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Rising speedster, Tima Godbless will be aiming for her first senior National title in Asaba.
In the absence of the big guns such as Favour Ofili, Rosemary Chukwuma, Grace Nwokocha, and Joy Udo-Gabriel, the spotlight will be on Tima Godbless in the women’s 100m as she guns for her first senior National title at the ongoing National Sports Festival (NSF) in Asaba.
Godbless had a breakout season this year, stepping out from the shadows of being a recognised junior athlete to adapting well at the senior level.
She made her first international senior debut at the African Championships in Mauritius, competing in the 100m and 4x100m. In the 100m semifinal, the 18-year-old ran a new Personal Best (PB) of 11.25s, smashing her previous best of 11.48s.
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Then in the final, she came close to winning a medal by finishing fourth with a time of 11.27s, posing great signs of what her budding talent is capable of no matter the age group. She returned for the 4x100m and ran a good back straight to help Nigeria win the Gold medal - her first senior medal for the country.
Not done with her brilliant performances, her highlight of the season came at the World U20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, where she ran a National U20 Record and a new PB of 11.09s in the semifinal, thereby surpassing Joan Ekah’s junior record of 11.11s, and making her the fourth fastest Nigerian woman this year.
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Though the Bayelsa State-born athlete narrowly missed out on the podium in the final yet again after finishing fifth, her performance was good enough to put her on the scouting list of top NCAA colleges, eventually choosing Louisiana State University, joining Ofili.
Meanwhile, the teenager won’t have it all smooth in her quest for a first senior National title, as some talented youngsters and experienced athletes are to pose significant threats.
Top on the list is Praise Oforku, a fellow junior sensation who was also part of the African Championships 4x100m Gold medal-winning relay squad and 2021 World Junior Championships 100m finalist and 4x100m Bronze medallist.
Watch out for this new kid!
There’s a new kid on the block called Justina Tiana Eyakpobeyan, whom many believe can spring a major surprise in Asaba.
The new discovery by Delta State sped to an astonishing 11.0s (hand-timed) at the state trials, which was a surprising upset and a fantastic time in all ramifications.
Though inexperienced considering this will be her first senior athletics outing, one can never write her off, and we may witness another Imaobong Uko from the 2018 NSF in Abuja.
Balikis Yakubu (Bayelsa State), Victory Godah (Bayelsa State), Jennifer Obi (Delta State), and Iyanuoluwa Bada (Lagos State) are other athletes expected to be medal contenders.
Athletics is rescheduled to begin on Sunday, Dec 4, 2022, and not Saturday, December 3 as earlier stated.
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