Ashe Eyes Commonwealth Games History, Demands Training Support After 100m Crown

Favour Ashe has set his sights on rewriting history at next month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, declaring his ambition to become the first Nigerian sprinter since Olusoji Fasuba in 2006 to medal in the men’s 100m.

Fresh from reclaiming the title of Nigeria’s fastest man at the Nigerian Championships in Lagos, Ashe made a passionate appeal for better preparation.

‘To be honest, I really need a good training facility. Since I came to Nigeria, I haven’t got that. The gym, store, but I just keep on using what I see. I just keep on trusting the process. So, I need good preparation for the Commonwealth Games,’ he told The Guardian.

His plea came after a commanding performance at the Yaba College of Technology, YABATECH, Sports Ground where he clocked a wind-aided 9.98 seconds in the semifinals before storming to victory in the final with a wind-legal 9.93 seconds. The time eclipsed his 2024 personal best of 9.94 seconds and secured his second national 100m crown.

The triumph marked a dramatic turnaround for a sprinter who admitted he had been battling depression after failing to medal at the Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Accra.

‘After the African Championships in Ghana, I was depressed. I read some of the comments with people saying Ashe is washed and finished. I decided to lock in for one month because I know what I am capable of,’ he revealed.

Visa issues had kept him training in Nigeria without access to elite facilities, forcing him to improvise and even seek relief abroad.

‘These past two years have been rough. I didn’t get my visa back to the U.S. The fans didn’t know that. I was in Nigeria training. Because of the pressure, I went to Qatar, not because of the money but because I wanted to free myself again. I really trained in Qatar,’ Ashe explained.

His decision to return home proved pivotal.

‘This year, someone I respect so much called me to come back to Nigeria. I have to make that decision. Because I knew if I came back to Nigeria, I would be locked in, disciplined, and I would get the job done. So I am happy with my performance,’ he said.

Once touted as the heir to Nigerian sprinting after Divine Oduduru’s ban, Ashe was the only man to break 10 seconds in 2022. He was later joined by Godson Oke Oghenebrume and Udodi Onwuzurike in 2023, with all three dipping under the mark again in 2024. Ashe led the pack with his lifetime best of 9.94 seconds before bettering it this week.