April 3, 2023

Fiaku Ezechichiri, the 16-year-old sensational high jumper, has emerged the overall best at the just-concluded AFN All Comers U-18 – U-20 athletics trials and competition in Kaduna.

He leapt a new personal best of 2.05 metres.

Ezechichiri, who is the current national school athletics high jump champion, was the youngest at the competition, organised among all the three categories.

Coach Johnny Igboka, who led the 7-man team to Kaduna, told journalists in Awka on Monday that the wonder kid had qualified to represent Nigeria at the African Youth Championship (AYC) coming up later in the year.

Igboka said that Eze Peace competed in the female U-18 category of shotput and javelin events and finished 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.

Chukwukere Gold competed in the 400 metres and 800 metres U-18 category, finishing 5th and 6th position, respectively.

He also said that Kenechukwu Nwabueze, who competed in the 800 metres and 1,500 metres events, pulled a surprising 3rd and 4th place position.

According to him, Lucy Ime came 3rd in the triple jump event in her age group, after leaping a distance of 9.94m.

The coach said Chidi Bright ran 4th in the 400 metres heat but was not selected to run in the final due to the technical error that affected most athletes.

Igboka described the Kaduna outing as a huge success.

He said that the event provided the opportunity for the budding athletes to compete on a national scale and enrich their exposures.

He commended the Anambra Sports Development Commission, under the chairmanship of Patrick-Estate Onyedum, for ensuring their participation in all the invitations so far received this year.

He said that Onyedum’s commitment was already yielding dividend and “truly raising a generation of champions in so short a time”.

“The AFN All Comers was a huge success.

“Already, we have a national high jump champion in Ezechichiri, who was the youngest in Kaduna, he will compete for the country.

“We also have others, who did well in their various events.

“We shall go back and intensify our training because these are champions in the making.

“I want to thank the commission for giving us the opportunity,” Igboka said. (NAN)