Sports
Access Bank Lagos City Marathon: Olude Happy With New Performance
The second Nigerian female to cross the finish line at the just concluded 5th Access Bank Lagos City Marathon, Fadekemi Olude, yesterday said she was happy about her new personal best.
Olude told newsmen in Lagos that although she did not win the first prize, she was grateful for the new time recorded.
“For me, the race was great; I was so happy not for anything, but for the new time that I ran,” she said.
Olude, who clinched the second position in the Nigerian category, finished with a time of 2: 49: 33 secs.
Reacting to when she would surpass Deborah Pam in marathon, Olude said she was working toward it.
The Ogun-born athlete and national champion in race-walk said she was seriously working toward making the standard for the Olympics.
“I am going for another new records this year, and I am working toward making the standard for race-walk in the Olympics,” she said.
Tidesports source reports that Pam was the first Nigerian female to cross the finish line with a time of 2:45:17 secs, Olude placed second while Hudung Gyang returned third position.
In the Nigerian male category, Emmanuel Gyang came first with a time of 2:25:30 secs, Adamu Shehu Muazu placed second with a time of 2:27:17 secs, while Iliya Pam was third with a time of 2: 28: 34 secs.
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.
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