Enoch Adegoke: ‘I will not be defeated and I will not quit’

Former Nigeria 100m champion, Enoch Adegoke says he is still on track in his bid to get back the form that made him the first Nigerian in 25 years to run in the final of the blue ribband event at the Olympics.

Many Nigerians see the 23 year old’s recovery to be slower than expected after he got injured in the 100m final at the Tokyo 2020 (2021) Olympics but the Edo 2020 (2021) National Sports Festival champion is not overtly worried he is not back to the 2021 form.

Adegoke was phenomenal in 2021 and became the first home-based sprinter in a long while to qualify for the Olympics running at home.

He sped to the fastest winning time by a home based athlete (10.00 seconds) for his first Nigeria Track and Field Championships 100m title and raced inside 10.00 seconds (9.98) in his first round heat at the Olympics.

He ran a 10.44 personal season’s best in 2022 and has, so far, improved to 10.32 in 2023 and the 2019 African U20 champion said in a facebook post he is knows he is heading back to the top with the Olympics holding in about 12 months time.

‘So many things to be grateful for,’ he wrote and acknowledged it has been a tough journey to recovery.

‘It’s been a long journey of recovery and I’m grateful for strength. It’s been draining physically, and most especially emotionally and psychologically but I’m grateful that ‘Christ has been my firm, rock solid foundation’.

‘I know where I was, I know where I am, I know where I’m headed. To everyone God has placed in my life, I’m grateful to you all.
It can only get better. I promise never to give up. God is my strength.

‘As Brother Kenneth Hagin (of blessed memory) said and I key into the powerful word, ‘I will not be defeated and I will not quit,’ he wrote.