While the attention of Nigeria’s athletics followers, stakeholders and experts will be on Yaba College of Technology in Lagos this weekend for the country’s national trials, two athletes with roots in the country will be seeking glory elsewhere.
Sports247 reports that a different kind of attention will be on the Nigerian-born duo of Lawrence Okoye and Michael Obasuyi, who will both wear the colours of two different countries at the FBK Games in Hengelo on Sunday.
Okoye will carry the banner of Great Britain in the male discuss event, while Obasuyi lines out for Belgium in the men’s 110m hurdles as the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series continues across various venues.
A preview by iaaf.org noted in part, “The men’s discus brings together Olympic champion Roje Stona, British record-holder Lawrence Okoye and Germany’s Steven Richter. Dutch record-holder Nadine Visser will line up in the women’s 100m hurdles, taking on US duo Alia Armstrong and Alaysha Johnson.
“In the men’s 110m hurdles, Japanese champion Shunsuke Izumiya faces Belgium’s Michael Obasuyi and USA’s sub-13-second performer Freddie Crittenden. The men’s pole vault offers a clash of world and Olympic medallists, with USA’s Chris Nilsen taking on Ernest John Obiena of the Philippines.
“World indoor champion Lurdes Gloria Manuel lines up in the women’s 400m in recent PB form. The Czech athlete improved to 49.77 at the Rome Diamond League and then 49.74 in Ostrava, where she won in front of a home crowd.
“She will face Dutch athlete Lieke Klaver and Chile’s Martina Weil, both sub-50-second athletes at their best. In the women’s long jump, Diamond League champion Larissa Iapichino faces France’s Hilary Kpatcha.”
