30
Sport
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
On the track with
YEMI OLUS danyella172003@yahoo.com
Why we failed in Para-athletics –Coach
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he performance of Nigeria’s athletes went to sleep after the trials and ing and the results cannot be measured powerlifters at the recently had to struggle to catch up at the last using the same standards,” the coach concluded Paralympics has minute. A combination of these factors counselled. “A lifter is aware of what he or she overshadowed their counterparts and others affected us at the games.” in other sports especially athletics Unuareokpa, however, frowned at the is able to carry but it does not work as the former won 12 out of the 13 comparison between his athletes and the same way in our sport,” he added, medals secured at the games while the powerlifters, saying both sports in- stressing, “Things can go either way so the only similarity is that we trained at the latter could only account for volved different techniques. a single medal on the final day of “Athletics is not as static as powerlift- the same venue.” competition. About 15 athletes represented the country in para-athletics with 12 of them competing in more than one event yet only veteran athlete, Eucharia Iyiazi, took bronze in the women’s shotput, an event she won at the Beijing Olympics four years ago. Para-athletics Head Coach, Joseph Unuareokpa, blamed his wards’ indiscipline for their poor performance at the London Games, saying that the athletes failed to live up to expectations. “Other reasons were also responsible for our performance,” the coach recalled. “We trained in a temperate region (South Korea) but the weather in London was the exact opposite. It was very cold so that affected the athletes’ output. “We also had to battle with a spate of injuries that hit some of them even though I’m not sure what was responsible for that, considering that we ensured that their training routine was not such that could injure them. Under such circumstances, there is no way the athlete can perform optimally. “I also observed that some of the Eucharia Iyiazi won bronze at the London 2012 Paralympic Games
Blake ponders cricket career
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ohan Blake’s compatriot and training partner, Usain Bolt, has never hidden his love for football and cricket or the desire to play for Manchester United and the Olympic double sprint silver medallist, Blake, seems to be following suit. Latest reports said Blake seems to be toeing the same line with his love for cricket as he has expressed his desire once again to play in the Big Bash League, seeking a check on how quick the Australian pacers are. “Growing up, I always wanted to bat against Brett Lee because they say that he is really quick, so I wanted to see what he is made of,” Blake told local journalists. “Usain and I said let’s go to Australia and play some cricket; let’s check out the Big Bash and see what it is all about. “I know those guys are really quick, but I am always ready and I am always playing cricket. I have my bowling machine and my batting machine at home, so I have been practising and getting ready for that.” Blake played his first cricket match since the London Olympics on Saturday, scoring 20 off 21 balls which included a huge six, playing for Bartley’s XI against Correctional Services in the St Catherine Twenty20 League at the Spanish Town Prison Oval. During his innings, Blake smashed the windscreen of a car. The 22-year-old Jamaican star is keen to end his athletics career before he turns 30 and hopes to begin a professional career in cricket afterwards. “With this hard training in track and field and I know that cricket training is not that hard and I can make the team and it is my first love, I would go to play cricket. I want to finish this (athletics) as early as possible, so I can play my cricket; like somewhere around 30, 29, 28, in that region,” the athlete submitted.
Osazuwa seeks new start
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ittle has been heard about national sprinter, Agnes Osazuwa, after she failed to make the Team Nigeria contingent to the London 2012 Olympic Games but the sprinter has revealed that her season is yet to end. Osazuwa, who is a member of the women’s 4x100 relay team that represented Nigeria at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, revealed that she would participate in a meet in next week in Italy after which she would take time off to regain her form. The 2010 African Championship gold medallist was among the athletes camped in Atlanta, USA earlier this year but failed to impress after placing seventh in the national trials held in Calabar, Cross River State in June. She however disclosed that her poor performance resulted from an injury she sustained while in the USA, making her to miss the London train. “This season was messed up for me because I failed to achieve the target I set for myself. Nevertheless, I still thank God for everything,” Osazuwa said. “I have already started treating my leg but I don’t
know for how long I will be away. If I recover quickly, I would be back next year but if not, I may have to extend my break till 2014 but let’s see how things go. I’m not in a hurry to return to the tracks.”
Yohan Blake (r) in a cricket session
Bekele impresses with Castelbuono victory
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thiopian Tariku Bekele, who won the 10,000m Olympic bronze at the London 2012 Games, took the honours at the Giro di Castelbuono, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday. Castelbuono celebrated the 100th anniversary of the oldest road race in Europe held on a sunny afternoon in the mountains of Sycilian Madonie. This year the very popular Italian race changed its date from the traditional date of 26th July, the day which celebrates Saint Anna, Patriot Saint of Castelbuono. Bekele broke away from Olympic 5000m bronze medallist Thomas Longosiwa during the final lap to take the win. Ethiopian runners Muktar Edris Awel, World Junior 5000m champion, and Deriba Merga, fourth in the Bei-
jing Olympic Marathon, went to the front during the first lap and kept the lead until the second lap when Bekele and Longosiwa caught up with the leaders. Longosiwa fell in the early stages of the race in a collision which involved Rachid Kisri from Morocco and Italian marathoner Ruggero Pertile, who was forced to drop out of the race. Bekele, who is also a World Indoor champion in 2008 and a World Junior champion at 5000m in 2006, pulled away during the last lap and romped home in 30:01, 11 seconds ahead of Longosiwa to crown a solid season in which he made a successful transition to 10,000m winning the Olympic bronze and clocking a new lifetime best of 27:03.24 in Birmingham. Longosiwa placed second in 30:12 while Awel was third with 30:21.