It was a day of breakthroughs and surprises at the Yabatech Sports Ground on Saturday as Israel Okon delivered a career-defining performance to win the men’s 100m title at the 2025 All-Nigeria Athletics Championships.
The 18-year-old sprinter surged past a high-quality field in Saturday’s final, stopping the clock at 10.04 seconds (+2.3 m/s) to clinch his first-ever national 100m crown.
|
|
Saturday’s 100m final was one of the most-keenly contested in recent championship history.
Alaba Akintola came a whisker behind in 10.05s, while Adekalu Fakorede (10.07s) and Seye Ogunlewe (10.09s) were not far off in a final where all four dipped under 10.10s.
|
|
|
|---|
Though the wind was slightly above the legal limit, the times reaffirmed the rising depth in Nigeria’s sprint talent pool.
Okon’s win adds his name to a prestigious list of national 100m champions, following in the footsteps of Olympic medalists and continental greats like Olusoji Fasuba and Deji Aliu.
Speaking with reporters after the race, Okon said he was happy to win his first 100m title.
Stay Ahead with Premium Times
Follow us on Google News and never miss breaking stories, investigations, and in-depth reporting.
Add as a preferred source on Google
According to him, he is looking forward to the World Championship in Tokyo later in the year.
“I’m very happy right now to be the national champion,” he said.
“In Tokyo, anything can happen, anything is possible. Everything is possible here.
“I’m putting my faith in my Coach, Coach Ken, I am ready to go for whatever he asks me to do ahead of the world championship.”
Defending champion holds on in Distance Race
In the men’s 3000m final, Stephen Joshua successfully defended his title, maintaining his status as Nigeria’s leading long-distance athlete.
Joshua controlled the pace from start to finish to seal yet another national crown, underlining his consistency in the event.
Onwaeze shines in 110m Hurdles
In the men’s 110m hurdles, Nnamdi Onwaeze claimed his first senior national title, winning in 14.13s.
A finalist at the NCAA Division II Championships in the US, Onwaeze held off Wisdom Great Musa, who clocked 14.19s after running a Personal Best of 13.73s in the semifinals.
The event saw the absence of more established names, giving Onwaeze the perfect platform to announce his arrival as a national contender.
U20 star steps up in High Jump
Another emerging talent, Victor Clement, made headlines by winning the men’s high jump with a mark of 2.05m, just days after claiming the African U20 title in Abeokuta.
The teenager stepped up to the senior ranks impressively, claiming gold in an event where more experienced athletes had been favoured.
Comfort James upsets favourite in Women’s 800m
One of the upsets of the day came in the women’s 800m, where Comfort James overcame pre-race favourite Ramot Jimoh to take the national title.
James led from the bell and held on strongly to cross the line in a Season’s Best of 2:06.88, beating Jimoh, who finished second in 2:08.65.
READ ALSO: National Sports Federation elections get new date
Jimoh had earlier this year clocked a Personal Best of 2:03.45 in the US, making her the fastest entrant on paper. But James timed her race to perfection, showing tactical maturity and finishing strength.
Rounding off the podium was Aminat Alabi, who slashed nearly five seconds off her previous best to place third in 2:11.61.
The All-Nigeria Championships ends on Sunday at Yabatech in Lagos. It serves as the final selection trials for athletes aiming to represent Nigeria at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo .
Discover more from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
More News
