Sprinter Ogho-Oghene Egwero and quartermilers Orukpe Eraiyokan and Patience Okon-George have become favourites in their respective events as the final countdown begins for the 20th National Sports Festival (NSF) holding in Benin, Edo State.
The trio put up impressive performances in the dress rehearsal for the athletics event of the Festival tagged Test The Track Competition held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.
Egwero, a multiple national 100m king proved he is still a strong force in the 100m event he once dominated, finishing in 10.23 seconds to win, achieve a personal season’s best and the fastest time by a Nigerian so far this term. It is also the third fastest time he has run in the event since 2018.
It was also the third time this season he has dipped inside 10.30 seconds, the only Nigerian to have done that this season and has now laid down the marker for Enoch Adegoke, hitherto the favourite for the Festival 100m gold who won in the first meet this year and Idjesa Uremu who ran 10.32 seconds to place second behind Egwero in Benin.
In the men’s 400m, 2015 African Games finalist, Eraiyokan finished first in 46.42 seconds ahead of Sikiru Adeyemi (47.43) and Atanda Akindele (47.47).
The 27-year-old Eraiyokan is the seventh Nigerian male athlete to run inside 45 seconds over the quarter mile following his incredible 44.95 seconds performance in Brazzaville, Congo in 2015 and he now looks to be one of the athletes host state, Edo will be banking on for gold.
In the women’s version, Okon-George sent a strong warning to 2019 Nigeria leader and World Athletics Championships semifinalist, Favour Ofili with her impressive 51.84 seconds performance to win the event ahead of Efejiro Praise Idamadudu (52.76) and Glory Patrick (53.85).
She is now the fastest Nigerian so far this year over the distance, supplanting Ofili who ran 52.54 seconds in Ado Ekiti a fortnight ago. She has now broken 52 seconds every season since she ran 51.87 seconds in Calabar in June 2013.
Like Eraiyokan, Okon-George is one of the seven Nigerian female quarter miler who have dipped inside 51 seconds and her 50.71 seconds performance on her way to a silver medal finish over the distance at the 2015 African Games is the fifth fastest time ever run by a Nigerian.
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