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Ekanem, Itsekiri to Battle Cameroonian Eseme for the Sprint Gold Today
Femi Solaja
Nigeria鈥檚 dominance in sprint in the continent will be tested today in the men and women鈥檚 100m final at the ongoing 13th African Games in Accra, Ghana.
Nigeria鈥檚 duo of Consider Ekanem and Itseoritse Itsekiri will fly the country鈥檚 flag in the final of the men鈥檚 sprint to know the fastest man in the 100m event.
New boy on the block, Consider Ekanem, was not under any pressure to produce the 10.37seconds that got him a ticket to the final. He beat Ghana鈥檚 Aggreh Barnabas to the second spot. Barnabas ran 10.42 seconds while Bibi Noa Jerrel of Mauritius was third with 10. 47 seconds.
Experienced Itseoritse Itsekiri kept his cool in the third semi-final heat, which saw two expulsion after false starts, to run 10.29 seconds. It was the second fastest time in the semi-final heats and it seems the man to beat in the men鈥檚 100m is Cameroonian Emmanuel Alobwede Eseme, who clocked 10.23 seconds
Earring to the final race of the event today.
In the women鈥檚 sprint, Olayinka Olajide and Justina Tiana Eyakpobeyan must figure out how to handle Gambia鈥檚 Gina Bass who had the fastest time in the semi-final an 11.37 seconds effort. Bass is the defending 200m champion from Rabat 2019.
Her semi final race was the fastest, with Madagascar鈥檚 Claudine Njarosoa finishing 11.59 behind Bass and Ghana鈥檚 Mary Bokye third with 11.64 seconds.
Olajide was first in her heat racing to 11. 46 seconds.
Eyakpobeyan also finished top in her heat with 11.67 seconds. Based on their credentials coming to the African Games they must be having more gas in their tanks to to make it a Nigeria 1 and 2 in the final.
In other events of the day, Esther Joseph Elo ran 51.81 seconds in the women 400m heats to establish herself as the favourite to clinch the title.
Nigeria鈥檚 other runners Brittney Ogunmokun and Easter Okon Peter also qualified for the semi-final.
Ogunmokun ran 53.53seconds in her heat while Okon Peter secured the first position in her heat with 53.17seconds.
in the men鈥檚 race Chidi Okezie ran a relaxed race of 45.89s as a season opener in the men鈥檚 400m.
He leads Dubem Nwachukwu who got edged in 46.29s in his heat and Sikiru Adeyemi in 46.72s into the semi finals.
