Nine Nigerian track and field stars top 2023 African Indoor List

As many as nine Nigerian athletes are top of the African indoor performance list in their respective events so far this season with three of them in the top five in the world.

For the men, new Nigeria Shot Put record holder, Chukwuebuka Enekwechi who last month in Iowa, USA threw a new indoor lifetime best (21.20) leads three other Nigerians who are the best so far in Africa.

Favour Ashe leads the 60m event with his 6.55 run last weekend at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas, USA. In fact it is Nigeria 1,2, 3 in this event as Alaba Akintola is second (6.61) and Udodi Chudi Onwuzurike third (6.63).

Ezekiel Nathaniel, the Nigerian 400m hurdles record holder ran in the 400m flat at the Convention Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico about 12 days ago and his time of 46.57 is the best by an African so far this year and the 19th best in the World.

High jumper Omamuyovwi Erhire made it a memorable debut for Texas Tech at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas where he cleared 2.23m to equal his lifetime best in the event.
The mark is joint first in Africa with Kudakwashe Chadenga of Zimbabwe who also cleared the same height at the same meet and at the same centre.

Favour Ofili tops the list of five women who are also the best in Africa in their events.

The 20 year old’s 22.53 run in only her first individual race of the year is the best achieved by an African indoors this year and the second fastest in the world behind Nigerian-Irish girl, Rashidat Adeleke who ran 22.52 in New Mexico, USA at the same weekend.

In the 60m, Rosemary Chukwuma is not only the fastest African so far but also the joint fourth fastest in the world. Her 7.09 lifetime best run is the seventh fastest by an African ever and is the fastest time achieved by an African since Carina Horn of South Africa ran the same time in February 2018.

Louisiana State University’s Ella Onojuvwevwo tops the 400m list with the 53.57 personal best she ran at the Razorback invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas last weekend.

Esther Isa’s 1.84m new lifetime best height in the High jump ranks her the best in Africa and second in the Nigerian all-tme list behind Doreen Amata (1.93m).

Another jumper, Ruth Usoro also flew to a lifetime best in the long jump. Her 6.87m leap at her alma mata ground,Texas Tech’s Sports Performance Center in Lubbock, Texas is not only the best by an African so far this year but also the best since Blessing Okagbare jumped the same mark in Arkansas 23 years ago.

The mark is joint second in the Nigerian and African all-time list behind Chioma Ajunwa whose 6.97m mark in Erfut, Germany in 1997 remains the best ever by an African woman and joint 25th best in the world all-time list.