Fred Vubem
18 March 2008
This was during the second day of the athletics championship over the weekend in Yaounde.
The second day of the athletics championship in Cameroon took place over the weekend with Ngono Etoundi Therese distinguishing herself in the 5000 metre race. She broke the 12-year record in the 5000 metre race set by Djeppe Florence in 1996 when she covered the distance in 16minutes, 23 seconds, 24 second better than Djeppe Florence who did it in 16 minutes 47 seconds. Though a record by Cameroonian standards, the record is four seconds behind the minimal score required for qualification for the African championship. Reason why the minister of Sports and Physical Education who paid an impromptu visit to encourage the athletes, promised to sponsor her if she could make up the four seconds remaining.
The athletics championship saw the participation of over 300 athletes drawn from some16 clubs around the country. The athletes competed in javelin, 100, 1000 and 10.000 metres races, long jump, shot put, high jump, triple jump and discus throwing in both in the male and female categories.
The stakes of the competition are qualification for the African championship and the Olympic games in china. According to Michel Nkolo, the national technical director of athletics, the selection exercise for athletes to take part in the African Championship will continue during the next athletics meeting in april and by the deadline of 17 April for the submission of the list of athletes to take part in the African championship, there is provision for the selection of athletes who would not have attained the minimum score required of every discipline.
According to the secretary general of the Cameroon Athletics Federation, Emmanuel Bonane, the federation is going to continue sending athletes out of the country for training like they did for Sergine Kouanga who is currently in Dakar-Senegal. Four athletes are in the USA and four others are in France. The Minister of sports and Physical education, Augustin Thierry Edjoa, who happens to be a former president of the athletics federation, promised that during the 3rd day of the national athletics championship, the competition in javelin will take place within the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium and not outside as at present. This is expected to enhance the performance of the athletes who are unable to perform well on the dusty soil outside the stadium.
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