Lagos — Athletes and officials just back from the recently concluded Afro-Asian Games in India have adjudged the performance of athletes at Abuja 2003 better than the Indian Games.

Nigeria's female quarter miler Doris Jacob, who won a silver medal at the Afro-Asian Games, said that athletes' aggregate performance at the All Africa Games was better than at the Indian event.

She noted that in the sprints, hurdles and swimming where Nigerian athletes won most medals the times they returned in India slower than those they returned at the Abuja 2003 games did.

Some athletes, she said, who did not win at the Abuja games returned home with medals from India.

"We enjoyed ourselves in our different events. Why I placed second in India was due to exhaustion. It was an event I would have won a gold medal if I had gone there fresh from my build up," Jacob said.

Nigeria foremost female hurdler Maria Usifo, who was part of the Indian trip in an official capacity, corroborated Jacob's observation but hinged her opinion on the boycott of the games by popular athletes who she could not attend owing to exhaustion.

"The standard was okay for athletes who attended games because you don't expect every athlete to attend. But those who were there met good standard from other athletes and in other sports," Usifo said.

On the standard of the Afro-Asia Games compared to Abuja 2003, Usifo said, although, the Abuja Games standards are higher, she, however, blamed the quality of opposition in some events on the absence of quality athletes.

The 400m hurdles national record holder stressed that it was unfortunate that games was staged after the All Africa Games which she said, took a lot out of every athlete, every country and the sport itself.

Nigeria placed fourth at the Afro-Asian Games with a total of 10 gold medals.