Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor
Duro Ikhazuagbe
Double Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor, is to lead Team Nigeria’s 23-man list to the IAAF World Championship slated to begin on August 22 at the Nest of Champions in Beijing China.
Unarguably Nigeria’s biggest prospect for medal at the championship, Okagbare has been listed to feature in 100m, 200m and the 4x100m relay events.
The former University of Texas in El Paso graduate won a silver and bronze at the last edition in Moscow, Russia two years ago in the 200m and the long jump. She is not listed for the long jump, the event she won a bronze medal for Nigeria at the 2008 Olympics at this same Nest of Champions in Beijing.
With her current form of running 10.98 penultimate weekend at the London Anniversary Grand Prix to pick the silver, Okagbare, has the capacity to repeat her Moscow 2013 feat in the short sprints.
Haven been exempted from the All Nigeria Open Championship in Warri last weekend, the Sapele-born sprinter is expected to have rested from the pressure of the 2015 IAAF Diamond League to take a shot at another prized silverware and perhaps, a new Persona Best better than her current African record of 10.79 in the 100m.
Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama who signed the 23-man list for Beijing 2015, also included Gloria Asumnu, Stephanie Kalu, Deborah Odeyemi, Cecilia Francis and Ngozi Onwumere for Nigeria’s 4x100m event.
For the 400m and 4x400m, AFN listed; Patience Okon, Regina George, Tosin Adeloye, Margaret Etim, Funke Oladoye and Ruth Ossai.
Delta girl, Ese Brumeh who won a long jump gold medal for Nigeria at the last Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, is to also attempt to emulate her mentor, Okagbare in the long jump pit in Beijing later this month. She was not impressive in both the Warri Relays and the All Nigeria Championships. She posted disappointing jumps far below her 6.68m PB.
Doreen Amata her another chance at the Worlds again with her inclusion on the list for the women’s high jump.
Amaka Ogoegbunam (400m Hurdles), Lindsay Weyimi Lindsey (100m Hurdles), Chinwe Okoro (Discus) and Uhunoma Naomi Osazuwa (Hepthatlon) completed the list of 18 women on the Team Nigeria list for the Worlds.
The five male athletes listed for the Worlds in Beijing include; Ogho-Oghene Egwero (100m), Peter Tega Odele (200m), Tyron Atkins (110m Hurdles), Miles Ukaoma (400m Hurdles) and former Commonwealth Games triple jump champion, Tosin Oke.
Former American Olympic sprint gold medalist, Maurice Greene, Gabriel Okon, Yusuf Alli and Solomon Aliyu are part of the consortium of coaches for Team Nigeria at the Championships.