NOC applauds Queen of tracks, Okagbare

President of Nigeria Olympic Committee, NOC, Engineer Sani M. Ndanusa has saluted sensational African queen of track, Blessing Okagbare for her stellar performance at the London Olympics anniversary race at the weekend.

“Okagbare is indeed a Blessing to Nigeria. Let me offer you my warmest congratulations on your feat in London where you not  only finished first in the pack of world champions but also sent the African record crashing. Your performance sooths our soul after the London 2012 Olympics where you could not make it’’, Ndanusa said.

[caption id="attachment_406547" align="alignright" width="250"] Blessing Okagbare[/caption]

Okagbare returned to the same venue at Olympics Stadium in Strafford and sensationally beat the world to win the 100m, setting a new African record in the process.

She first broke Gloria Alozie’s 14 -year old record of 10.90 record when she returned in 10.86 seconds in the heats and  further lowered that in the final to 10.79   seconds.

“We are happy that she is doing absolutely well and pray that she carries her form to the IAAF World Athletics Championship which takes place in Russia from August 10 to August 13, 2013.

The NOC President who is also the President of Tennis Federation also saluted the efforts of President of Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, Evangelist Solomon Ogba and the Delta State Government for providing the platform for the athlete.

Okabgare excites Minister

The  Minister of Sports and Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi has predicted that Blessing Okagbare may emerge the world champion in the women’s 100m race in the forthcoming IAAF World Championship in Russia If she maintains her current form.

He said this in the light of Okagbare’s latest victory, which saw her broke the Africa women’s 100 metre record at the London Diamond League, which took place at the weekend.     She first ran 10.86 second in one of the heats, which was better than the previous African record of 10.90, held by fellow Nigerian Gloria Alozie.

[caption id="attachment_401385" align="alignnone" width="412"] Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare celebrates winning the women's 200m during the IAAF Diamond League athletics meeting at The Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, central England on June 30, 2013. AFP PHOTO[/caption]

Okagbare further improved her personal record by running 10.76 in the final, winning the women’s 100m event at the same venue at Stratford where she failed to make a mark at the London Olympics.

Abdullahi said he was very impressed by her performance and form. “She has consistently shown by her performances that she has got what it takes to be a world champion. It is an impressive performance by any standard, breaking the Africa record two times within a short period. It shows that she is world class and ranks among the best athletes in the world.

“I have no doubt that if she maintains her current form and peaks at the right time she will win the women’s 100m at the World Championship in Russia,” the minister said, while congratulating Okagbare.

The IAAF World Championship will take place in Russia between August 10 and 18, 2013.

 

 

 

Onuora, Philip take on Okagbare

The Olympic Stadium has not necessarily been a happy place for British sprinting but the current crop will be hoping to change that at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games this weekend, where Blessing Okagbare will be competing

Anyika Onuora and Asha Philip have been enjoying the form of their lives this season, a far cry from 12 months ago.

[caption id="attachment_401385" align="alignleft" width="412"] Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare celebrates winning the women's 200m during the IAAF Diamond League athletics meeting at The Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, central England on June 30, 2013. AFP PHOTO[/caption]

Onuora managed to make it inside the stadium to compete in London 2012 but her father Chiz passed away a few months earlier in February and she felt she underperformed, unable to make it out of her 100m and 200m heats.

Looking forward, Onuora says: “This weekend feels like a chance to redeem myself. I didn’t perform to my best at the Olympics and, for whatever reason, it’s brought me to where I am now.”

For Onuora, that is into the top 30 in the world this year with a career-best of 22.71 seconds for the 200m, her prefered event at the World Championship trials, although that time is not in the record books because of a marginal following wind.

The fact the 28-year-old is running at all is no mean feat. “I was ready to quit,” said Onuora, who had to take temping jobs to make ends meet in the build-up to London 2012.

“I was pretty close to walking away. There was a lot going on and I’d missed out on so much.

The whole of 2012 was hard for me with my dad dying. I even missed his burial in Nairobi because of training, which I know he would have wanted but that was so hard. When I failed to qualify from my heat, I felt like my world had ended.”

Then Rana Reider, who coached American Christian Taylor to triple jump gold, made her change her mind. She moved to Loughborough and is relishing the set-up.

“This time last year I was broken before the Games; now I’m in the best shape of my life but even that doesn’t feel enough,” she says. “In the past, it was about getting the A standard but that’s not enough anymore with all the girls pushing. To use a favourite Rana expression you need to ‘haul ass’.”

“I remember there were times when I thought: ‘Why bother? Why should I do this anymore?’,” she admits. “Everyone was doing what they wanted to do and I was on crutches with a brace on my leg. I wasn’t diagnosed but obviously felt depressed.

“My mum and my aunt were a big help and I realised that I could walk, my legs hadn’t been chopped off and there were people much worse off than me.” said Philip.

Ajunwa tips Okagbare to erase African records

Former Olympics women long jump champion and continental record holder, Chioma Ajunwa has predicted that Blessing Okagbare will erase the long jump and 100m African records if she puts her mind into it at the World Championships in August.

[caption id="attachment_139015" align="alignright" width="320"] Chioma Ajunwa[/caption]

Ajunwa holds the African long jump record; a 7.12m she did at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. She, at one time held the 100m record  with a wind aided 10.84 seconds set in 1992. It was bettered by Gloria Alozie with a 10.90 seconds run in 1999. The two records have continued to gape at Nigerian women jumpers and sprinters until recently when Okagbare gave warning signs that she could take both records out.

The Delta-born athlete in two Diamond league meetings, put up encouraging performances. She jumped 7.14m in Doha and ran 10.89seconds in Eugene, Oregon, however both efforts were above the permitted wind levels.

“From all indications Okagbare can take both records at the World Championships, if she puts her mind into it.

“Depending on her frame of mind and what she wants to achieve, I have a feeling she will put her name in the records book. I did it during my time and even now Okagbare  has height advantage, she is taller and has greater speed.

“It all boils down to techniques. And if she comes up with a good plan she can make it in the long jump, it takes only one crazy jump to do the magic,” said Ajunwa.

She advised the Nigerian hope to keep her head down and not get distracted by the usual rancour in the Nigerian set up.