Team Nigeria celebrates as Enekwechi hits shot put final

Okagbare, Oduduru, others battle in 4x100m relay today

For the first time in seven days, Team Nigeria’s camp came alive yesterday at the on-going 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha, as the country’s sole representative in the men shot put event, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi, made it to the final amidst tough opponents.

Since the commencement of the championship on September 27, Nigerian athletes have crashed one after the other. The likes of Blessing Okagbare, Divine Oduduru, Patience Okon George, Favour Ofili, Oyesade Olatoye and Chioma Onyekwere had performed below the expectation of Nigerians in Doha. But Enekwechi, who holds a personal best record of 21.80 in the shot put, came up with a surprise yesterday, when he threw 20.94 to qualify for the final in the midst of tough opposition in Group A.

After his first attempt of 20.12, which would have seen him crashing out of the group, Enekwechi put everything in his last throw to hit the 20.94, and in the process, denied an Italian athlete, Leonardo Fabbri the qualification ticket. The Italian threw 20.75.

The men’s shot put final comes up tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s men and women 4x100m relay teams will begin their qualification battles today in the championship.

The women team will battle in lane three, Heat two alongside Germany, Great Britain, Ghana, China, Italy, Jamaica and Brazil.Team Nigeria has a pool of seven female athletes to pick from for the 4x100m relay. The athletes include Blessing Okagbare, Tobi Amusan, Ese Brume, Udo Gabriel Joy, Ogundiran Blessing and Ntia Obong Mercy.

Nigeria’s male 4x100m relay team will begin qualification in lane eight, Heat two alongside Canada, The Netherland, South Africa, Japan, France, German and China. There are eight male athletes registered for this event. They include Ogho-Oghene Egwero, Raymond Ekevwo, Itsekiri Usheoritse, Divine Oduduru and Seye Ogunlewe.
Team U.S. currently tops the medals table with seven gold, with China, Jamaica and Kenya following with two gold medals each.