{"id":7938,"date":"2013-08-08T03:44:52","date_gmt":"2013-08-08T03:44:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigeria-news\/all-eyes-on-nigerias-blessing-okagbare\/"},"modified":"2013-08-08T03:44:52","modified_gmt":"2013-08-08T03:44:52","slug":"all-eyes-on-nigerias-blessing-okagbare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/all-eyes-on-nigerias-blessing-okagbare\/","title":{"rendered":"All Eyes On Nigeria\u2019s Blessing Okagbare"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Only few countries in the world can lay claim to be divergent in their opinion on sports matters as Nigeria.<\/p>\n

But with less than 72 hours before the 14th IAAF World Athletics Championships begin in Moscow, Russia Nigerians are overwhelmingly united that the country\u2019s brightest medal prospect at the biennial tourney lies on the shoulder of Blessing Okagbare.<\/p>\n

The multi-talented athlete would represent the nation in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m women\u2019s relay and the long jump.<\/p>\n

According to the list released by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, other athletes to represent the country in Moscow are Gloria Asumnu (100m), Regina George (400m), Ajoke Odumosu (400m hurdles), Omolara Omotosho (400m) and Ehigie Josephine (400m).<\/p>\n

Other members of the team are Okon Patience (400m), Stephanie Kalu (100m), Ugonna Ndu (400m hurdles), Uko Peace (4x100m), Mayungbe Ibukun (4x400m) and Abogunloko Bukola (4x400m).<\/p>\n

The eight male athletes listed for the tourney are Egwero Ogho-Oghene (100m), Noah Akwu (200m\/400m), Momoh Leoman (800m), Tosin Oke (triple jump), Onakoya Abiola (4x400m), Salihu Isah (4x400m), Ogunmola Tobi (4x400m) and Odeka Gerald (4x400m).<\/p>\n

After a below-par performance at the 2012 London Olympics, where Nigeria failed to win any colour of medal, Okagbare has continued to put up brilliant performances in races and jumps at international classics.<\/p>\n

Only recently, Okagbare eclipsed the 10.90 seconds African 100m record held by former Nigerian hurdler, Gloria Alozie\u00a0 to post a new record of 10.79 secs in the short sprint at the London Diamond League Anniversary Games.<\/p>\n

Going into the world athletics championships in Moscow, Nigerians are confident and hopeful that Okagbare would this time around live up to expectations and redeem Nigeria\u2019s fading image where it mattered most at major tourneys .<\/p>\n

As far as I am concerned, Okagbare is our major medal hopeful in women\u2019s 100m and long jump in Moscow,\u201d the Technical Director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, AFN, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama, said recently.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe has consistently proven that she can compete among the world\u2019s best and we have to keep praying for her so that she can be in her best form when the competition begin on Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Okagbare\u2019s career has witnessed a dramatic rise within a very short time. Not many reckon that she actually started long jump in 2004, while she began running in 2009.<\/p>\n

She got into both sports, according to her, by accident after a shot at triple jump and football respectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in Sapele as a normal kid and it gave me a lot of challenges in life. Actually, I used to play soccer for my high school sometimes and later on fell in love doing track.\u00a0 A coach from my elder sister\u2019s school talked me into doing sports,\u201d she told iaaf.com.<\/p>\n

Her turning point as a jumper came in 2004 when she won gold in long jump and bronze in high jump for Delta State at the 2004 National Secondary Schools Games in Owerri, Imo State.<\/p>\n

Same year, she won a bronze in the triple jump event at the 14th National Sports Festival in Abuja. The feat was remarkable as it earned her her first international outing at the 2006 World Junior Athletics Championships in Beijing.<\/p>\n

Abia\u00a0 State\u2019s former Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, while praising Okagbare on her performances on the international scene since then, said he is confident about Okagbare\u2019s chances of winning medals in Moscow.<\/p>\n

The sports loving former Governor however, cautioned Okagbare to ignore all the hype surrounding her recent performances and concentrate on her preparation ahead the competition.<\/p>\n

According to Kalu, for the reigning Africa\u2019s sprints queen to make good her talents at the championship,\u00a0 \u201cwhat Okagbare needs now is no pressure at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cSetting new records in 100 metres and Long Jump is good, but not the end. There is still a long road to travel.\u201d<\/p>\n

This position is based upon the fact that prior to the 2012 London Olympics, Okagbare had won the 100 metres in the London leg of the Diamond League, but was unable to climb the podium at the Games.<\/p>\n

A sprint coach, Sule Oladimeji, believes Okagbare\u2019s approach to preparation this season might be the secret behind her success.<\/p>\n

She added that he hopes it could lead to her success in Moscow.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkagbare has done what she could not do prior to the 2012 Olympic Games in London.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking at her performance since inception of the season I have observed some improvements.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope Okagbare will outrun her counterparts at the World Championships to give Nigeria her first ever IAAF World Championships gold medal in Moscow,\u201dOladimeji said.<\/p>\n

\"\u0095Blessing <\/p>\n

\u0095Blessing Okagbare of Nigeria (2-R) stretches to cross the line in the womens 100 metres event during the London Anniversary Games International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Diamond League International Athletics championships at the Olympic Stadium in London on 27 July, 2013. AFP PHOTO<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

A member of the technical crew, Yusuf Alli, in a telephone chat also noted that Okagbare\u2019s top place finish among top athletes in the world at the Diamond League held in London recently places her in a position to win at least a medal in Moscow.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor now, she (Okagbare) has a podium time and if she can maintain her current form, she is going to win a medal in Moscow,\u201d said the national long jump record holder.<\/p>\n

Some pundits however, believe Okagbare\u2019s strong medal field is the long jump.<\/p>\n

Okagbare had on 19 July, powered to a win in the long jump event at the IAAF Diamond League Grand Prix event in Monaco.<\/p>\n

The Nigerian jumped a staggering 7.04 to record her personal best of the season. She finished ahead of Rurria\u2019s Darya Klishina and Britain\u2019s Proctor Shara who came second and third respectively.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, Okagbare won the Women\u2019s Long Jump event at the IAAF Diamond League Grand Prix in the Swiss city of Lausanne.<\/p>\n

She jumped a remarkable 6.98 ahead of USA\u2019s Brittney Reese (6. 96) and Britain\u2019s Shara Proctor (6.92).<\/p>\n

Before the Lausanne meet, the 24 year old upstaged illustrious rivals Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Carmelita Jeter to win the 200 meters at the Birmingham Grand Prix.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, Okagbare\u2019s strongest medal area is the long jump, not 100m but again her performance at the Grand Prix in London means you can\u2019t underrate her in the sprints too.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you jump 7m, it means you are a medal hopeful. Okagbare has jumped 7.04m, which means she\u2019s got a chance to be on the podium in Moscow.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen Chioma Ajunwa won the long jump at Atlanta in 1996, she was not among the favourites for the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut she had one fantastic jump and it settled it all. Okagbare is capable of doing that too,\u201daccording to an athletic coach, Isaac Osagie.<\/p>\n

Apart from the triple African champion, Nigerians would also be looking in the direction of Tosin Oke (triple jump), Egwero Ogho-Oghene (100m), Omolara Omotosho (400m),\u00a0 Ajoke Odumosu (400m hurdles) and Gloria Asumnu (100m) for medals.<\/p>\n

Team Nigeria in past editions of the athletics championship had always made it to the finals of most of the events they entered for.<\/p>\n

A major challenge before them in Moscow is for them to rise up to the occasion and go a step further to make it to the medal bracket this time around.<\/p>\n

Only then would their inputs would not be in vain.<\/p>\n

\u2014Bamidele Olowsagba<\/em><\/p>\n

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