 26th when UTEP host the Springtime Invitational at Kidd Field.

NCAA Division 1: Akwu Earns 200m All-American Crown

Middle Tennessee trackman and Nigeria sprinter, Noah Akwu during the weekend was crowned NCAA All-American in the 200-meter dash for his performance at the 2011 NCAA Indoor Track and Field National Championships. Akwu placed sixth in a final round time of 20.86 to earn the honor.

Entering last weekend final, the Egume native placed fifth in the preliminary heat also in a time of 20.86 to qualify for the championship round, both times missed Middle Tennessee Mardy Scale’s 20.84 seconds.

With the title, Akwu becomes the second Middle Tennessee athlete to be named All-American in the 200-meter dash. Christian Nsiah was crowned such in 1996. He is also the first Blue Raider to win All-American in a track event since Orlando Reid in 2007 and first male indoor winner since Juan Walker in 2006.

His sixth place finish gives the team three points at the championships.

The sprinter, who was some weeks back crowned athlete of the week said Nigerians should expect a better Akwu during the Mobil track in June and the IAAF World Championships coming up in August in Korea.

According to Noah’s Coach, “We do not have a lot of athletes take All-American in this race,” he said. “Often our runners will qualify for this race as well as the jumping event and they interfere with each other. I am very proud of Noah to run that time twice in the same night”

Akwu will rejoin his teammates as they will compete at the 2011 Rhodes Open Meet this weekend.

Noah Akwu, Abinuwa Qualifies For NCAA

…As Obikwelu Stun World Champion

Nigeria Middle Tennessee sprinter, Noah Akwu will this week return to the track as he takes on other athletes in the United State of America for the 2011 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championships which will take place at Texas A&M University this weekend. Noah will be running the 200m.

Akwu will be the second athlete from Tennessee to represent the school after putting up some splendid performances that saw him winning athlete of the week award on two occasions during the 2011 indoors.

Akwu earned the first conference nod of his MT career for his fourth place finish in the 400 meters and also held the top Sun Belt mark. He bettered his standing time by almost a half second, clocking a time of 47.49 seconds at the Sun Belt Indoor Championships in Jonesboro, Ark., becoming the first MTSU runner to win the event since 2006.

It would be recalled that Akwu played a key part in the Blue Raiders, as the Middle Tennessee is also called in winning the Sun Belt Conference indoor title last Monday.

Akwu won the 400 and the 200 meters, he also ran one leg of MTSU’s victorious 4x400 relay team.

With at least a part of three first-place finishes, Akwu helped MTSU’s men win their third indoor league title. For his pivotal performance, Akwu is the BlueRaiders.com Athlete of the Week.

In a related development, University of Texas in El Paso (UTEP) sprinter, Endurance Abinuwa will also take part at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NACC) championships this week.

Abinuwa will run the 400m and will be joined by another UTEP sprinter, Kimaiyo.

Meanwhile, Nigeria born and Portugal sprinter, Francis Obikwelu on Sunday upset defending champion Dwain Chambers and home favorite Christophe Lemaitre to seize the 60 metres title at the European indoor championships in a national record of 6.53 seconds.