Delta 2022: After four attempts, Edafiadhe wins long jump gold medal

Targets Yusuf Alli’s 33-year-old record
United States- based long jumper, Joseph Oreva Edafiadhe, is feeling high after winning the men’s long jump gold medal of the 2022 National Sports Festival.

Appearing in his fourth NSF, the Newman-Carson University student, jumped 7.70m to clinch the gold medal. 

According to him, improving on his performance and to be among the world’s best is now his target.

“I feel good winning the gold, and I am overwhelmed because it been a long time I have been coming to the festival,” Edafiadhe said.
“My first outing was in 2011, where I did three foul jumps in the finals and no medal.

My second festival was bronze and third was silver and so it is somewhat personal for me to be elevated to the gold. I feel great that God did it.
“Coming down here, I was full of confidence I will win; this is not underrating my fellow competitors.”
 
He attributed his overall improvement to hard work and being healthy.
“It is hard work. The only thing that will hold me back is not being healthy. In the past few months, I have been doing some decent jumps practically because I am healthy.”

He added that his sights are now set on making global impact in long jump, including taking down Yusuf Alli’s 33-year-old 8.27m national record.

“Records are meant to be broken; when the right time comes, it will be broken. But for now, qualifying for the Worlds and Africa Games are my targets,” he said.