Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Tunde Eludini
Published on 2024-04-06 18:07:33
Day 2 of MTN CHAMPS Ibadan showcased an incredible exhibition of athletic talent at both Lekan Salami Stadium and the University of Ibadan Sports Complex on Saturday. The highlight of the day was Tokyo 2020 finalist Enoch Adegoke, a two-time MTN CHAMPS Ambassador, who took the lead in the men’s 100m event with a Season’s Best (SB) of 10.20s, marking his fastest time in almost three years.
This win serves as a significant morale boost for Adegoke, who has been dealing with injuries since his impressive performance at the Tokyo Olympics, where he became the first Nigerian in 25 years to reach the 100m final. As he gradually regains his form, Adegoke’s focus is now on achieving peak performance for the upcoming Paris Olympics.
The excitement continued with a series of new personal bests following Adegoke’s victory. Adekalu Fakorede, a member of Nigeria’s gold-medal-winning 4x100m team at the African Games, clinched second place with an impressive Personal Best (PB) of 10.23s. Olaolu Olatunde, who underwent surgery last year and took a break from the track, achieved a new PB of 10.47s, securing the third spot. Olatunde’s remarkable progress was evident as he improved his time throughout the competition, starting with 10.62s in the heats and gradually shaving off seconds in the semis.
In the women’s 100m event, Arena Academy’s Janet Adeshina emerged victorious with a time of 11.94s. She was followed closely by African Games Long Jump Bronze medalist Prestina Ochonogor (11.97s) and Taiwo Aremu of Jaf Athletics (12.07s) in second and third place, respectively. Ochonogor further showcased her skills by winning the women’s Long Jump with a jump of 6.20m.
The day also saw notable victories in other events, with John Caleb, Ibrahim Ajibare, and Ibukun Daramola dominating the Junior Boys (U20) 100m, while Stella Oyebode, Mariam Jegede, and Tumininu Sanyaolu secured wins in the Girls’ category.
Sewekan Thovoetin of Osheku Striders emerged as the winner in the men’s 400m race with a time of 47.53s, followed by Ajayi Kehinde (47.65s) and Afam Michael (48.56s) in second and third place, respectively. Emmanuel Ajayi stood out in the Junior Boys’ High Jump, outperforming his competitors for the top spot.
Young athletes in the Cadet (U-14) and Youth (U-17) categories showcased their talent in the preliminaries and heats for the 100m and 200m events. Sarafat Salimot of Christ Girls’ stood out in the U-14 class, leading in both the 100m and 200m heats with impressive times. In the U-14 boys’ 100m event, Jamiu Segun Ogunde, Adekunle Fawas, and Darius Ayomide emerged as top contenders.
The competition promises to remain thrilling as it continues until Monday, April 8th, with athletes competing in various events and categories. The MTN CHAMPS Ibadan event is a platform for both established and emerging athletes to showcase their skills and compete at the highest level.
Read the original article on Premium Times
