After emerging the fastest man at the just concluded national trials, Favour Ashe is poised to return Nigeria to the world athletics map when the 2022 World Athletics Championships kicks off in Oregon, United States next month.
The University of Tennessee undergraduate who was competing in his third national championship, continued his fine form this season when he breasted the tape amidst a stacked field including Alaba Akintola and multiple national champion Seye Ogunlewe to win with a new personal best time of 9.99s at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo State to become the fastest man in the country.
“This is my third national championship, and I am so happy to have won this title; I am grateful to God,” the 20-year-old said.
Being the first legal sub-10 time for the University of Tennessee freshman after running a wind-aided 9.79s on the American Collegiate circuit, where he claimed silver at the 2022 NCAA Championships.
“I went to the US in January, and it has been a good season. I have been running a steady 10.1secs and I have a wind-aided 9.79secs; I believe this is just the beginning and I know I will do more from this. Right now, I will go back to the US; return to training, and work on some basic things in my training.
“When I made my debut at the world championships, I went there to fill the tournament but now I want to go out there to do some good races and break records,” he said.
The 20-year-old believed the quality of sprinters in the country is a good development even as he urged the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) to give attention to the welfare of athletes.
“Right now, we have good sprinters and Nigeria is about to be on the map and we should just all focus to be able to put the country on the world athletics map,” he said. “Nigeria should do what they need to do to be well organized in most events and most importantly, they should support athletes in terms of welfare.”
