Sports
Chambers Upbeat On Racing Opportunities
Britain’s world indoor 60m champion Dwain Chambers is hopeful his form can lead to invitations to race in Europe.
The 31-year-old, subject to an Olympic ban and excluded from big meets after a two-year drug suspension in 2003, battled to gold last Saturday in Doha.
On negotiations to run in the lucrative Diamond League, he told the Tidesports source: “We’ve had a lot of positive responses.
“I’ve just got to be patient and put out a good enough time that will hopefully warrant an invitation.”
Talking to Tidesports sources, Chambers added: “I have to concentrate on the races I can participate in. We are working on building bridges and relationships.
“Firstly we’re building a more positive relationship with UK Athletics and once we can do that then hopefully other opportunities will develop. `
“For now I’m going to enjoy the moment with the team.”
Soon after Jessica Ennis won the pentathlon title on Saturday, the Londoner stormed home in 6.48 seconds to become world indoor sprint champion with the fastest time of the year and improve on the indoor silver he shared in 2008 in Valencia.
Those championships in Spain saw Chambers return to the track in a British vest after his drug suspension, but only after a legal dispute with the governing body to force his participation.
However, with a new UK Athletics chief at the helm in Charles Van Commenee, relations have improved and the sprinter is now hopeful of running in other competitions and being able to face Olympic and world champion Usain Bolt.
Declaring he was “back in love” with the sport after a brief spell in American football and rugby league, Chambers told our source: “One thing I know I can do is run fast and I just have to do the best I can with the opportunities I have.
“I’m here and inspiring others looking up at me and I’m moving on with my life. It’s just the beginning.”
Chambers still owes money to the International Association of Athletics Federations and, as it stands, can only compete at international championships, but after seven years of turmoil he is only bothered about the future.
“I’m running well but I’ve realised that what I’ve always had I almost lost. That is why it means so much to me every time I run,” he added.
Iwobi spoke to Tidesports source ahead of Nigeria’s crunch playoff semi-final against Gabon on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The 28-year-old was reacting to Nigeria’s shaky World Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Eagles finish second in Group C behind South Africa’s Bafana Bafana.
“We’ve managed to rescue ourselves from the dead,” Iwobi told Tidesports source.
We know we have the players and the abilities to compete against any other country in the world.”
The Fulham star pointed to Nigeria’s star power, highlighting African Footballer of the Year winners Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen as proof of the squad’s quality.
“We have last year’s African best player (Ademola Lookman), the year before that (Victor Osimhen),” he said.
“It’ll be a shame if we don’t make it, but we have a lot of confidence. We just have to prove it to ourselves.”
Nigeria’s path to the United States, Canada and Mexico has been turbulent, with two coaches departing during the early stages of qualifying before Éric Chelle steadied the ship to steer the Super Eagles into November’s CAF playoffs.
Four nations from the continent – Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo and Gabon – will vie for a solitary spot to compete in next March’s inter-confederation playoffs, with a view to joining the already nine qualified African nations at the Finals.
It would mark Iwobi’s second appearance at the World Cup Finals and the Super Eagles’ first since the 2018 edition of the competition.
Back then, Iwobi featured in all three games as Nigeria was knocked out in the group stage.
The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) and Publisher of the Atlantic Bell Online medium, Mr. Celestine Ogolo has advised sports writers in Nigeria to diversify in sports writing and not to concentrate on football reporting alone.
The Deputy National President of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Mr. Bonny Nyong has expressed commitment to support sports development and move SWAN forward.