EXPECTEDLY, the attention of many sport-loving Nigerians would be on sensational Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor as the 15th IAAF World Athletics Championships begin today at the Beijing National Stadium otherwise known as Bird’s Nest.
The Athltics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) initially listed 23 athletes for the Beijing 2015 before it was finally reduced to 17, following the exclusion of reigning Commonwealth Games long jump champion, Ese Brume, Ogho-Oghene Egwero (100m), Tyrone Akins (110 Hurdles) and three others.
Interestingly, Okagbare, who won both the 100m and 200m gold at the Glasgow 2014 is rated third in the 100m this season with her personal best of 10.80 seconds behind Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10.74 secs) and American English Gardner with 10.79 seconds.
The Commonwealth double gold medallist will also contend with fourth-ranked Ivorian Murielle Ahoure with 10.81 secs and American Tori Bowie also with 10.81 seconds.
Okagbare will however, wait till tomorrow when the women’s 100m heats commence with the final scheduled to hold on Monday night.
According to a member of AFN in Beijing, Olukayode Thomas, since the arrival of the Delta State-born amazon in the Chinese capital, she has been eagerly waiting for business to commence.
Indeed, the Bird’s Nest will remain evergreen in the memory of Okagbare as it was the venue where she grabbed an Olympic medal (bronze) in long jump, before a 91,000 capacity crowd and launched herself on the global stage.
“The stadium in Beijing means a lot to me because, that was the track I won my first and most priceless medal. Before the 2008 Olympics, I never understood what it meant to be an Olympian and a medallist but I was able to achieve that at the age of 19 years which makes it a very great memory,” she recalled.
Having become a brand, Okagbare sees her present status as an advantage ahead of this year’s glamorous event.
“I will say it’s more of an advantage than a disadvantage because, over the years, I have learnt so much which has really made me the woman I am today. I do not see any disadvantage being a global star, it only proves to the world that you are simply moving forward, improving and getting better at what you do,” she submitted.
Unarguably, the greatest achievement that Okagbare or any of her team-mate could record in Beijing is by winning a gold medal which has remained elusive to Nigeria since the first world championships in Helsinki, Finland in 1983.
“My goal for Beijing is to win that gold medal that my profile is missing,” said Okagbare who won one silver and one bronze medals at the 2013 IAAF world meet in Moscow.
Meanwhile, other members of Team Nigeria to Beijing 2015 are Gloria Asumnu, Stephanie Kalu, Cecilia Francis, Deborah Odeyemi, Patience Okon George and Regina George, Oluwatosin Adeloye, Margaret Etim, Rita Ossai, Uhunoma Osazuwa, Doreen Amata, Lindsay Wenyimi and Amaka Ogoegbunam.
The three male athletes in the team are Miles Ukaoma, Odele Tega Peter and former Commonwealth Games triple jump champion, Tosin Oke.
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