Divine Oduduru of Nigeria... wins silver in 200m final with 20.25s PB and leading time by a Nigerian since close to a decade!!! Skipping the 100m was a tactical success. Nigerian coaches are good. Oduduru,who skipped the 100m he qualified for with 10.30s to focus on 200m and 4x100m relay is a product of grassroots sports development. He came to lime light by winning the Dr. Olukoya U-18yrs championships 2013,after 3 attempts since 2010 Nkoyo Ibori U-18yrs Trials for the 1st Youth Olympics Games. He was never based abroad,coached by a Delta state sports commission coach and currently by an ex-sprints star. By my projection in my earlier posts, the 100m event at the Oregon world junior Championships is scary with world junior record holder who recently ran a 9.97s,and Japanese with seasonal best of 10.01s. If he had chosen to run 100m,his 10.30s could have ranked him 10. But he chose to run the 200m instead which he was ranked 17 with a seasonal and personal best of 20.85s he ran to win the national senior 200m tittle. By my observation,the ease at which this current African youth and junior champion ran the Calabar 200m semi showed he will do wonders amongst his contemporaries. And I wish to highlight some technical success at the local league managed by Mr Yusuff Ali,the Long jump record holder,who against all odds made sure sprinters who prefer to run only 100m ran 200m too in the same season. He should be given the responsibility to DIRECT the technical department, We have had enough of trial by error of some mis-fits or scoundrels in glorified nursing uniform who think athletics performance can be dictated by not having the technical know-how!!! The technical department should be headed by a competent person,the surest way forward. The gallant boy took a fantastic decision by not jumping on the plane to Bahamas world relays by running at the local league. And let me show you what he went through to win his silver statistically. Entries by rank 1. Zharnel Hughes AIA 20.32s Bolts training partner,broke Yohan Blakes Jamaican high school record in100m 2. Trentavis Friday USA 20.33s 3. Javaughn Minzie JAM 20.37s ran the100m10.32sheat,10.43s semi,Jamaicas fastest school boy 4. Michael OHara JAM 20.50 ran 100mheat 10.36s,semi 10.69s,14.05s hurdler 5. Kendall Williams USA current 100m champion 10.21s final 6. Yuki Kolke JPN 20.61s 9. Jonathan Farinha TTO 20.68s 17. Device Oduduru NGR 20.85s skipped 100m 10.30s SB PB 18. Thomas Somer GBR 20.86s 21. Masaharu Mori 20.92s Best by semi final qualifying time 1. Friday USA 20.35s 2. Somber GBR 20.37s PB 3. Hughes AIA 20.38s 4. OHara JAM 20.45s PB 5. Kolke JAP 20.66s 5. Oduduru NGR 20.66s PB 7. Mori JPN 20.71s PB 8. Faranhe TTO 20.74s placed 8th in 100m final My conclusion,in a championships like this,with athletes that have performancees as seniors,its best an athlete reserve best efforts until the final and learn to skip events that some of your competitors would feature before before they meet you later. Obviously, Javaughn Minzie and Michael OHara,both from JAM missed this vital lesson,and Minzie played for it dearly. Our Nigerias 200m champion, Devine Oduduru utilized this opportunity well. Congratulations to coach Femi Emmanuel,the Team Nigerias sprint coach,and the Delta grassroots coach and his current coach Endurance Ojokolo. Someone to please supply the Delta coachs name... I saw him last year during Odudurus exploits in Lagos. A job well done. My concern now is,the failed Jamaicans would come back stronger as seniors: FOOD FOR THOUGHTS.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Jul 2014 10:22:20 +0000
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