Duro Ikhazuagbe
2 July 2008
Abuja — Reigning African 100m champion and record holder at 9.85 seconds, Olusoji Fasuba and the athlete, who inflicted on him his first defeat on Nigerian tracks in two years, Adetoyi Durotoye both progressed to the semi-finals of the men's 100m to be run today as the 19th AFN/Mobil track and field championship began yesterday in Abuja.
However, 2003 All Africa Games winner, Deji Aliu crashed out of the 100m event after finishing fifth in the second round last night. The heat was won by Onyeabor Nwogwu.
It was also the same nightmare for Enefiok Udo-Obong, whose effort to come back to reckoning in the quarter mile failed dismally.
But the real battle for the Mobil title in the sprint appears to be between Durotoye Adetuyi whose form last night sent signals that it will not be easy and Fasuba. They both easily qualified but Durotoye's form was the talk of the crowd that watched him cleaning out everyone in his race.
Fasuba lost to Durotoye penultimate Monday at the Third Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Grand Prix in Abuja to raise the stakes for the 100m event of the on-going Mobil Championships.
It was Fasuba's first loss to any Nigerian anywhere in the world since he emerged Mobil champion in 2006 and the Ekiti-born sprinter will be hoping to make amends where the stake is higher - the Mobil championships.
A victory for the reigning IAAF World Indoor 60 champions will not only restore his status as the numero uno sprinter in Nigeria, it will also make him the first man to win the championships 100m event three times back-to-back.
With Durotoye, however, in fine form, Fasuba, who holds the best time of 10.10 seconds (altitude aided) so far this season by any Nigerian, nay African sprinter, must run faster than his African leading time he ran to win the gold in the African championships.
Durotoye has shown a consistency that has convinced athletics watchers he is not a one-off wonder or a flash in the pan.
He began the season with a 10.34 in Jamaica and improved to 10.28 in Abuja during the recently concluded National relays before scorching to a 10.14 personal best at the CAA Grand Prix to shock Fasuba. His 10.14 return is also the second fastest time recorded by an African so far this year.
Meanwhile, Funke Adeoye, a bronze medallist at the African Championships, yesterday retained her hammer title with a throw of 61.56m. It was her seventh straight victory in the event.
In the javelin event, Kenechukwu Ezeofor upstaged six-time winner Pius Bazighe with a throw of 70.94m to place first. Bazighe was second with 64.30 while James Ayewoh placed third with a throw of 62.80m.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 This Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
