Okagbare flops…Metu, Egwero too

Team Nigeria suffered a setback yesterday at the ongoing African Athletics Championship, as all its entrants in the 100 metres race flopped.

Nigeria’s reigning 100 metres queen, Blessing Okagbare, started it when she came second in a race won by Gabonese Ruddy Zang Milama in 11.16 seconds.

Okagbare left the block late to finish in 11.18 seconds in the race that also gave the country the bronze medal through Gloria Asunmu (11.28 seconds). In the final of the women’s 100 metres hurdles, Team Nigeria picked bronze medal as Uhunma Osazuwa finished third in the race won by Senegalese Gnima Faye (13.36 seconds).

Algeria’s Amina Ferguen was second in 13.56, while Osazuwa returned 13.61 seconds. Another Nigerian athlete, Seun Adigun, who was leading comfortable, hit the hurdles following a miscalculation midway into the race. She was eventually disqualified. The third Nigerian girl, Jessica Ohanaja, finished fourth in 13.63 seconds.

In the men’s 100 metres, the trio of Obinna Metu, Ogho-Oghene Egwero and Asie failed to win a single medal, as they finished fifth, sixth and seventh in that order. In the race won by South Africa’s Simon Magakwe in 10.29 seconds, Amir Saud of Egypt (10.34) and Hun Wilfred Koffi Cote d’Ivoire (10.37) were second and third respectively.

Both Metu and Egwero, who gave Nigerians hope for a better outing following their performance at the recently concluded All Nigerian Trials in Calabar, failed when it mattered most.