By Kayode Idowu
The Nigerian Olympic legend Chioma Ajunwa has expresses delight that another Nigerian has broken her 7.12m high jump 25-year-old African Recorda at the 1996 Olympic Games.
“It has seem impossible to match not to talk of beating it until Ese Brume broke the record with a massive 7.17m leap at a meet in the USA.”
Ajunwa who is aspiring for the leadership position of Athletics Federation of Nigeria informed that her foundation has been going from state to state to make sure they recruit top talents for this nation and the Police Force, which over the years have been the pool where Nigeria gets his medals from.
“You will agree with me that in the past the Police Force has been giving the country its medals; myself, one Uga Amacha, Grace Umelu, late Mutiu Adesina. I’m trying to give back to society and the organisation that made me. That is why I’m doing my best to ensure we raise top athletes that can take over from the present athletes. We know the government cannot do everything, that is why ex-international athletes like myself are doing everything humanly possible to fill the void by raising quality athletes.”
Continuing, she expressed gladness that she feels so happy and great that another has broken record because it means we can do it once again.
“it simply means we are taking the right step in the right direction. My heart was burdened with Nigeria’s failure to break the record all the while because it says a lot about our slow progress in track and field sports. It really showed that we were not making progress despite the talents that abound in our country.”
“We don’t really prepare adequately for global events like the Olympics and World Championship and that explains why Nigeria dropped from its lofty position as one of Africa’s best athletics nations. I’m so happy that finally, my 25-year-old record has been broken. We are supposed to smash every record in every two years and not just watch it hang there for decades just like Henry Amike’s 36 years Hurdles record; it is sad that no hurdler has smashed that record. It means our athletes are not making any progress when we allow such records to stay on for that long, but I’m happy Brume has shown the world what we can do as a nation.”
“Our athletes are working hard but internal problems within sports administration have been the athletes’ biggest undoing. I just pray that other Nigerian athletes can come up with another record-smashing performance at the next Olympics”
