Brilliant Ofili runs PB in 200m, Onwuzurike seeks ‘revenge’ today

After being scrubbed out from the women’s 100m by an “unknown” Nigerian official, sprinter Favour Ofili, yesterday, morning finally fulfilled her long wish of competing in the Olympics.

At the last edition of the Games in Tokyo, Ofili and nine other Nigerians were disqualified from competing following their inability to fulfill the mandatory Out-of-Competition test.

But the sprinter bounced back with a robust 22.24 seconds to win the sixth heat of the women’s 200m with a new personal best time.

Gabby Thomas of the USA ran 22.20 in her heats and 100m champion, Jullen Alfred chasing a double, ran 22.41 seconds in the group leading to the semifinal billed for today.

With her effort, Ofili looks good for the final and a podium appearance, if she maintains her focus and consistency.
Five women have gone under 22 seconds this season and four of them are in today’s semifinal. They include Thomas with a world-leading time of 21.78 secs, her American compatriot, Mckenzie Long Brittany Brown, and St Lucia’s heroine Alfred.

Also today, former world U-20 200m champion, Nigeria’s Udodi Onwuzurike will be seeking to achieve two goals when he files out for the half lap at the main bowl of the Stade de France in Saint-Dennis.

The 21-year-old Nigerian, making his first appearance at the Olympics stage, will be looking to secure a place in the semifinals of the event, as well as getting past Ugandan, Tarsis Gracious Orogot, who supplanted him as the third fastest man in Collegiate history in the event.

Orogot ran 19.75 seconds in the NCAA circuit to push the 19.76 seconds lifetime best Onwuzurike ran on his way to winning the NCAA 200m outdoor title in 2023 to fourth in the all-time list.

To get a sweet revenge this morning, Onwuzurike must run faster since he has not broken 20 seconds this year.

The Ugandan holds a 19.75 seconds personal season and lifetime best, but the 21.13 personal season’s best, the fourth fastest in the heat this year should make Onwuzurike a contender for one of the three automatics tickets on offer this morning.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu is facing mounting pressure to sack Sports Minister, John Enoh, over the exclusion of Favour Ofili from the 100m event at the Paris Olympic Games.

Sports entrepreneur and chairman of the Gombe State Athletics Association, Ahmed Shuaib Gara-Gombe, has called for the minister’s removal, describing the situation as a “national embarrassment.”

Gara-Gombe suggested that President Tinubu should impose serious sanctions on the Sports Minister, the president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Habu Gumel, and others involved in the shameful act as a deterrent for future abuse.
The exclusion of Ofili from the 100m event has been attributed to negligence, inefficiency, and corruption within the sports sector.

Gara-Gombe stated that the Sports Minister has promoted corruption and refused to listen to those who would tell him the truth about the situation in Nigerian sports.

Gara-Gombe carpeted the minister’s attempts to shift the blame to the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, and the NOC, arguing that Enoh should take full responsibility for the mess.

He called for the minister’s resignation, stating that if he fails to do so, President Tinubu should sack him immediately.

Gara-Gombe also threatened to take legal action if necessary.