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What is a sports festival without the discovery of new talents? Well, athletics presented us with some at the National Sports Festival in Asaba.
Athletics at the just concluded National Sports Festival in Asaba, Delta State, lived up to expectations as one of the most competitive sports at the festival.
The intense competition from the athletes resulted in the crowning of new Sports Festival champions, the setting of new Festival Records (FR), major upsets occurring in some specific events, and of course discovery of new youngsters with the talents of being groomed into future international champions.
After six days of competitive track and field action in Asaba, these athletes are the top discoveries as they were pretty much unknown before the festival but stood out with their exceptional performances, announcing themselves to the Nigerian athletics scene.
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Faith Okwose - 100m/200m
No one pretty much knew Faith Okwose before the festival, except maybe her teammates in Delta State.
The 16-year-old stunned the 100m field when she won the Silver medal behind Tima Godbless, clocking an impressive Personal Best (PB) of 11.50s, ahead of highly rated Praise Oforku with 11.57s.
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She repeated the same feat in the 200m final, lowering her PB three times in the qualifying rounds en route the final. She first ran the fastest time of 23.84s in the heats, dropped it further to 23.76s in the semis, and then a 23.62s to secure the Silver medal.
The Delta State teen sensation is a vital discovery considering she was just a 12s runner in the 100m and 24s runner in the 200m before the festival, so dropping her times massively in both events speaks so much of her talent and what more to expect in the future.
Laura Odivwri - High Jump
The 16-year-old Delta State sensation was the surprise Silver medallist in the women’s High Jump final, scaling a brilliant PB of 1.70m behind defending champion Temitope Adeshina, who retained her title with a jump of 1.80m.
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Odivwri’s height is significantly impressive for her age and current exposure, so if well nurtured and trained, she may be another gold mine in the jump events.
Musibau Adebisi - 200m
At the end of Day 4 of Athletics, a relatively unknown Musibau Adebisi got spectators at the stadium astonished after storming to a jaw-dropping lifetime best of 20.58s to win Heat 8 of the men’s 200m, which was the fastest time across all heats and a momentous improvement on his previous PB of 21.20s set in June, when he finished second to Alaba Akintola at the Nigerian Championships in Benin.
He ran another fastest qualifying time of 21.08s in the semis and sealed it off by clocking 20.88s to win his first National title, maintaining an unbeaten run in the event.
Adebisi’s performance in Asaba has projected him into the top five best 200m runners in the country, and we can only anticipate how competitive the event will be in the coming season.
Sunday Akintan - 100m/200m
Akintan announced himself as a big contender for the NSF 100m title when he defeated defending Champion Enoch Adegoke in the heats, clocking an impressive PB of 10.30s.
In a tight race in the final, the Ogun State sprinter settled for Silver running 10.32s, behind Fakorede Adekalu’s winning time of 10.25s.
Not done with his glittering accomplishment, Akintan switched gears to the 200m winning his heat and semis race in impressive 21.20s and 21.27s, then placed third in the final with a time of 21.15s.
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With Silver and Bronze medals in the sprints at the festival, he is definitely a top discovery with more to offer in his legs.
Ashley Anumba - Discus
In her first-ever competition on Nigerian soil, thrower Ashley Anumba, representing Rivers State, announced her arrival by stunning a competitive field to win the women’s Discus throw with a new Sports Festival Record on Day 3 of Athletics in Asaba.
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Anumba threw a sports Festival Record (FR) and PB of 59.06m to win the Discus title. Doing this, the 23-year-old representing Rivers State surpassed Vivian Chukwuemeka’s 16-year-old FR of 50.74m, set in Ijebu Ode and struck out her former PB of 57.53m in April.
She also defeated the reigning Commonwealth Champion in the event, Chioma Onyekwere, who settled for the Silver medal, while Commonwealth Bronze medallist Obiageri Amechi finished third.
Anumba’s victory certifies Nigeria now has three elite Discus throwers, an accomplishment that will raise the bar higher in the event years from now.
Stella Ayanleke - 100mH
She is not a new athlete or discovery, but her winning time of 13.58s in the women’s 100mH speaks volumes of her hurdling talent and capabilities, which bodes for a sub-13s runner very soon.
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