The Interview Editors
What is your take on the organisation of the recently concluded Making of Champions Grand Prix?
The competition was good although the rain affected the opening day, but even at that, we still had some good times especially in the 100m for men and women with the winner of the men’s event recording a new personal best.
This serve as a prelude to the national trial in Abuja next week. Do you think we have the talents to excel at the African Games?
The competition is mainly for the home-based athletes, and the truth is like I said earlier, we recorded a lot of good times especially in the 100m, 400m, the hurdles and the likes, even the field events.
By the time those people abroad come around, we are going to have a solid team for the African Games and probably the World Championships.
Apart from the fact that these athletes train under different coaches, they need more competitions to meet up with the standard expected of them
Do you think the athletes at home have what it takes to compete against their foreign-based counterpart?
Of course, we have a lot that are really ready. This Grand Prix is like a preparation for them ahead of the trials, which will put them in a better shape.
Your event, 100m hurdles, it has been just Tobi Amusan and we have not really seen many athletes trying to compete well with her. What do you have to say on this?
One thing about hurdle is that you have to take part in a lot of competitions to be up there, because just partaking in a competition for like three to four times in a year is not a good thing.
Apart from the fact that these athletes train under different coaches, they need more competitions to meet up with the standard expected of them. Let them compete more, the more they compete, the more they get better.
Those at home must compete more to give us more options for medals, for me, competing once in a month is not even good enough, at least an athlete should be able to compete twice in a month or even more
Was it like this during your own time?
It has always been the same problem, although it was better during our days than we have now. Then, we used to have competitions although not enough, but at least we used to compete monthly.
Classics like almost every month, even within each event like hurdle, we usually have competitions meant only for us and there are so many of us competing against each other for a place in the team.
When you remember that if you didn’t run well, you would be left out; you will work hard. Recently, we don’t have anyone competing in the same breath with Tobi, the difference is really much.
Those at home must compete more to give us more options for medals, for me, competing once in a month is not even good enough, at least an athlete should be able to compete twice in a month or even more.
Competition is part of training and put an athlete to know his or her defects and see how to improve on that.
