Spectators in Asaba got what they sought for, as they witnessed one of the races that made news during the week.
That was the 100m showdown between world leader, Emmanuel Consider Ekanem, and Enoch Adegoke, one race anyone won’t like to miss following the athIetes antecedents in the past.
Ekanem recently achieved a world lead in the 100m, returning a 10:10 secs in Lagos.
It was expected that Adegoke, with 10:28 seconds this year, will not let things slips off him in the race that promisedto be explosive.
However, the big 100m battle in Asaba never came to pass as Ekanem didn’t start owing to technical track rules which disqualified him from the finals,
after posting 10.08 secs in the semifinal.
Similarly, Adegoke could not cope with pressures posed by new 100m winner, the home boy, Sunday Israel Okon.
This, officials said, was an anti-climax having waited to witness explosive race.
Ekanem appeared dazed after his disqualification, surrounded by his coach, Seun Ogunkoya and friends. When approached for comments, he looked up and said, “there will be more trials, I congratulate ‘Alika’.
Ekanem could not have said much as people believed that what happened to him was inexperience at such high profile race where much was expected.
Spectators were thrilled by the hype the race produced and concluded that foreign based athIetes were not missed following high level of performance the home based athletes showcased at the Africa Games selection Trials in Asaba.
