Athletics Africa Magazine

Hi all, Here's wishing you all the best of the new year. From all of us at Athleticsafrica.com. Stay blessed. Y.

What a way to end the year, Better late than never, a honour truely deserved. Former World Champion Merlene Ottey was during the week immortalised with with a 2.4m bronze statue in her native Jamaica. Referred to by the IAAF as "easily one of the most decorated stars of world athletics", Ottey bronze likeness, erected at a cost in excess of JA$3 million (US$ 46,500), was unveiled in Kingston's Independence Park by no less a person than the Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson. The 45-year-old seven-time Olympian first represented Jamaica in 1980, at the age of 20, taking 200m bronze. The oldest world athletics track medalist ever, anchoring Jamaica's 400m team to Olympic silver in 2000. She's also the most decorated woman in Olympics or World Championships track and field, with eight and 14 medals respectively among her 35 major championship medals. She was a World Champion on three consecutive occasions, with relay gold in 1991, then 200m wins in 1993 and 1995...

US Sprinter Tim Montgomery has announced his retirement from athletics following his two-year ban for steroid abuse. The 30-year-old American was stripped of his 100 metres world record, his gold and silver medals from the 2001 World Championships and had all his results since 31 March 2001 expunged from the record books. He also confirmed that he has split up with partner Marion Jones, the triple Olympic champion at the 2000 Sydney Games. The charges were brought by the US Anti-Doping Agency based on evidence gathered in the Balco laboratory case. "I have retired," he said to the BBC . "The process was totally not fair. From where I come from, you need a positive test." But, the World Anti-Doping Agency president Dick Pound believes the bans will serve as a warning that officials do not need positive tests to punish athletes. "It is a good warning. It means if you are going to do this drug stuff you are at risk. This will be helpful as...

World food programme Ambassador has also joined the bandwagon of athletes donating their kits to charity. World Marathon record holder Paul Tergat of Kenya who is the African Ambassador of the IAAF humanitarian project Athletics for a Better World has donated his 2005 New York Marathon winning vest and an autographed copy of his book Paul Tergat: 'Running to the Limit' to the IAAF. Meanwhile, 379 Dream Team members who pledged to raise funds and lobby for Ethiopia's orphans and vulnerable children through their participation in the 2005 Toyota Great Ethiopian Run raised more than $18,000 in last sunday's 'Run For Their Dreams', The Great Ethiopia Run's first ever sponsorship campaign. The Dream Team members were joined by 2000 members of youth anti-AIDS clubs from all regions of Ethiopia who had traveled to Addis Ababa for weekend of activities culminating in their participation in the UNICEF 10 K youth challenge.

Good to know that superstars are human afterall. I am always excited when successful people give back to the society to support humanitarian projects. World and Olympics champion Tonique Williams-Darling has joined the growing lists of athletes donating their winning kits to the IAAF athletes for a better world project . The darling lady from Bahamas, who won a highly competitive 400m final at the IAAF World Championships in Helsinki last summer, donated her gold medal winning bodysuit to the Americas project Ambassador Debbie Ferguson following her 49.55 seconds win in Helsinki. The 29-year-old Williams-Darling was the revelation of the 2004 summer season during which not only did she win the Olympic title in Athens but she also won a share of the TDK Golden League Jackpot. Last week, Athens 2004 double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes donated her competition vest to the IAAF . The 35-year-old, who won an incredible 800m / 1500m double at the 2004 Games, presented a Great Britain and No...

Reigning World Half marathon champion Fabiano Joseph of Tanzania took home the $10,000 prize money on offer at the 4th MTN Lagos International Half Marathon today. The 19-year-old ran away from defending champion John Korir of Kenya to win in a new course record of 1:02:20, ending the Kenyan 3-year domination of the course . Korir, 25, equalled his former course record of 1:03:05 to place second while Joseph's training partner and fellow countryman John Yuda took the third position from the hordes of Kenyans and other local runners in 1:04:21. Joseph told reporters after the race: "When Korir did not want to respond when I asked him to take the lead, I thought then that I was going to win. "I was third in this race in 2002, so now I am very glad to win it."

One place you would not want to miss out of on saturday morning if you live in Africa's most populous city, Lagos would be at the national stadium in Surulere. Nigeria is not known for long distance running, but the advent of the MTN Lagos Half-Marathon three years ago has been a breath of fresh air, attracting increasing numbers of local runners, from fewer than 15,000 in 2002 to over 30,000 entries in 2005. Nigerian athletes, led by last year's revelation Wilson Eku (pictured in green top) are shaping up to challenge top foreign runners from Kenya and Ethiopia this time around. The race organised by the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and sponsored by Africa's telecoms giant MTN is already tagged the "biggest and best Lagos marathon ever". A sure clash between three champions - Reigning world half marathon champion Fabiano Joseph of Tanzania, defending champion John Korir of Kenya, who set the course record of 63:05 in winning last year and Charles Kiama...

The recent state of doping allegations in the Nigerian Commonwealth Games camp, especially in Boxing and Weightlifting, is causing grave concerns for the officials of the Athletics Federations of Nigeria . The Federation's technical Chairman, Sunday Bada - a former national 400m champion, said they are embarking on an enlightment campaign for athletes and officials on consequence of doping preparatory to the Commonwealth Games 2006. These he said include a series of educational talks, symposia etc., and will form part of activities for the athletes during the Commonwealth camping slated for Abuja. Mombasa Agog Celebrations are continuing in the Kenya city as news of their choice by the International Association of Athletics Federation to host the 2007 World Cross-country Championships in Mombasa was received . Do you think Kenya hosting the World cross country championships in 2007 will improve the sport on the continent? Make your comments below.

I have been on the phone all day. An excited Kenyan friend of mine have been harassing me all day to share the good news with me. Like we have all been hoping for a major IAAF competition to come to Africa, so we can all get together on home soil. Well the news is that Kenya has now officially been awarded the right to host the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships in 2007. The East African country, the most successful nation in the history of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, got the nod to host the competition for the first time after a vibrant audio-visual presentation at the IAAF Council Meeting in Moscow. So the port city of Mombassa would take the mantle after the 34 th edition next year on Fukuoka, Japan. Obviously we are over the moon here at AthleticsAfrica.Com and we wish the Mayor of Mombasa,Taib Ali Taib and all the member of delegation to the IAAF Council - Paul Tergat, Catherine Ndereba an others - Congratulations and a job well done. And for you, Salome, ...

The Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, was last week thrown into chaos following three days of civil unrest that left more than 42 people dead and hundreds injured . Now in the aftermath, the organisers of the 2005 Toyota Great Ethiopian Run , one of Africa’s largest road races - with 25,000 places sold out already - are worried about the conduct of the November 27 race. Event Coordinator Richard Nerurkar told IAAF freelancer Elshadai Negash: "For the time being, we are making preparations...We are naturally concerned at what has been happening throughout the town, but we hope that the situation will calm down in the coming days." Well, It would be a shame, if the race is put off. It's always rare to see Africa's top stars run on Africa soil, so this opportunity should not be missed. Meanwhile, several top African athletics stars have arrived in Nairobi, Kenya to attend 6th World Conference on Sport and Environment. The three-day (9-11 Nov.) conference is focusing on th...

Organisers of the 2006 Flora London Marathon next April sure know how to stir the hornets' nest. Yesterday confirmation of the ING New York City Marathon champion and World record holder Paul Tergat of Kenya and the defending champion Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa has raised the stakes considerably. Still smarting from his dramatic loss at the finish line to Tergat last Sunday in New York, the closest ever finish in the 36-year history of the event (at 2:09:30 to 2:09:31), Ramaala would not be willing to relinguish his London title as well, not least in that painful fashion. However, Tergat and Ramaala will have to contend in London with the two-time Olympic Champion and four-time World Champion, Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, who signed a three year deal with the London Marathon back in January 2005. The 32-year-old Gebrselassie, had earlier won the Amsterdam marathon in 2:06:20 last month Race Director Dave Bedford said: "This exciting rematch will be...

Lets cast our votes for our African brothers and sisters at the IAAF Male and Female Athletes of the Year award 2005. Voting starts now Monday 5 September and closes on Thursday September 8 2005 . TO VOTE GO TO AthleticsAfrica.Com Hurry Now!!!!!

Yet again, Ethiopian Olympic and two-time world champion Kenenisa Bekele re-writes his world 10,000m record, after narrowly missing it in Hengelo last May, with a 26:17.53 clocking at the 29th Van Damme Memorial - IAAF/TDK Golden League meeting in Brussels. It was a family affair as his younger brother Tariku, set the pace and help drove him through the halfway mark (5k) five seconds inside world record pace. The world record-holder was full of praises for the sell-out crowd and his brother after the race. Then it was Haile Gebrsellassie, now it's Bekele. could it be Is there any end to the Ethiopian domination of this event? your guess is as good as mine.:-) Y.

Will Nigeria get any medal out of the 10th world athletics championships in Helsinki today? Undisputed Africa's best sprinting nation is getting a bashing in here in Finland. The men's 4x100m relay team-our best chance of a medal - crashed out yesterday in lane 1. The women's team doesn't look good though they made it to the final, But out in lane 8, with the slowest qualifying time, only a miracle will do. Let's hope the men's 4x400m team save our pride as usual (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004) tommorrow.

Defending world champion Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia expectedly retained his world 10,000m title in Helsinki this evening. The 23-year-old world record holder and Olympic champion produced a characteristic sprint finish off the final bend with 200m left to win in 27:08.33. Inzikuru wins historic gold for Uganda Ugandan distance queen Dorcus Inzikuru has become the first woman to win the 3,000m steeplechase event at an athletics world championships in Helsinki. Today's triumph gives Inzukuru the first championships gold medal ever for Uganda and only the second medal of any kind for the central African country.

Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba has claimed one half of her double target in Helsinki, after leading two of her countrywomen to a clean sweep of the 10,000m at the 10th IAAF world championships in Athletics. Tirunesh will next challenge for the women's 5,000m title which starts on Wednesday evening, August 10, 2005.

Aliu out, but Emedolu, Zakari and Fasuba through to Semi-Finals tommorrow. Nigerian Uchenna Emedolu (10.16), Olusoji Fasuba(10.24) and Ghanaian Aziz Zakari (10.41) all qualified for tommorrow's Semi-Finals. Reigning All- African games champion, Deji Aliu of Nigeria is out of the 100m contention here in Helsinki. He had looked very uncomfortable while qualifying for the quarter-finals of the men's 100m this morning. Aliu was fifth with 10.39 seconds in the Quarter-finals Heat 3 won by former Nigerian sprinter Francis Obikwelu of Portugal in 10.19 seconds. He had placed third in Heat 8 behind Briton Jason Gardener (10.19 secs) and fellow African Aziz Zakari of Ghana (10.30 secs) with 10.36 secs. The 30-year-old, who had struggled with injuries this season, was tensed through all phases of the race and just managed to hold on to the third position. Invite your friends and colleagues to join millions of other track and field enthusiast to discuss topical issues relating to the grow...

Wow, was priviledged yesterday to see the first woman to soar over 5 metres in the Pole Vault at the London Grand Prix! Yelena Isinbayeva - what a dame! Despite the uncertainty of the bomb threats in the city, and amidst the fears, I was glad i finally did go to Crystal Palace. Disappointed though that injury prevented world's fastest man ASAFA POWELL from completing his duel with Olympic champion JUSTIN GATLIN in the 100 metres, nevertheless the drama was worth it. Kenenisa Bekele won the 5,000 metres as usual, but was chased all the way home by Austalian Craig Mottram. Poor Wallace Spearmon, sad to miss out of Helsinki after his excertions at the NCAA, showed his full recovery with a stunning 19.89 seconds win in the 200 metres. More click here

Hello, a lot is changing in Africa. And athletics is one of them. Next months World athletics championships promises to be Africa's best yet. Hurray! AthleticsAfrica.Com will be One-year-old on July 25th. Yes, it's been one year of hard work and perseverance, but we are happy to say today that we average 50,000 hits every month. Here are round up of African athletics news today. Kenyan athlete Jane Nyambura told The Standard reporter Omulo Okoth her ordeal in Italy where her Italian manager got her deported after exploiting and cutting her earnings. This sad story depicts the travails of African athletes in the hands of dubious European managers, as they seek greener pastures abroad. Full story... Nigerian duo shine in Thessaloniki Nigerian sprint champions Endurance Ojokolo and Uchenna Emedolu continued their good form on a rainy day at the IAAF Grand Prix II "THESSALONIKI 2005" Meeting in Greece. African kids shine in Marrakech African ...

A leading Zimbabwean athlete has been jailed for four years for competing in female events, after the discovery that 'she' was a man. Multiple medal winner Samukeliso Sithole was accused by fellow athletes and charged with impersonation and causing psychological damage. The 18-year-old won the only gold medal for Zimbabwe at the Southern Region Championships in Botswana in June 2004. More on AthleticsAfrica.Com

Defending champion Endurance Ojokolo and ex-world cup winner Uchenna Emedolu storm to victory in the 100 metres at the ExxonMobil/All Nigeria Track & Field Championships in Abuja. Ojokolo overcame an indifferent season to beat Mercy Nku to retain her title in 11.28 seconds. Nku crossed the finish line in 11.42 seconds, while Australian based Gloria Kemasuode settled for third place in 11.45 seconds. Emedolu ran a controlled race to edge out African champion Olusoji Fasuba with 10.13 -10.16 seconds in the men's 100m. More from AthleticsAfrica.Com

Nigeria's reigning 100 metres champion Tamunosiki Atoribido is out of the team to the 10th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Helsinki. The Mobil/NNPC/Nigeria Track & Field defending sprints champion pulled out halfway through his second round heats at the trials with a hamstring injury. Tamunosiki, who surprisingly won the title last year with a stunning 10.08 seconds, has been plaqued by injuries all season and only managed a 10.40 seconds season's best this year. More in AthleticsAfrica.Com

Ethiopia’s double World record-holder in the 5,000m and 10,000m, Kenenisa Bekele and his brother Tariku were runaway winners in the 3,000m at the 30th edition of Athletissima, IAAF Super Grand Prix meeting in Lausanne. Kenenisa Bekele, who is the current leader in the IAAF Men's overall World Ranking, cruised to an easy victory to lead an African clean sweep of the men's 3000 metres in 7:34.57. His younger brother Tariku finished in second place in 7:38.18 ahead of compatriot Markos Geneti, who was third with 7:38.42. Also, Ghana's Aziz Zakari edged out American and Olympic 100m champion Justin Gatlin (10.03) to snatch second place in the men's 100 metres in a time of 10.02 seconds. Frenchman Ronald Pognon won the tight race in a personal best 9.99 seconds. More in AthleticsAfrica.Com .

Olympic 10,000m silver medallist, Sileshi Sihine, has secured a place in the Ethiopian World Championships team after setting a meet record in the 10,000m at the Memorial Josefa Odlozila (IAAF Grand Prix II) meeting in Prague. Sihine, 22, who has suffered a knee injury all through last winter, took the record to cleaners in 26:57.27, relegating countryman Gezhagne Mamo and Kenya’s Geoffrey Kingeno to the second (27:38.49) and third (27:41.78) positions respectively. The Ethiopian, who was a bronze medallist at the Paris 2003 world championships, said after the race he was disappointed with his form inspite of the record. Read More

Athletics Kenya Kenya athletics governing body, (AK) has released a list of 37 athletes to represent the country at the 10th IAAF World Athletics Championships from August 6 -14 in Helsinki, Finland. Olympic 3000m Steeplechase champion Ezekiel Kemboi and silver medallist Brimin Kipruto, are included in the team, but bronze medallist Paul Koech, who was fifth at the Kenya trials misses out. Athletics Kenya officials however delayed the naming of the third athlete to join both Kemboi and Kipruto in the team to the championships. Read More

The talkpoint of the 16th NNPC/ExxonMobil Nigeria track and field championship will be the expected showdown between in-form Olusoji Fasuba and old-horse Deji Aliu and Uchenna Emedolu. The three Nigerian sprinters are in the top 20 of the recent (13th June) IAAF world ranking and were part of the Nigerian Bronze winning 4X100m relay quartet at the Athens 2004 Olympics. Fasuba, 20, is the highest ranked Nigerian at 10th position in the world. The reigning Africa Champion from Brazaville African Athletics Championships in 2004 has been in terrific form this outdoor season. He sped to a 10.09 clocking to equal his personal best in the 100m at the African Athletics Confederation (AAC) Permit Meeting at Kasarani, Nairobi on 7th May, and returned 10.17 to finished second at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet on 9th June. He also took a sprint double (10.20 seconds in 100m and 20.62 seconds in 200m) in an earlier AAC meet in Bamako on 6th April. All-Africa Games (Abuja 2003) winner...

Sponsors of the 16th Mobil/NNPC Track and Field Championship/World Athletics Championships trials has introduced cash rewards for the first time in the history of the competition, which started in 1990, reports Nigeriansportsonline.com . Events winners will each receive N50,000 (£200) while runners-up will receive N30,000(£120) and third place finishers will get N20,000 (£80) each. The name sponsor of the meet, Mobil Oil Producing Unlimited expects this token to engender more competition among participating athletes at the annual meet. It would also provide an opportunity for local athletes who could not take part in the IAAF Grand Prix and other international meets to earn some money at home.

IAAF news report - Elfenesh Alemu (fourth at the Athens Olympic Marathon), Ethiopian National Marathon record holder Gete Wami are the surprise omission as Ethiopia announced its provisional Marathon squad for the 10th IAAF World Championships to be held in Helsinki, Finland (August 6-14 2005). But two-time Olympic 10,000m champion Derartu Tulu is in line to make her major championship marathon debut after making the squad, while there are a lot of fresh talent throughout the men’s squad as Ethiopia begins life without its established stars. National Marathon team coach Zelalem Desta said that the technical committee of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) decided to drop Alemu after she repeatedly turned down invitations to join the National team training. Alemu, the fastest Ethiopian women marathoner in 2005 with her 2:27.03 for second place in Boston and one of the world’s top female marathoners, will therefore miss the chance to make her fourth appearance at the W...

Breaking News - Asafa Powell breaks the WORLD 100 METRES RECORD IN GREECE!!! while Aziz Zakari who was second sets a new African Season best of 9.99 seconds at the IAAF GP meet this evening in Athens, Greece AthleticsAfrica.Com IAAF NEWS FLASH - Tuesday 14 June 2005 World 100m record for Powell - 9.77 seconds Athens, Greece - In the last few minutes, Asafa Powell of Jamaica has, subject to ratification, broken the World 100 metres record at the Athens Super Grand Prix Tsiklitiria 2005. Powell's time was clocked as 9.78 seconds equalling the existing World record - Tim Montgomery, USA, Paris, France, 14/09/2002 - but a few minutes later this was rounded down officially to 9.77 (wind 1.6m/s). His reaction time at the start was 0.150. “I knew that I could do it," commented Powell. "I did my best. It feels great to be the fastest man of the world." How fast can you go this season? “Who knows? 9 something...I love Greece and I will come back here ...

Fatimoh Mohammed - Courtesy UTEP 

Yomi Omogbeja (12/06/2005) Nigeria's Fatimoh Omolola Mohammed has continued to impress in the US National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) championships. University of Texas, El Paso's Junior Fatimoh Muhammed is ranked eighth in 800 metres in the country, with her personal best of 2:05.28, despite failing to get to the finals at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, California at the weekend. The 21-year-old, Management major, came fourth in her opening round of the 800 metres with a time of 2:06.04 and moved on to the semifinals with the 15th-best time. Her path to the finals was however halted after she finished seventh in her semifinal heat with a time of 2:06.98. This year had been quite remarkable for the Abeokuta-born athlete, who is a cousin to Nigeria's foremost female quarter miler and Atlanta Olympics bronze medallist Falilat Ogunkoya. At the NCAA Midwest Track and Field Regional in Norman, Oklahoma on May 27th,...

Nigeria's newest sensation, Olusoji Fasuba continues his good run of form yesterday in Ostrava. Fasuba finished hot on World leader Asafa Powell of Jamaica heels in 10.17 seconds. In the process, defeating two other Nigerans, Former World Junior Champion in 1995, Deji Aliu (4th in 10.22) and UTEP graduate Aaron Egbelle (5th in 10.31) .

Sorry for being away from the blog for a while. no explanation really, but exams taking its toll. It's no longer news that reigning Olympic 1500m Silver medallist Bernard Lagat has defected to the US . Anyway, just wondering why African athletes are not just contented with being 'settled' in the developed nations. Must they always lose their nationalities completely ? One scenario i forsee come 2008 Olympics is this: African athletes may dominate the medals podium, but none of the medals will count for African countries. What a shame that will be! However, i am delighted that the IAAF has come strongly against this and the new rules on change of nationalities should at least deter other not so patriotic athletes from following the same footsteps. Probably not as draconic as that proposed by the Kenyan Sports Minister . But I can feel his anger. regards, Y

Hi peeps, Been wondering where i've been? So what's been happening to me. I've been away in Abuja, Nigeria for the past few weeks marketing the website. Internet connections has been slow and electricity been erractic, so i have not been able to update this blog as often as i 'd like. Moreover, i 've been on the road. The Africa athletes award nite is on 11 March, while the Africa versus USA track and Field challenge comes up at the Abuja National Stadium on 12 March, so yours truly got to meet the ''who and whos'' in African athletics in Abuja. Anyway, never mind, i shall keep you posted on this blog and on the website with live vids and gists from the award nite and the meet. Blog to you later. Y

Hey peeps, just came back from Glasgow to watch Tosin Oke triple jumped for Great Britain at the Norwich Union International. Though, 15.80 wasn't too fantastic, but Nigeria could use him:-)) Enfield & Harringey's Hakeem Ogunyemi was in Birmingham meet today as well. A pre-season second placing 7.8ish in 60m is something to work on before the AAA in Sheffield next month. Berhane Adere (Ethiopia) won the 3000m in 8:37.91. Youssef Baba (Morocco), lost a well-timed sprint in the 1000m to Briton James McIlroy. Yeah, got to go to bed now. check out the main site for cool videos - just uploaded. Peace.

Hectic day. couldn't write much today. guess i have to get more writers. By the way, a new star has been born in South Africa, he is Godfrey Khotso Mokoena , the World Junior Triple Jump champion. More about him later, but watch out for him at the Absa series in Potchefstroom on February 4th . Hey guys, freelance writers are wanted on the website. do contact the Editor . Got to go to sleeep now. Katch ya'll, Y.

Yep, after months of procrastination, i've finally set this thing up. I created this as the African athletics marketplace. A forum for spreading the good tidings and instigating the much needed development of track and field in Africa. I hope you will follow my musings and thots as I zig-zaged all over Europe this indoor season to see the cream of African talents in their efforts to win laurels for their respective countries. You can also make your contributions and lets know you if you are an African athlete out there competing. Your story is worth our while. For more news, check AthleticsAfrica.com. Well, so long for now. looking forward to read your posts soon. Y.