Ochonogor, Obi Shine As Commonwealth Games Trials Gather Pace In Lagos

AFOLABI SAHEED OLAWALE

The 2026 Commonwealth Games National Trials gathered momentum on Sunday at the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) Sports Complex in Lagos, with athletes delivering impressive performances that reinforced optimism about Nigeria’s prospects ahead of the Games.

The opening day of competition featured a blend of established stars and emerging talents, drawing commendations from sports administrators and athletics stakeholders who praised both the quality of performances and the level of organisation.

Leading the praise was the Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Honourable Bukola Olopade, who described the athletes on display as the future of Nigerian athletics.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Olopade expressed satisfaction with the standard of competition and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to creating opportunities for athletes to thrive on the international stage.

The Vice President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Chief Solomon Ogba, also hailed the quality of competition, noting that the trials provided encouraging signs as Nigeria intensifies preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Also monitoring proceedings was Yusuf Alli, Head of the Nigeria Elite and Podium Finish Committee, who closely observed athletes competing for places in future international championships.

One of the major attractions of the trials remained the Ben Aghazu Excellence in Athletics Prize, an initiative designed to motivate and reward outstanding performances by home-based athletes.

On the field, United States-based jumper Prestina Ochonogor emerged victorious in the women’s long jump with a leap of 6.57 metres. In the absence of national record holder Ese Brume, Ochonogor delivered a commanding performance to claim top honours.

The men’s triple jump produced one of the day’s standout moments as Arena Academy’s Olaoluwa Akindunbi recorded a personal best of 16.08 metres to secure victory.

In the women’s 5,000 metres, five athletes surpassed the qualifying benchmark for the Ben Aghazu Excellence in Athletics Prize, underlining the growing depth of women’s distance running in Nigeria.

Vivian Obadiah of Delta State won the race in a personal best time of 17 minutes, 24.85 seconds. Mary Jah Bulus of D-MSF finished second in 17:26.28, while Aminat Adenike Alabi of Osheku Athletics Academy placed third in 17:26.51, both recording personal bests.

Nvou Gyang Tanko of D-MSF crossed the line fourth in 17:26.82, while Arinde Miracle Boluwatife of D’Star Athletics Academy completed the list of qualifiers with a personal best of 17:33.07.

Reacting to the performances, Akuchukwu Aghazu, initiator of the prize and Second Vice President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), expressed delight at the emergence of new talents.

She said the performances validated the vision behind the initiative, which seeks to inspire athletes to pursue excellence while rewarding hard work and dedication.

“I am truly excited by what we witnessed in the women’s 5,000 metres. Seeing five athletes attain the benchmark, all with personal best performances, is a clear indication that our athletes are responding positively to opportunities created for them,” Aghazu said.

According to her, the performances highlighted the enormous potential within Nigeria’s athletics system and reinforced the need to continue creating pathways for home-based athletes to excel.

Aghazu also acknowledged the contributions of Kunle Oguneye, Gbolahan Fatuga and Nigerian athletics legend Mary Onyali for their financial support towards the Excellence in Athletics Prize initiative.

The performance of the day, however, came from Jennifer Chukwuka Obi, who produced a stunning run in the women’s 100 metres heats. Obi clocked a lifetime best of 11.26 seconds despite a headwind of -0.8m/s to win Heat Three and strengthen her status as one of the country’s most promising sprint talents.

She finished ahead of Merit Ufuoma, who qualified in 11.50 seconds, while Lucy Nwankwo secured the final qualifying spot with a time of 11.60 seconds.

The women’s sprint events provided one of the most exciting spectacles of the opening day and set the stage for an intense battle for medals.

Meanwhile, the men’s 100 metres heats were postponed due to technical issues and have been rescheduled for Monday. The final is expected to take place on Tuesday, June 23.

With several outstanding performances already recorded and confidence growing among officials and stakeholders, attention now shifts to Day Two as athletes continue their quest for qualification standards, national recognition and opportunities to represent Nigeria on the international stage.