ABUJA - MKO Abiola International Stadium will host the FSO Athletics Challenge 2024, a meet open for all ages organized by Nigerian-born Qatari sprinter Femi Seun Ogunode and his foundation dedicated to supporting sports development in Nigerian. Cash prizes will be given for the Men’s and Women’s 100m & 400m, Women’s 800m, Men’s 1500m, Men’s Long Jump, and Boys and Girls 4x100m School Relay.
The Women’s 800m race will be graced by the presence of 3x Nigerian National Champion Comfort James. The 24-year old was an African Championship and African Games finalist in the 800m earlier this year and ran a personal best of 2:04.45 seconds in Cameroon. James will also step down in distance and run in the Women’s 400m where she holds a personal best of 55.18 seconds set in May. Young athletes from Dynamic Athletics Club, Comfort Sule and Happy Rasheed, are also 55-second runners that will be top contenders in this event.
In the Women’s 100m, 16-year old Miracle Ezechukwu has impressive times already at her young age and looks to add another notch on her belt. The student at Nigerian Tulip International College and N-Youth Academy has the fastest season’s best and personal best of the competitors, running 11.75 seconds earlier in the year. Shahana Idris of Government Day Secondary School in Karu may provide a challenge as she boasts a personal best of 11.87 seconds and a season’s best of 12.00 seconds.
The Men’s 100m competition will have a good blend of Junior and Senior athletes vying for the top prizes. Thankgod Chinemerem Igube will be one to watch as he has the fastest season best of the group running 10.48 seconds. He also has a personal best of 10.39 seconds from 2021. 18 year-old Emmanuel Aki Peters is a young sprinter looking to top the crowded field. He has a personal best of 10.65 seconds from 2023 and has ran a wind-aided 10.77 second race this season. Isaac Egberebo (Dynamic Athletics Club), Pali Mukhtar and Divinefavour Okisamen (Real Winners), and Adesunloro Emmanuel Pelumi (Stan Athletics) are among others that have a history of going sub-11 seconds as well and will make for an exciting race.
In the Men’s 400m, numerous athletes have a chance to take the crown including 16-year old Isaac Miracle Chukwuwike (Global Power). He is one of the top Under-18 400m runners in the country with a season’s best and personal best of 47.66 seconds. Veteran sprinter Japhet Samuel will enter the field hoping his experience will carry through and his improve on his 48.32 second season best. Adesunloro Emmanuel Pelumi will look to double in the 400m as well. His personal best of 48.88 seconds will certainly have him in the mix.
The meet will also include an invitational school relay event for girls and boys. Look for Nigerian Tulip International College to have a strong relay on the girls’ side with the aforementioned Miracle Ezechukwu along with National Youth Games Medalists Adaeze Ezeh and Chigozie Nwankwo.
A full schedule and live results can be found here: https://meets.rosterathletics.com/public/competitions/details/schedule?id=25796
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