Ojokolo is first Nigerian African Championships 100m champion to coach at the Championships

Endurance Ojokolo has made history as the first Nigerian to win the 100m title at the African Athletics Championships and also coach at the same Championships.

Ojokolo, the seven-time Nigeria 100m queen emerged champions twice at the African Championships, winning the 100m in 2002 and 2004, after coming second in 1998 behind Mary Onyali.

Fondly called ‘The Bulldozer’ with the way she bulldozed her way into the Nigerian Championships scene to stop the dominance of Mary Onyali who had won the Nigerian title six straight times between 1991 and 1996, Ojokolo was denied the chance of having a Nigerian in the 100m podium following the withdrawal of Favour Ofili and Rosemary Chukwuma from the event’s semifinals.

Now 49 years old, Ojokolo was however lucky to ‘produce’ a medalist at the African Games when Olayinka Olajide won the silver behind Gambia’s Gina Bass.

Ojokolo has become the face of Nigerian female coaches in recent years and it is the first time since coach Armelia Edet and Maria Usifo retired that we have had champions/medalists in continental championships/Games coaching Nigerian athletes to the same events.

Majority of winners Nigeria had produced before and after Ojokolo at the African Championships and Games did not venture into coaching and they include Mary Onyali who won three African Games 100m titles and two in the 200m and repeated the same feat at the African Championships; Onyinye Chikezie, Rufinah Ubah and Beatrice Utondu.

It is not sure if Damola Osayomi and Blessing Okagbare (after serving her 11 year ban) will be interested in coaching.