Nigeria, for a long time has not got a large number of young stars who are quite promising to rule the world of athletics in the future.
Not just only that they are young, but also are doing well in all areas of track and field events. The national trials in Benin has said a lot about our athletes going into the forth coming Common Wealth Games and the World Athletics Championship.
One of the brightest shining star is Favour Ofili. Though one of Ofili’s preference is the 100m sprint but she specializes in the 200 and 400 metres has she has ones been a champion in the African Youth Championship in the half lap and full lap events.
The 19-year old had earlier broken and briefly held the U.S NCAA collegiate record in a time of 21.96 and this record stood for two months. According to the the olympics, the beautiful Nigerian athlete has said “I am going to win, we African sprinters now believe in ourselves. We now believe that anything is possible” as she gets herself ready for the world’s showpiece.
World Athletics governing body has picked Ofili, among eleven other young stars to do well in the coming World Athletics Championship. The U.S based was named in the 200m, having a personal best of 21.96s and this has put her in the hierarchy of medal hopefuls in the world event. X-raying her prospect, Ofili holds the national record and the youth National records in the 200m event with a time of 21.96 as she becomes Nigeria’s first female athlete to run a sub 22 seconds.
Recently, Nigeria’s 4×100m team made the final selection as French team unavoidably pulled out of the race by not submitting athletes for that event. Therefore, Ofili, along with others will represent Nigeria in the World Championship in Oregon United States. Rosemary Chukwuma, Tobi Amusan, Grace Nwokocha and Joy Udo-Gabriel are the others who completed the list.
