by Deji Ogeyingbo
This is Deji Ogeyingbo’s piece on day 1 of the Nigerian Champs! I am loving the photos! Thanks, Deji!
Tobi Amusan delights Nigerian Crowd as she wins her third Nigerian Championship title.
After the showbiz and razzmatazz come the action on the track. And Nigeria’s queen of the track Tobi Amusan delighted the home fans with scintillating action on the track as she competed for the first time on home soil and claimed her third Nigerian Championships in the process.
Amusan effortlessly clinched the title, crossing the finish line at a swift 12.70s, leaving her closest competitor trailing more than 10 meters behind. The time isn’t one to make the hardcore track fans jump on his feet, but after light showers poured down on the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium before Amusan ran, her only aim at that point was to get to the finish line first. And she did it with aplomb.
Notably, this victory marked Amusan’s fourth national title, with three of them earned in the 100m Hurdles and one in the 4x100m Relays. Her journey to success began in 2021 when she secured her first title in the 100m Hurdles at the National Championships held at Yaba College of Technology.
The following year, she astounded everyone by smashing the Championship Record, recording an impressive 12.54s to secure her second title. In an extraordinary display of versatility and skill, Amusan added the 4x100m title to her collection, achieving this remarkable feat within a mere 48 hours of her second triumph. Since then, she had gone on to win the world title and become the world record holder in the event.
Elsewhere, two-time African Champion in Shotput Chukwuebuka Enekwechi continues to demonstrate his prowess on the track. As the current African leader in the men’s Shotput with a remarkable Season’s Best of 21.69m, Enekwechi once again showcased his skills on home soil at the Benin AFN World Athletics Championships Trials.
In a dominant display, Enekwechi left the competition in the dust as he successfully defended his National title with an impressive throw of 21.09m. This marks the seventh time this season that he has surpassed the 21m mark, solidifying his reputation as a formidable force in the men’s Shot Put in Nigeria.
In the men’s 100m final, Usheoritse Itsekiri emerged victorious in the men’s 100m final at the Nigerian Athletics Championships held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin. With a lightning-fast sprint, he raced away to claim the prestigious title of Nigeria’s fastest man, crossing the finish line in an impressive time of 10.02s.
Itsekiri secured the national title and matched his Personal Best (PB) from 2019. In the same year, he clinched his first national title, making this his second victory over the 100m distance. Following closely behind Itsekiri was Seye Ogunlewe, who took the well-deserved second-place position with a time of 10.1s, while Alaba Akintola finished closely behind in 10.12s.
Blessing Ogundiran won the women’s title with 11.50s.
