The Nigerian men’s 400m division is looking up and looking good with a solid pool of athletes who are set to reenact the past rivalries that produced some of greatest quatermilers in Africa.
Between the 1990-2000s great 400m runners like Innocent Egbunike, Sunday Bada, Clement Chukwu, Jude Monye, Fedelis Gadzama and Enefiok Udo-Obong, were resplendent in their days. And their performances, particularly Egbunike’s 44.17secs national record, remained a yardstick to measure the efforts of present day runners.
Between 2004 and 2015 Nigerian men quatermilers it seems were lost under the radar as they straddled between 46. 00 and 45.00 performances. But in 2015, at the African Games in Congo Brazzaville, Orukpe Erayokan ran 44.95secs to remind Nigerians how things used to be in the quatermile. No other Nigerian athlete smelt that performance until recently when the sky it seems started raining 44.00 for Nigerian runners.
“Nigerian quatermilers are on fire,” Orukpe thundered from his base in the USA.
“Throughout my career, this is the first time we are having four 44 runners and like five to six 45 runners.
“The 400m is really going to be very interesting in the days ahead and in the nearest future that long standing 44.17secs record by Egbunike will go.
“I believe they’re working toward it, if we the 400m runners stay focus like this that record may go down soon.”
He added there must be support for the athletes to keep training and maintain the momentum.
“Let’s remember that athletes need funding to train themselves for better performances and for that record to go down money must be spent.
“Dem nor dey use two days Eba dey break record.”
At the National Championships starting Monday at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City all eyes would be on Samuel Ogazi who posted 44.52 last week, the 11th fastest time this season, Chidi Okezie who ran 44.97secs on Monday to qualify for the Olympics.
There’s also Dubem Nwachukwu with 44.81 secs and Bamidele Emmanuel 44.88 secs. The men’s 400m final is a mouth watering prospect and given the right conditions a low 44. 00 could happen.
Other exciting athletes to watch out for include Nathaniel Ezekiel 45.40 secs, Dubem Amene 45. 36 secs, Emmanul Ifeanyi Ojeli 45.63 seconds and Sikiru Adeyemi 45.93secs.
