By Flinster Austin
Published on 2024-03-15 02:04:32
Former international sprinter Endurance Ojokolo is confident that Nigerian women sprinters will bring home gold medals at the ongoing 13th African Games in Ghana. The athletics event is set to begin on Monday, and Ojokolo believes that Nigerian sprinters will once again establish their dominance in the continent’s track and field competitions.
It has been since 2015 that no Nigerian woman has reached the podium in the 100m event at the African Games. As a former gold medalist at the 2004 African Championships and a member of the 2003 African Games 4x100m winning team, Ojokolo is certain that Nigerian women are back in contention for top African sprints. She mentioned that athletes like Olajide Olayinka, Blessing Ogundiran, and Justina Tiana Eyakpobeyan are poised to make a mark in the upcoming games.
Olayinka, with a time of 11.19 seconds, currently holds the third-best world performance this season. If she can replicate her form from the AFN National Trials last month, she has a good chance of clinching the gold in Ghana. The past few years have seen Cote d’Ivoire’s Marie Jose Talou dominating the women’s 100m event. It remains to be seen if Talou will be participating in this year’s African Games, as she and Gambia’s Gina Bass have taken turns winning the women’s 200m in 2015 and 2019.
“Our sprinters are in top shape and excited for the Games. They are eager to compete against the best and have the right mindset to succeed,” Ojokolo expressed. “Olayinka, Ogundiran, and Tiana have shown great performance and are determined to showcase their best.”
In particular, Eyakopobeyan has made it clear that she is aiming for nothing less than the gold medal. On the men’s side, Ojokolo believes that Nigerian sprinters like Itseoritshe Itsekiri, Seye Ogunlewe, and Alaba Akintola, along with Consider Ekanem, who is already in Ghana, are poised to make a significant impact in the 100m event.
The Nigerian team is prepared and motivated to perform at their best during the African Games in Ghana. With strong contenders in both the women’s and men’s sprint events, Ojokolo is hopeful that Nigeria will once again shine on the track. As the competition gets underway, all eyes will be on the Nigerian sprinters as they aim to capture gold medals and bring glory to their nation.
