…Kefas Secures Long Distance Double

Williams Kefas of the Nigeria Police won the men’s 5,000 metres event to secure a long distance double at the 21st Nigeria/Mobil/NNPC Track and Field Championships.

   Kefas, who had on Thursday at the opening won the 10,000 metres event with a time of 30 minutes 48.28 seconds, clinched his double after running 15 minutes 52.59 seconds.

Kefas beat an eight-man field that also had defending champion John Bulus of the Civil Defence Academy (CDA) and last year’s runner-up, Danjuma Kopkuddi.

Emmanuel Gyang of Plateau came second with a time of 16.04.57, ahead of Bulus, who came third with a time of 16.04.66.

In the race, Bulus had led after the first two laps with Kefas taking over by the halfway mark and Bulus dropping to second position with Gyang and Taiwo Osuolale of Ondo State following closely behind.

But as the race gained momentum after 4,000 m, Kefas maintained his lead, with Gyang firmly steadying his place and surging to second place behind him.

Bulus briefly kept the spectators on their feet when he surged forward to overtake Gyang with about 200 metres to go, but the 17-year-old athlete regained his position with about 15 metres to the finishing line.

Osuolale finished fourth with 16.35.78 while Ben Emmanuel of Kaduna State and Michael Haruna of Adamawa State finished fifth and sixth with a time of 16.42.48 and 17.35.65 respectively.

John Long of Oyo State, who finished last in the race with 19.03.10, however, got the event’s biggest applause as he arrived at the finishing line.

Danjuma Kopkuddi of the Nigerian Immigration Service had earlier dropped out of the race.