As the world prepares for the forthcoming Beijing 2008 Olympic games slated for August in China, top Nigerian track and field stars have started arriving for the 19th Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and Exxon Mobil Track and Field Championship which get under way this week.
The competition, which is the highest athletics event in Nigeria coming up in Abuja on June 30 and July 3, will be used to select Nigerian athletics team for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in August.
The event has produced top world class athletes since its inception in 1989 and this year's edition is expected to be a very tough battle for a place in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
The AFN and the Exxon Mobil, sponsor of the event will unveil the package of this year's championship before the kick off of the competition.
Maria Wophil, Secretary General of the AFN, told Xinhua on a phone interview that the highlight of the packages will be the retention of the prize money structure introduced into the championship few years back as well as the one million naira jackpot prize for either winners of specific event or any athletes who achieved the best performance based on the IAAF scoring table.
She said Africa's fastest man; Olusoji Fasuba heads the list of Nigerian track and field star that will participate in the Exxon Mobil Track and Field Championship.
Fasuba, who made double history with his 60 meter title winning feat in Valencia last march at the IAAF world indoor championships and his third, unprecedented 100 meter back to back win at the last African Athletics Championship last month in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is the defending champion of the Mobil Track and Field Championship 100 meter.
"I am looking forward to do better, do my best because I know all eyes are on me.
"Fellow athletes want to break my record, they want to make good marks too, but I think this is my time and I won't let it pass me by," said Fasuba on his arrival for the championship.
Some of the top athletes also participated in the Athletics Federation of Nigeria super Grand prix held on Monday at the main bowl of the Abuja National stadium, where Adetoyi Durotoye provided the shock of the one day tournament when he defeated Africa's fastest man Olusoji Fasuba, amongst other strong opposition with a 10.14 personal setting run.
Durotoye has now set the stage for a titanic 100 meter battle next week at the 19th Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and Exxon Mobil Track and Field Championship which will hold at the same venue.
Recent performance by Nigerian athletes around the world has suddenly raised hope that the country can win medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Kunle Adesoji, a partially blind athlete who set a new world record, won two gold medals at the just concluded Afro-Arab Games in Tunisia.
He won the men's 100 meters for the partially blind and set the new world record in the race when he finished in 10.75 seconds erasing the former record of 10.76 seconds.
He also won the 200 meters event in 22.16 seconds at the championship, which served as a qualifier for the Paralympics Games.
Gimba Abdulrahaman, Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC) on Monday in Abuja promised Nigerian athletes training for the forthcoming Beijing Olympics and Paralympics games would be treated equally.
(Xinhua News Agency June 25, 2008)