Sports
Pistorius ‘ll Be Back On Track – Agent
Oscar Pistorius will be welcomed at certain meetings when he returns to athletics, according to his agent.
The athlete, who denies murder after the shooting of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp at his South Africa home in February, is on bail awaiting trial.
A court changed the 26-year-old’s bail restrictions last week to allow him travel abroad for competitions.
“I’ve received emails of support from various meeting directors,” Peet van Zyl told Tidesports source.
“When the time is right, we will approach competitions and I’m sure there will be guys out there who will be willing to have him back out on their track.
“But he is the only one who can determine if and when he is ready to train and return to competition.”
The South African double amputee, who is known as ‘Blade Runner’ because of his prosthetic legs, is on bail after being charged with the premeditated murder of Steenkamp, who was shot dead at his Pretoria home on 14 February.
Pistorius claims he mistook her for an intruder at his home.
Van Zyl, has also not ruled out the prospect of the athlete competing at August’s World Championships in Moscow.
The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which is the body responsible for the World Championships, told Tidesports source that Pistorius, who has competed at both Olympics and Paralympics, would be “free to run” in the event on the “basis of the ‘innocent until proven guilty’ principle”.
“First and foremost, he has to be ready to train and compete,” said van Zyl. “Once he is ready and feels he is up for training again, we will have him back on the track.
“He is a world-class athlete and if he does compete again this season – and if he achieves the qualifying times – it is something you would have to consider, but it is early days.
“He hasn’t trained for eight weeks, so to get back into competition form he would have to train first and it will take him time to get back to that level.”
Nova, the company which organises the Manchester City Games, said there were “no plans to invite him over” after the change in his bail conditions. Pistorius withdrew from the event, to be held on 25 May, after being charged.
It is also believed he is unlikely to be invited to compete at the London Anniversary Games in July at the Olympic Stadium.
At London 2012, Pistorius became the first double amputee to run at an Olympics. as he took part in both the 400m and 4x400m.
He then won gold medals in the T44 400m and T42-46 4x100m at the Paralympics, as well as silver in the T44 200m. The International Paralympic Committee told Tidesports source that Pistorius matter would be discussed at the IPC Athletics Championships, which take place in Lyon in July.
A well-known football pundit in the State, Chief Christopher Okonkwo has lauded the efforts and vision of the Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle for going from one venue of the Nigeria Domestic Nigeria Professional Football League match to the other in monitoring Nigerian players, with a view to invite some exceptional good one discovered into the main stream of the Super Eagles team.
Okonkwo, who made the commendation in an interview at the Port Harcourt Club recently, described the positive move by Coach Chelle as a good step in the right direction, noting that the practice was how its been done in the past among any contracted coach assigned to tinker the Super Eagles team.
“Truly, it has been an old tradition in the country seeing any newly engaged Coach to lead the National team, visiting some our Nigeria League venues during the league matches to spot light some good talents that could be used to beef up some grey areas in the department of Eagles team”
He, however, frowned at the current situation where our coaches had continously been over depending on the use of foreign based players during invitation of players to the National camp, thereby, relegating the domestic home based league players to the background as if they have nothing much to offer to the team.
“I can vividly recall that the likes of great players in the mode of Finidi George, Taribo West, Kanu Nwankwo, Austin Okocha, Richard Owobokiri, Emmanuel Osuigwe among others started from Nigeria football league before they graduated to play in Europe through which they later invited to Super Eagles camp to represent Nigeria”
“Besides, I’m also of the view that going to secondary school football competitive games could equally serves as a a good platform to discover budding talents that could be nurtured to become great stars in near future”, Okonkwo frankly added.
Okonkwo, therefore, prayed that any football coach to be engaged by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to tinker the Super Eagles should be told not to confine himself in staying in big hotel alone but to be visiting some of our local league match venues, with a view to discover some good players that can be drafted into the Super Eagles team.
“Indeed, I stand to be challenged that there some young good players in the Nigeria Professional League. If spotted and exposed, could give the some of the invited foreign based players a stiff competitive fight in securing a postion in the team”, Okonkwo emphatically stated.
Ezechukwu, one of the youngest members of the Nigerian contingent at the championship in Ghana, said her ambition was to win the 100m title in style and cap it with a new personal record.
The fresh secondary school graduate explained that she is fully focused on contributing to Team Nigeria’s medal hopes and is determined to deliver strong performances across her events.
“My main objective in Ghana is to clinch the 100m title and the 4×100m,” Ezechukwu told Tidesports source.
“Nigeria can be assured of my very best and my commitment to the Team. I would love to set a new personal best in Ghana, but anything that comes, I will take it. The spirit in the team is high, and I think we are ready to go,” she said.
Ezechukwu, who was part of Nigeria’s women’s 4x100m relay squad at the World Relays in Botswana, said the experience gained from that competition has strengthened her mindset heading into the continental championships.
She admitted that she learned valuable lessons from her previous outing, including a difficult moment during the relay where an early error affected the team’s rhythm, but said she has used the experience to improve her discipline and composure.
“The secret is just being disciplined, training hard and trusting my coach and believing in God, and the result will show,” she added.
The teenager is part of a 41-member Nigerian team comprising 24 female and 17 male athletes competing at the championships, which begin today at the University of Ghana, Legon.
Nigeria are expected to compete across multiple track and field events as they aim for a strong finish against the continent’s elite athletes.
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