The third combined African U18/U20 Championships in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Thursday evening, produced what will go down in history as the biggest moment in the continent’s athletics following Team Nigeria’s clean sweep in the girls’ 100m U-18 final.

It is no longer news that Miracle Ezechukwu blazed to gold in 11.88secs, followed by captain of the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) at the 22nd National Sports Festival, Rosemary Nwankwo (11.96secs), and Miriam Jegede got the bronze (12.20secs).

Perhaps, what might be of major interest to athletics-loving Nigerians is how the duo of Miracle Ezechukwu and Rosemary Nwankwo made their way into the nation’s athletics.

The duo hail from Anambra State, and Rosemary Nwankwo comes from a village called Mbaukwu, which means (Big Thighs. It is the same village where the African queen of the track, Mary Onyali, was born.

While celebrating inside the MKO Abiola Sports Arena, Abeokuta, on Thursday evening, the athletes sang, hugged and danced around Onyali. The scenario attracted the attention of many spectators. The Guardian was on the spot and decided to approach Mary Onyali.

“The athletics story of both Miracle Ezechukwu and Rosemary Nwankwo began in 2019 in Ilorin, and I have been part of it,” Onyali began. “They were part of Team Anambra to the National Youth Games in Ilorin, Kwara State. Then, a school based in Abuja, NTIC was in Ilorin to recruit talented students into their N-Youth Academy. The school spotted them.

“Then, I was the Special Assistant to former Sports Minister, Chief Sunday Dare. At the end of the Youth Games in Ilorin, the school came to our office for a meeting with Chief Dare, seeking a partnership on how to solidify its sports academy. The minister handed me over to NTIC, and I helped them to create the sports desk, signed a three-year contract, which was later renewed before we left office.

“At every Youth Games, NTIC is usually on ground to recruit new students who are truly within the age, and today, they have over 200 students, some on full scholarship. They started with four sports, football, athletics, swimming and taekwondo, but today NTIC has nine sports.

Speaking further, Onyali said: “I helped the school to recruit the former grassroots coach of Gloria Alozie, coach Gat. He has retired, and we brought in coach Abdulkareem Idris, who is the youngest athletics coach in the world at the moment, to take care of the athletes. Idris was one of the athletics coaches for the Invited Junior Athletes (IJA) during the National Sports Festival. One of the athletes, Miracle, has just finished writing her WAEC exam, and Rosemary is still in school. That is the genesis of their athletics career, and I must thank both Chief Dare for giving NDIC his listening ears in 2019 and also the chairman of Anambra State Sports Commission, Patrick Estate Onyedum, for the role he played in the career of these young athletes. I am really excited to see that the journey we started in 2019 is yielding big fruit, not only for Nigeria but Africa athletics,” Onyali stated.

It was a double celebration for Team Nigeria on Thursday evening as the momentum was carried into the U-20 girls’ 100m final, where the nation bagged gold and silver through the efforts of Chioma Nweke (11.65secs) and Success Oyibu (11.78secs). Nigeria’s third finalist, Chiamaka Nwankwo, narrowly missed the podium but showed great promise, finishing fourth in 11.98 seconds.

Meanwhile, Sydney 200 Olympic Games gold medalist, Enefiok Udo-Obong, and former Technical Director of the Athletic Federation of Nigeria, Navy Commodore Omatseye Nesiama (Rtd), have declared that the future of track and field in Nigeria is bright, judging from the performances of the athletes at the CAA U-18/U-20 Championships in Abeokuta.

Udo-Obong, who serves as the chairman of the Technical Sub-committee of the Local Organising Committee, said in as much, as he cannot be said to be judging only from the Nigerian angle as he is working in the technical department, the performance of the athletes has shown that Nigeria has talents in abundance.

“I’m actually watching the event as an administrator and an official. So I’m more concerned in making sure that all the athletes have their starting blocks correctly, that the pitch is ready, that we have the necessary things in place,” he said. “But I have seen one or two Nigerian athletes who are good, especially in the 400 meters, which is my event, which I was interested in. But generally, I hope Nigerians are doing well.

“I believe we have a good new federation that is ready to work, and I’ve seen very young, dynamic coaches working, so I think that I’ve had some time to relax and review the performances of Nigeria.”

On his part, Nesiama said he has seen some of the athletes, and there is a need to go into a developmental Programme. “I’m here at an international level. But because I was on the board and I’ve been the Technical Director of the federation for many years, I can also speak a little. The zeal I see in the athletes, both the U-18 and U-20, is quite encouraging.

“Putting this team together after this short time is also a feat. But you cannot pick medals on the street. It’s tough work. And this competition will help us really assess our level and really make us go into proper developmental programs,” Nesiama stated.