By Ben Efe
Former national record holder in the men’s 100m, Seun Ogunkoya has predicted that Nigerian male sprinters will return to the dominance of the African continent and even challenge the world in the next couple of years.
Ogunkoya the youngest sprinter in the world to break the 10 seconds barrier with 9.97secs in 1997, was speaking against the backdrop of performances posted by Kayinsola Ajayi and Sunday Okon a.k.a Alika at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.
Ajayi in the heats ran a 9.88 personal best finishing second behind South Africa’s Gift Leotlela who posted 9.87second and in semi-finals, Ajayi was second in his heat with 9.93second, however, in the final he placed sixth with his 10.00 seconds behind Leotlela 9.95 in the race won by Jamaica’s Oblique Seville with 9.77seconds.
“I was not surprised Ajayi ran his PB in Tokyo…he can perform more than that. He ran with his whole effort to qualify for the final. When I saw the PB I knew that he couldn’t be on the podium. Assuming that he kept the 9.88 for last, he could have gotten a medal,” said Ogunkoya who retired with a personal best of 9.92secs and presently grooming sprinters.
“But with the way things are going for him, it is just the beginning, let’s hope that the country does the right things, Ajayi can get a medal at the Olympics in 2028.
“As for Okon he’s a junior athlete coming to limelight, he ran with the big boys and I’m sure he has gotten valuable experience in the 100m. The Nigerian sprints men is coming up, if everyone involved keep their heads down and do what they are supposed to do, a time is coming at the national champions even 10.2 will not get you into the final.
“The sprint is coming back to life like it used to before in 1997, 98, 99, then it was unpredictable, you couldn’t predict who will win…Nigeria is coming to that stage right now.”
Ogunkoya won the 1998 African Championships in Dakar, Senegal with 9.94. He stormed out of the blocks and led to the finish beating Frankie Fredericks who was favourite to win. The Namibian came into the competition well decorated with a sprint double silver in the 1992, 1996 Olympics and 1997 World Championships, but he was too stunned to say a word after losing to Ogunkoya; he ran 9.97. Ghana’s Leonard Myles-Mills took third place and improved his personal best for the season with 10.10, with his compatriot Eric Nkansah clocking 10.14 in fourth place.
In that memorable event, it was a Nigerian women wipe out with Mary Onyali clinching the gold with 11.05, Edurance Ojokolo 11.08 and Rose Aboaja 11.31 for silver and gold respectively.
