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Nigerian
athletes hoping to be part of the 13th World Championships in Athletics
slated for Daegu, Korea, between August 27 and September 4, 2011 will
have to step up their performances as the International Association of
Athletics Federations (IAAF) has raised the entry standards for some of
the events that would be competed for at the event.

Top on the list of
events that now has new entry standards is the 100m event for both men
and women. While, 10.21 seconds and 10.28 seconds were the A and B
standards set for the men’s 100m race at last year’s championships in
Berlin, athletes hoping to make the cut to next year’s event will have
to run a faster time of 10.18 and 10.25 seconds respectively. For the
women’s race, the entry standard was raised to 11.29 seconds (A) and
11.38 (B) from the previous 11.30 seconds (A) 11.40 (B) marks.

‘We will qualify’

Reacting to the
development, Oghene Egwero, who was one of the country’s
representatives at the last edition in Berlin, said the standards
though higher are attainable. “For me, making the standards in either A
or B categories is not the problem but getting there and making an
impact is my major concern,” he said. “Right now I am focusing myself
on how I can run under 10 seconds and have good season next year.”
Egwero did not make it beyond the semi final round at the Berlin
Championships. Similarly, despite being dropped like his other
colleagues from the team to the recent Commonwealth Games in India
owing to unimpressive times posted, one of the country’s top
quarter-milers, Godday James, is also confident of making the new mark
set by the athletics body. “That’s not much of a problem, I expect to
run a lot of sub 44.00second races this year” he boasted.

Past woes

The last time
Nigeria won a medal at the World Championship was the Seville 1999
where three medals were won: in the 4x100m men relay team, the men’s
200m and women’s 100m hurdles. Subsequent editions in Edmonton 2001,
Paris 2003, Helsinki 2005 and Osaka 2007 ended without medals. The
recent edition in Berlin was even worse as the Nigerian contingent did
not only fail to win medals but were rocked with doping scandals. Three
members of the team to Berlin were sent home for using the performance
enhancing drug, metholone. The athletes; sprinter Gloria Kemasuode,
shot putter Vivian Chukwuemeka, and 400m barrier runner Amaka
Ogoegbunam were promptly withdrawn from the team in accordance with
IAAF rules and they are currently serving various bans.